228 Notes and Gleanings. 



of two diflferent railroads, that run frequently to and from London through the 

 day and evening, afford every desirable facility for visiting it. As the weather 

 on the day of the show was fine, there was a large concourse of spectators, 

 whether drawn thither by the Flower Show alone, of whether the other attrac- 

 tions of the palace exercised an influence, I cannot say. The price of a ticket of 

 admission, if purchased three days before, was five shillings ; two days before, 

 seven shillings and sixpence ; and if not bought until the day before, or at the 

 door, ten shillings. The plants were arranged on two parallel tables four hun- 

 dred or five hundred feet long, in one of the long galleries, with ample space 

 between the tables for spectators to pass between, and examine the plants at 

 their leisure. There were some cut flowers ; but the greater part of the plants, 

 I think all shown for the prizes, were in pots. Each kind of flower was placed 

 by itself, so that the judges and the public could compare one with the other 

 with more facility. The plants shown were mainly roses, geraniums, azaleas, 

 and those of the lily-tribe. The roses had, in all cases, each one of their 

 branches attached to a small stake inserted in the ground at a determined 

 angle ; and all buds partially opened, or faded flowers, being removed, there was 

 on every bush only fuily but freshly opened roses in their greatest perfection. 

 This mode of arrangement was novel to me. Although it gave to the bushes a 

 stiff and unnatural appearance, yet it exhibited the flowers to the greatest advan- 

 tage. The number of pots of roses, though large, was not, perhaps, as great as 

 one had a right to expect at a show in London ; yet it seemed to me that the 

 quality of the flowers exhibited left nothing in that respect to be desired. Large, 

 very double, fully but not too much expanded, of almost all shades of color, they 

 made a superb show. I have no pretension to be an accurate judge of the 

 qualities of these flowers, or to be any more of a connoisseur in them than any 

 one who is fond of seeing beautiful roses (and that is every one ) ; but, to me, this 

 exhibition of this flower was much the finest that I had ever seen ; and I could not 

 imagine that any one, although it might be larger, could be bettei. The number 

 of geraniums exhibited was much greater than that of roses : the plants were 

 all healthy and vigorous, covered with flowers of all shades of color, and every con- 

 ceivable marking. They were very beautiful ; but I cannot, after this lapse of time, 

 undertake to specify the particular varieties that seemed to me especially worthy 

 of notice. I believe that those varieties of geraniums that have variegated 

 leaves are now held in the highest estimation : these have on each leaf, besides 

 the foundation of green, three other distinct colors, — on the outer edge of the 

 leaf, a circlet of yellow ; next within, one of dark or purple ; and, within that, one 

 of red, occasionally of brilliant scarlet : these circles of color are distinct, though 

 running somewhat into each otlier. The flowers of these variegated geraniums 

 are, I believe, not distinguished for beauty. Of those that I have seen, the flow- 

 ers were scarlet, and not very large ; this was the character of a considerable 

 quantity of them that I afterwards saw bedded out : but these might all have 

 been of one variety, and others may differ. These varieties of geraniums were 

 new to me ; but probably you are familiar with them. I add a description of two 

 of the newest of these varieties of tricolor pelargoniums, offered for sale to sub- 

 scribers, of which there appeared to be no lack ; the plants to be delivered, one 



