Forcis^n Jfoliccs. — Enfi-land. 300 



"a 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 

 ENGLAND. 



Great Exhibition of the London Horticultural Society. — The fol- 

 lovving account of the great exhibition of the Society, at the Chis- 

 wick Garden, on May 15th, will be read with great interest by every 

 lover of plants or flowers: we only regret that we have not space 

 for the whole: — 



This long expected exhibition, with which the hopes and fears of 

 so many persons were associated, took place on one of the finest of 

 May days, with no north-east winds to chill the throng of visitors, 

 nor a single threatening clouil to raise the ai)prehensions of the in- 

 valid. The gardens, too, with the rhododendrons and azaleas in 

 full flower, the noble Glycine sinensis decorating the walls with its 

 countless bunches of fragrant blossoms, and the bright, clear, full- 

 grown foliage of the trees, uninjured by frost or drying winds, were 

 in a state of greater beauty than is often seen at the close of an Eng- 

 lish spring. Five thousand seven hundred visitors filled the grounds, 

 amongst whom were H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of 

 Devonshire, Lady Carlisle, Lady Dover, Lady Mary Howard, Lady 

 Newburgh, Lady Bridport, Lady Grenville, Countess de Salis, the 

 Marquis of Northampton; Earls Fitzwilliam, Carlisle, Talbot, 11- 

 chester, Bradford, and Delaware; Lords Hill, Portman, Rodrfey, 

 Burghersh, Oranmore, Sandon, Morpeth, Stavordale, and Prudhoe; 

 Sir William and the Hon. Lady Middleton, the Hon. Mrs. Rushout, 

 the Count and Countess Bjornstierna, Baron Blome, M. de Gers- 

 dorft', the American Minister and his Lady, together with a crowd of 

 other persons of rank and station. The bands of the Coldstream, 

 the Royal Horse Guards, and the 1st Life Guards played during the 

 afternoon. 



Never was there a more signal exemplification of the benefits 

 which an institution like this is capable of conferring. The estab- 

 lishment of horticultural exhibitions, by encouraging comjjetition, 

 excites a degree of emulation which could not be obtained without 

 the prospect of public praise or reward. Hence, though there was 

 exhibited last Saturday a varied collection of whatever is either beau- 

 tiful or rare at the present period, the most remarkable feature in the 

 objects brought forward was the singularly successful manner in 

 which they had been grown. The majority of the specimens pos- 

 sessed vigor and prodigality as well as richness of blossoms, which a 

 knowledge of the true princijdes of culture and a correct acquaint- 

 ance with the habits of individual tribes could alone have produced. 



Azaleas formed one of the classes in which the most striking im- 

 provement has occurred. When the beautiful varieties now culti- 

 vated to such perfection were originally introduced, there was a 

 barrenness of stem, a deficiency of foliage, and a scarcity of flowers 

 which detracted much from their splendor. Enlarged ac(|uaiiitancc 

 with the different modes of treating them has brought them into a 

 totally opposite condition. In the specimens of Messrs. Green, 



