60 



the garden at Elmsley House. Two large floral ornaments, one 

 from Mr. Fleming, and the other, a most elaborately constructed 

 one, fiom Mr. Leslie. Several extraordinary sunflowers, one 

 about 10 feet liigh, with a head about 18 inches in diameter. 

 Two tubs of annuals from Mi'. Maynard, Upper Canada College, 

 very neatly arranged; two immense pumpkins and a large 

 variety of squashes from Mr. Gordon of Yongo Street; a large 

 specimen of garden seeds from Mr. Fleming, a basket of vegeta- 

 bles from Mr. Maynard, and a small Jerusalem cheny plant; a 

 tine assortment of apples from Mr. Granger of Yonge Street; 

 some pretty bottled gooseberries from Euocli Turner; a large 

 iissortmeut of extraordinary sized Tomatoes from various Toronto 

 Gardeners; twenty varieties of aj)ples and pumpkins from Capt. 

 Shaw, and some specimens of musk melon. The displa}^ of 

 fruit and flowere and vegetables exhibited in a maiked maimer 

 the extraordinary jirlaptation of the climate of this country to 

 all the purposes of Horticulture. 



Fiue Arts, Ladiex' Depaitment* 



Tlie law of assaciation by which Worsted and Water Colours, 

 KaneandCrotchet,came to be so nearly connected in the programme 

 of the Exhibition, is not entirely obvious to us. That excellent 

 Judges of Fatchwork may be found at ace/tain great Provincial 

 Institution, we are far from denying; but we are ignoiant if any 

 School of the Fine Arts includes Wax Flowers and Tapestry, 

 Papier Mache and Fancy Netting, in its coui-se of instruction. 

 Happily for ourselves, while invoking aU the female Saints in the 

 calendar for guidance through the array of elegant industries 

 included under class R, one of them — not yet in the calendar — 

 graciously dictated the following remarks, and we commend them 

 cortlially to the attention of the fair contributors to this department. 



The species of work which, upon the whole, perhaps, was best 

 represented, was Crotchet; there were fifteen competitors, and 

 thirty-one entries in this class. The first prize, gained by Miss 

 Galbraith of Toronto, was awarded to a specimen which, liesides 

 its delicacy of execution, exhibited much original and elegant 

 fancy. Tatting, the amusement of the Delias and Meliissas of a 

 former day, and lately revived at the Irish Industrial Schools, 

 and elsewhere, was not represented by a single specimen; as it 

 makes a very pretty and everlasting trimming, as it can be varied 

 and patterned for anything; it may be hoped that it will become 

 better known, and brought into general practice. We were sorry 

 not to see more competitors in the very elegant art of Silk 

 Embroideiy, now so fashionable ; but one specimen was 

 exhibited ;* the exquisite and costly embroidery or lace work on 

 muslin, of which so much is now produced in England, Ireland, 

 and Scotland, often in cabins whose exterior makes its elegance 

 doubly admuable, was not represented at all. 



Woreted Work — there was a very extensive and beautiful 

 display of Ladies' Worsted Embroidery in various shapes; the 

 perfection of some of the work, when closely examined, could 

 scarcely be surpassed; but we have one hint to give for the 

 future. It will be found that the richness and general effect of 

 this sort of work will be greatly increased by mingling Chenille 

 more profusely with it. For instanc<3, introduce it in flower.':, 

 and foliage, in draperies of figures as trimmings, robings for furs, 

 and such like; it will be found in all these to have a most 

 beautiful effect, 



• Tho antiquity of tliis Art is well-known, liiU, it is not often tlnit its 

 .-ulmircrs liavc an opporluni.y of inspcclinf; an cxanipli' of ancient work 

 «o fine as oue which is in Ihe possch.sion ipf Mrs. SrotI ISurn. of 'l'oidnti>, 

 a robe wlii(Oi was emt)ioi<le]<'il for, and worn Ky Ihe Knipress llai ia 

 1'lieresa of Austria. It would probably bo cliHicult to match lhl;( 

 Bljccinicii of Needle-work in North America. 



FINE ARTS, [1852. 



Cotton and Woreted Netting was very well displayed, but 

 might have been much varied and improved by the use of 

 dittiirent sized meshes and greater variety in the colours of 

 materials. 



Knitted Work was not exhibited in any great variety, nor 

 w;»s the display in general of marked merit. It would appear 

 that this ai-t, so dear to the Penates, the innocent resource of so 

 many a solitary fire-side, has been somewhat neglected for more 

 showy, but less useful and social occupations. Ladies by 

 exercising their fancy and ingenuity may make anything with 

 their knitting-needle^ — there is no end to the improvements 

 this art can receive; for instiince, knitted quilts would be in every 

 way superior to the patch-woik articles on which so much time 

 is wasted. It is to be regretted that any prizes are given to 

 these latter laborious, but tasteless productions. A large number 

 of them was, howevei', as usual, exhibited. - 



A very beautiful specimen of Raised Woi-sted Work, by Mrs. 

 Haas, attracted much attention, and gained tlie first prize; nor 

 nuist we omit to mention that a carpet, twenty feet square, in 

 Woisted Work, by the Ladies of Hamilton, was an object. of 

 great admir'ation. Unfortunately its size rendered it impossible., 

 to place this beautiful specimen of their skill in its proper 

 association with similar objects; it was exhibited under the tent 

 devoted to harness and machinery. The wax figm-es exhibited 

 were not of Canadian work, but there was a good display of wax 

 fruit and flowere ; one group of which, by Miss Willson of Toronto, 

 deservedly gained a prize in both classes. The firet prize for 

 flowers wa«, however, awarded to Miss Clench of Cobourg-. 

 Hats and Bonnets of Canadian stiaw were indifferently repre- 

 sented, there being only three competitors; but this number 

 e.xceeds by two that of the competitors for the prizes so invicliously 

 awarded for gentlemen's shhts ! only one lady condescended to 

 notice it. Among the unenumeiated aiticles we observed with 

 much pleasure some veiy beautiful examples of work in hair, by 

 Mis. J. Cameron of Toronto, and Miss McDonell of Edwardsburg. 

 The exquisite elegance and variety of which this work is susceptible 

 recommend it strongly tor more general adoption. Painting on 

 velvet, and painting in imitation of papier mache, found each a 

 representative, and we doubt not as these showy and beautiful 

 arts become more generally known, we shall see as high a degree 

 of excellence attained in them as in those which are more familiar. 

 To this class should also be referred the very pretty D'Oyley's, 

 with designs in the centre etched on Jean with marking ink : an 

 elegant way of furnishing an additional attraction to the dinner 

 table ; they were contributed to the Fine Arts department by a 

 gentleman. 



Of the department of Fine Arts it may be said, that the 

 distressing mediocrity of a large proportion of the contributions^ 

 evincing that unconsciousness of what is real excellence, which 

 must prevail in a coimtiy where there are no Galleries of Ait or 

 Schools of Design, was fully redeemed by the merit of other 

 portions. Foremost, as usual, was Paul Kane, who contributed 

 eight beautiful painting-sof Indian subjects ; our warm admiration 

 for the Udents of this truly excellent and self-taught artist, leads • 

 us to express the hope that he will overcome a certiiin sameness 

 of treatment, and fonilness for browns and yellows, which threatens 

 tc) give a monotony to his otherwise most spirited and faithfid 

 pencil. 



The prizes for historical paintings were not awarded : the subjects 

 entered by Mi'. Kane, which consisted of illustrations ofcotempo- 

 rary Indian life and mannoi's, wei'e not considered by the judges 

 to come properly under that designation. As it was clearly a 

 misapprehension of the nature of the subject required, not a want 

 of power, which occ;U:ioncd this disappointment, wc shall hoiie to 



