G26 Pro'cincial Horticultural Societies : — 



Art. VI. Provincial Horticultural Societies. 



Oi-u Reiforts of the Proeiiicial Soculics. — I beg leave most conlially to sub- 

 scribe to the opinion you have advanocil in reply to Mr, Pojif, jv 235. Ho" evt>r prolix tlie details 

 of tho exhibitions of these Societies may bo, yoii cannot alxindon them ; for your reports are the 

 onlv means the liitierent societies have of knowing each other's proceedings, by wiiich a constant 

 and reci\>nx-;\l emulation is cxcitcti. 



The- n.irist's thi-ictu I am very willing to acknowledge an excellent work ; but, as you remark, 

 its circulation is hmitett to two or three northern counties ; whereas your JIagaiiue not only 

 extends all over England, but to the Continent, and, as 1 was lately informeii at Paris, is to be 

 met "ith in severaf f\3rt* cf Holland and Germany : l>?sides, your own interest must be a lirst 

 consideration, and I kno\T many meml>ers of various horticultural societies who are great ad- 

 mirers and supi'^Tters of your Magazine, who would imraetiiately alxindon it if Mr. Pope's wishes 

 were complied with. 1 am, Sir, yours, Src. — I'. iMHtic-r. Oin/t/fJ Mat/ £3. 1S31. 



2'Ac- same Suhf^ct. — I am glad to see, by your remarks, p. i?38., that you tie 

 not mean to abandon the reports of provincial horticultural exhibition;!. I consider them very 

 interesting, and as 1 contribute myselt to two or three •^Expositions tUsJi<riirs ff fruits " aimually 

 in this country, I am alwavs anxious to compare the choicest plants on both sides of the water.— 

 U". H. n: il AV- i/c- J><'rlin, St. Omcrs, August, ISol. 



We present the two preceditig commuiiications as including the " end and 

 aim ■■ of similar additional ones ; and we present them here that they m.ay appear in closer union 

 with their subject. They demonstrate that we cannot discontinue these repi^s : ami they do more; 

 thev supply valuable liints to the secretaries and others of provincial horticultural societies:, 

 who provivie the rejwrts of their respective shows for the district newspapers, from which ou» 

 General Report is compiled. They will hetice perceive that their individual reports are integral 

 parts of a national whole, and that that whole is deemeti a just criterion of Britain 's progress in hor- 

 ticulture and doriculture, and also that the resi>ective details of that whole l^ecome so many given 

 points of comparison, by which our foreign readers estimate the merits of the protiuctions of 

 themselves and their countrymen. It is pleasant to calculate also the uses of lists like the follow, 

 ing to amateur cultivators, whether of flowers or of fruits. In the case of flowers it will be seen that 

 Efythr';na /auriti)lia * and Xcrium splenifens have e.ach won several prizes, and the amateur will, 

 in consequence, if not already ptkssessixl of these plants, forthwith procure and cultivate them ; 

 the like effect in other cases, acconiing to the circumstances, may be produced. We have to com- 

 plain that in too many of the reports, the omissions of the names of the winning articles have 

 been too numerous ; there h.ave been, 1st prize to Mr. .\. ; Cd prize to Mr. B. : M prize to Mr.C, 

 and so on : all which, though duly gratifying to the parties themselves, in their own immediate 

 iieighlx)urhocKl, loses all its interest to those devoid of the pleasure of the acquaintance of Messrs 

 A.,"B., C. : the name of the prixiuction, and a brisf notice both of its qualities, if peculiar, 

 and the cultiure, if j»eculiar, by which it has been rendered extraoniinary, would be of universal 

 interest. These, and other points that we need not enumerate, we respectfully submit to the con- 

 sideration of our provincial friends. In the meantime, we have kept out of the present Number, 

 and shall in future keep out, all prizes, the sorts gainuig which are not particularised. 



General Rules for the ^idjiidication of Print's. — In their adjudication of prizes 

 horticultural societies will do well to discriminate as much as possible between the result 

 of chance and the result of skill; for it should ever be borne in mind, that the merit for 

 which a prize ought to be awarded exists not in the production but in the producer. The best 

 dish of filberts in August, or of cherries in July, gathcrcvi, perha[>s, from stmdanl trees planted 

 twenty years ago, may imply but slender merit in the imlividu.il who now produces them. In 

 every horticultural production, therefore, whether raised for use, luxury, or beauty, the merit of 

 the exhibitor is to be estimated by the degree of science, care, .ind skill,"evinced in its cultivation. 

 There is considerable ditticulty in appreciating these qualities ; because in very many cases, pro- 

 Ixihly iu most, they can only be innrri\i from the productions themselves. The Norfolk and 

 Norwich Horticultural Society h.as adopted a standard of judgmeiit at once comprehensive, brief, 

 and perspiciious, for the regulation of those gentlemen who may lie selecteil to award its prizes. 

 We trust that Colonel Mason will not be oflendeii if we associate his name witli a production for 

 which the Society is much indebted to him ; and the public will thank us for thus giving it a more 

 extended circulation. 



" In order to facilitate the method of judgment in awarding prizes to the horticultural exhibit- 

 ants, the following are the governing rules by which, in future, all fruits, flowers, and vegetables 

 will be considereil more or less deserving distinction. As the said rules are conceiveti to unite all 

 the gtxxi properties inherent in either fruits, flowers, or vegetables, they are hereby designated 

 ' The Unities.' Exhibitants will therefore, by these ' unities,' i>ossess data by which they will, at 

 one view, know with what chance of success they compete for prizes : — 



" The Vnsliesfor Fruits comprise Ei^At Properties. 1. Rarity of sort; £. PTiTcocity of season ; 

 5. Magnilicence of size or weight ; 4. Fineness of colour ; 5, Excellence of (jualitv ; tx Extent 

 of quantity sent for exhibition ; 7. Ingenuity of culture ; S. Cheapness of pnxiuction. 



" ExoHipte in tiie Ontiijie. 1. Aurantia nobilis (very rarely met with;* ; i .\pril usual time, Au- 

 gust'' ; 3 Circumference, on an average, 7 in. ; weight, S oz. ; 4. Deep yellow, with r\isset patches 

 on the sides ; 5. Thin-skinned, juicy, quick, and saccharine ; d. Five in number ; 7. Heat applied 

 in M irch, rising from 53'^ !o Sci^ ; 8. Hot-water pipes, by Weeks's ivitent. 



" TMe I'nilies for F/otvers consist a/so qf Eight Propertits. 1. llarity of sort ; ?. Precocity of 

 season ; 3. Mag>ii6cence of size ; 4. Fineness oi' colour : 5. Beauty of forin ; 6. Delicacy or strength 

 of otiour; 7. Ingenuity of culture: S. Cheapness of production. 



'' Eiamp/e in the CarnatioHor Picotee. 1. Seedling; £ July;'a. Diameter, ;> in. ; 4. Yellow 

 Picotee; ground primrose, clear from spots; e>lges streake;l with crimson, dark and distinct; 

 j. Petals beautifully pinked ; c.ilyx entire ; guard petals well reflexeii ; centre petals perfectly 

 trusseil up to the centre ; stem £4 in., strong, and scarcely needing a stick ; tj. But small odoup; 

 7. Half yellow loam, half horse-droppings, and a little sea sand ; S. Cold frame in winter. 



* Erythrina /aurifr>lia is, in ganlens not a few, erroneously called E. Crista galli ; hence, where 

 E. Crista galli occurs in the following lists, it prolxibly signifies in most cases E /aurifMia, 

 which blooms far more freely than E. Crista gallL Sec Mr. EUes's directions for cultivating and 

 propagating this superb plant, E. faurifblia^ pi. -kkx 



