678 Provincial Horticultural Societies: — 



Newton stated that lie had attended the dinner at thefirst exhibition, and though 

 he got plenty of food for the body, the food for the mind was so scarce, and of 

 such an ordinary description, that he had since absented himself. Mr. Fish sug- 

 gested the propriety of forming a discussional society, contending, that the mere 

 sight of productions of superior quality, without the system by which they had 

 been produced being made known, was not calculated to advance gardening as 

 an art or a science, or to raise gardeners in the estimation of a thinking public. 

 We fully agree with Mr. Fish ; and, if it were only as an example to other 

 societies, we should be glad to see his ideas carried into action ; but we must 

 say we have our doubts of conducting a useful debate on science, while over 

 the bottle. Indeed, until a spirit of diffusive benevolence becomes more general 

 among gardeners, until the honour conferred by gaining a prize rises superior 

 in the estimation of the exhibitor to the intrinsic value of that prize, we doubt 

 whether any good will accrue from discussion. So long as money is the 

 primum mobile with exhibitors, so long will they seek to mystify their proceed- 

 ings; for it would be expecting too much to suppose that an individual thus 

 influenced would divulge what he considers his secrets, and thus make others 

 as wise as himself, when the very act of doing so would be placing a barrier 

 against his gaining prizes another time : so that, under these circumstances, we 

 place but little reliance upon the good that will emanate from discussion. We, 

 however, recommend Mr. Fish to persevere, and any assistance that we can 

 render him shall not be wanting when it is required. {Hertford Reformer, 

 July 13.) 



North Herts Horticultural Society. — May 10. The beauty and excellence 

 of the articles exhibited excited the greatest admiration. The first prize was 

 given to Mr. Fish, gardener to Col. Sowerby. {Ibid.) 



Baldock Horticultural Society. — May 13. The show was tolerably good, 

 considering the season of the year. (Ibid.) 



Huntingdonshire. — St. NeoVs Horticultural Society. — Spring show. 

 See Gard. Gaz., 1839, p. 364. — August 5. Ibid., p. 536. 



Huntingdonshire Horticultural Society. — July 30. See Ibid., p. 520. 



Kent. — Kent and Canterbury Floral' find Horticultural Society. — The differ- 

 ent exhibitions seem to have been remarkably well supplied, more especially 

 by Alderman Masters of the Canterbury Nursery, who never shows for 

 competition, but who sends plants to most of the shows held in the county. 

 At the June exhibition, Mr. Masters exhibited eighty sorts of choice roses, 

 and a plantain tree in fruit, a forbidden fruit tree, and some remarkably 

 finely grown orchidaceous plants and Cape heaths. We have already observed 

 that the fruit and vegetables supplied by cottagers were extremely good, 

 giving a foretaste of the great benefit that will result from societies of this 

 nature. They would have done well for competition with many of those 

 furnished by the subscribers. We were glad to perceive this, as an exempli- 

 fication of what we noticed last year, when speaking of the advantages that 

 must accrue in calling forth the exertions of cottagers. If attending to cul- 

 tivation is of advantage to any class, it must be especially so to this, who, 

 for the want of some employment or pastime in their leisure hours, too fre- 

 quently fall into the haunts of the dissolute and idle, and become dishonest 

 and worthless servants. We trust we shall see the feeling fostered of encou- 

 raging cottagers to exhibit ; and that, at no distant period, we shall witness 

 their efforts in the floral department as well as in the fruit and vegetable. 



Upon the herbarium we think we cannot bestow sufficient praise. W. 

 Tiffin Iliff, Esq., F.L.S., and vice-president of the Royal South London 

 Floricultural Society, for whose patronage these Societies are so much in- 

 debted, offered a silver medal for the best collection of British plants grown in 

 this county, and obtained since the 1st of September last year. The rules 

 laid down required that the parties exhibiting must be the bona fide collectors, 

 and that not so much regard would be paid to the number of species, as to 

 the correctness of names and localities, whether plentiful or scarce, and the 

 neatness of drying and arrangement. That which should gain the prize was 



