Foreign Notices. 233 



the plan of potting the seedlings, by June you will have a supply of bushy 

 plants, which will immediately flower and continue gay till October or No- 

 vember. [Gard. Chron. IM&., ;?. 219.) 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 

 FRANCE. 



Paris Camellia Show, 1846. — It is to the lady patronesses of the Soci6t6 

 Royale and Cercle General d'Horticulture that we are indebted for an exhi- 

 bition of these splendid plants, which, moreover, they propose to continue 

 every spring. It certainly is a fortunate thing that ladies, moving in the 

 highest circles of rank and fashion, should take so great an interest in hor- 

 ticulture, otherwise we must have been content with one annual show from 

 each society, as heretofore. It is incomprehensible how the directors of 

 these societies (which, by the by, are most liberally patronized by the pub- 

 lic) can rest satisfied with remaining stationary while all the world beside 

 is progressing at rail-road pace ; but such is the fact. It must be obvious 

 that exhibitions, when honorably conducted, conduce perhaps more than any 

 thing else to the prosperity of horticulture ; this has been the case both in 

 England and Belgium, and would be the same here were the status quo got 

 rid of. Let us hope the spirited conduct of the ladies may be the dawn of 

 a new era. Upon the present occasion, they offered a gold medal for the 

 finest and most numerous collection of seedling or new camellias in flower, 

 and another gold medal for the finest and most numerous general collection ; 

 also a silver medal for the finest and most numerous collection of rhododen- 

 drons, and another for azaleas ; beside other prizes for the second best in 

 each class. It is to be regretted that the programme was indefinite as to 

 the number of plants ; because it has too frequently happened that the most 

 numerous collection has been rewarded, and a smaller one, every way 

 superior, altogether passed over. The show was held in the grand gallery 

 of the Palais du Luxembourg, from the 18th to the 22d of this month 

 (March) ; unfortunately, intimation was only given to growers within the 

 last three weeks, and the collections were not so numerous as might have 

 been wished. No doubt, camellias would have been better ten days or a 

 fortnight ago, but that would have been too early for azaleas ; perhaps 

 there may have been other reasons, otherwise how shall we account for the 

 fact, tnat only ten exhibitors could be found among the multitude of public 

 and private growers round Paris? It is but too notorious that a spirited 

 collector, with a long purse, is in a far better position to gain a prize than 

 the most skilful cultivator of a moderate-sized collection ; this system 

 would not be tolerated in England ; here it is openly practised, and plants 

 gain a prize which have been purchased but a few days previously. On the 

 whole, considering the shortness of the notice, both the public and exhibi- 

 tors have reason to be satisfied ; there were some fine specimens, and not a 

 VOL. XII NO. VI. 30 



