510 London Horticulhiral Society and Garden. 



awarded where great merit was displayed : and it should rest with the 

 judges to decide whether the collection was such as to warrant one or 

 both being given at all. The medals should be made large and handsome, 

 for the purpose of stimulating individuals to exert themselves, by render- 

 ing them objects worthy of attainment. Although 1 consider that the 

 Society, by giving these medals, would only be fulfilling one of the objects 

 for which it was first established, viz. that of encouraging and promoting a 

 more general cultivation of plants, still it v/ould not be fair to trench too 

 far upon the funds of the subscribers, by imposing all the burden of pro- 

 viding the medals upon the Society. I would, therefore, suggest that the 

 surplus arising from the sale of tickets for admission to the exhibitions, 

 after providing for the necessary expenses attending them, should be set 

 apart for this purpose ; and, should the surplus be such as to justify a 

 greater expenditure, minor prizes might be given, at the discretion of the 

 Council ; at any rate, every inducement ought to be held out to insure 

 competition, always keeping in view the necessity of not being too lavish in 

 bestowing rewards, and only doing so where great and superior merit was 

 displayed: otherwise, the medals of the Society will soon cease to be held 

 in the estimation in which they ought to be. No person should be allowed 

 to receive the gold or silver medal twice for the same description of plant ; 

 but any individual having obtained the medal for the stove, green-house, or 

 herbaceous plants, might be allowed to show each time, provided diiFerent 

 genera, species, or varieties were forwarded. For the camellias, and such 

 plants as sport when raised from seed, a prize of some description might 

 be given for the best seedling ,• but in no case should one be awarded 

 unless the flower shown was decidedly and absolutely distinct from every 

 known variety. It would also be desirable to exclude all cut flowers, 

 where it is practicable. After viewing the miserable appearance which the 

 rhododendrons, azaleas, &c., which were cut, made at the Gardens a few 

 days back, no one will, I conceive, advocate their being received; besides, 

 it is open to much objection. Another regulation ought to be made, 

 making it imperative for every individual showing for the prizes, to put in, 

 with their plants, declaration upon honour, stating that they have been in 

 their possession for the period of six or twelve months : any person at all 

 acquainted with the practices which obtain prizes at the various shows will 

 see at once the wisdom of enforcing this rule. 



I have thus thrown out a few hints, which you will, perhaps, do me the 

 favour to insert in j'our Magazine. If it is the intention of the Society to 

 continue these exhibitions, they should be conducted on some fixed and 

 permanent plan, in order that those who are disposed to patronise them 

 may be prepared to send something worth the inspection of the members 

 of the Society and their friends. This was by no means the case at the 

 last Meeting : and any arrangement that can be made to prevent so great a 

 disappointment as was felt by very many who attended it, must be advan- 

 tageous to the cause of horticulture. I am not disposed to criticise too 

 severely the measures of the Council ; but every one must have observed 

 great want of judgment in most of the arrangements with reference to 

 these fetes : and it would appear as if the object of them was more with 

 a view of procuring money towards assisting the funds of the Society, than 

 promoting the advancement of science. 



Before I conclude, I think it necessary to make some observations with 

 respect to the selection of the judges. In numbers, I think, they ought 

 not to be less than five ; three of whom should be nurserymen, or persons 

 having plants constantly under their view. In the last exhibition, the 

 gentlemen appointed as judges neither displayed judgment nor discrimi- 

 nation. A gentleman may be an excellent botanist, or a good judge of the 

 particular flower which it may be his fancy to cultivate ; but, before any 



