Flonsoer S/wivs. 34,7 



The Hammersmith Auricula Show was held April the 19th. The first prize 

 was taken by Mr. Willmore for Metcalf's Hero. 



Chelsea Auricula Show was held on the 20th of April. The first prize 

 was taken by Mr. Cheese of Milbank for Grimes's Privateer. 



The Duhvich Auricula Show was held April 24th. The first prize was 

 taken by Mr. Goldham, for Grimes's Privateer. 



The Newington Auricula Show was held on April the 26th. The first 

 prize was taken by Mr. Goldham, for Grimes's Privateer. 



The Lancaster Auricula Show was held on the 26th April. The first 

 prize was taken by William Leighton, Esquire, for Booth's Freedom. At 

 the flower-shows here, green-house and hardy plants, fruits, and culinary 

 vegetables, are exhibited ; the premium for the best dish of potatoes was 

 awarded to Lady Houghton, and for the best pine-apple to Mrs. Parker. 



Tulips are not generally gathered and shown in competition in the 

 neighbourhood of London, though they are in Lancashire, and other parts 

 of the country, and have been occasionally so near the metropolis. The 

 practice of florists with respect to this flower, is to appoint particular days 

 to visit celebrated collections. A number of connoisseurs then assemble, 

 compare, criticise, exchange, and purchase, and afterwards dine together, &c. 

 Among the principal Tulip-beds in the Neighbourhood of London are the 

 following; Mr. Groom's at Walworth, 1,50 feet long, and 4 broad ; Mr. 

 Strong's, Brook-Green ; Mr. Lawrence's, Hampton ; Mr. Weltjie's, Ham- 

 mersmith ; Mr. Austin's, Upper Clapton ; Mr. Cheese's, Milbank ; Mr. 

 Davey's, King's Road; Messrs. Goldham's, Greig's, Edie's, Brookes' s, Mort- 

 lock's, Franklin's and Mrs. Gable's, Islington ; Mr. Brown's, Slough ; Mr. 

 Wheatman's, Windsor ; Mr. Bartlet's and Mr. Pyle's, Bethnal Green ; 

 Mr. Hoggart's, Lower Tooting; Mr. Smith and Mr. Jeffery's, Rotherhithe; 

 and our correspondent, Mr. Burnard's, at Holloway. There are, doubt- 

 less, a number of others of which we have not been informed. With re- 

 gard to the order in which we have enumerated those above, it has little 

 or no relation to their merits ; a few of them we have seen ; the other 

 names we have heard of, and the whole we have put down as they occurred 

 to our recollection. 



Lawrence 1 s Tidip-bed at Hampton, we viewed on the. 11th of May. The 

 collection here is said to be one of the most select in the neighbourhood of 

 London. This was a feast-day, and we found a number of connoisseurs, 

 amateurs, and men of leisure, among the last, the Duke of Clarence, in- 

 specting and admiring them. Louis XVI. and General Washington had 

 " come the finest," as the phrase is, of the old flowers. On the 15th we 

 again saw the bed, and Polyphemus, the rarest and most valuable tulip in 

 the bed, was then in perfection. It is a bizard, was broken by Mr. Lawrence, 

 and four bulbs were sold a few years ago for 50 guineas. 



Mr. Goldham's bed, Mr. Greig's, and Mr. Burnard's, we viewed on the 

 20th, and Mr. Davey's on the 23d of May ; Mr. Goldham had just been 

 offered 100/. for Louis XVI. ; this gentleman has raised a number of good 

 carnations. 



The Lancaster Tulip Show was held May 22. The first prize was taken 

 by Miss Dalton, for a black Baguette, and the second by the same lady, for 

 Dolittle. The finest geranium was presented by Mrs. Crossfield ; the finest 

 green-house plant, Elichrysum filiforme, by Mr. Kerr; the finest herbaceous 

 plant, Iris susiana, by Mr. Conolly, and the finest head of brocoli by Mr. 

 Hargreaves. We regret we cannot insert the elaborate account of this show 

 sent us by our valued correspondent, Mr. Saul; by which it appears, that 

 58 prizes were given away to about 25 different individuals, on the above 

 day ; a proof how generally the taste for flowers and for gardening exists 

 in Lancaster. 



Vol. I. No. 3. b b 



