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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ August 30, 1661. 



saw suoli a sight as the Peaches (see page 145), and that 

 they admired the foliage and strength of the trees as much 

 as the Peaches. 



About 100 had been gathered, beginning on the 9th of 

 August. The crop left on the trees was 450.— W. F. Rad- 

 clyffe, Torrent Bushton. 



At the Blandford Horticultural Show, August 25th, the 

 first prize for Peaches was awarded to the Rev. W. F. Rad- 

 clyffe; also first prize for Roses, 24 trebles grown on the 

 Manetti stock. Both classes were "open." 



OUR METROPOLITAN FLOWEE SHOWS. 



If I understand the complaints which have been made 

 against the present style of horticultural exhibitions, they 

 are referable to two points — the sameness of their character, 

 and the deficiency of their arrangement. These complaints 

 have been mainly made in connection with the shows of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society at Kensington, and have re- 

 ceived some considerable force from the reports that have 

 been brought home by those who visited Brussels during 

 the present year. 



We have heard glowing descriptions of the beautiful ar- 

 rangements, what a fairy scene it seemed to be, and how 

 delightful it would be to have our flower shows arranged in 

 somewhat of the same manner; but I think it is well to 

 entirely dissipate such notions. 



We are often told, also, that "' they manage these things 

 better in France ;" and although I did not see the Brussels 

 Exposition, yet I have seen that which is organised by the 

 Societe Impeiiale d' Horticulture at Paris, and very pretty 

 indeed it was with its parterre and its beds ; but as an exhibi- 

 tion of the skill and science of gardeners — bah ! Why, there 

 was not a dish of fruit there that Mr. Solomon would have 

 cared to have had in his shop in Covent Garden ; and as to 

 the flowers, they exhibited neither skill nor taste. A number 

 of collections there were, but then the plants were starve- 

 lings — Orchids, Cactus, &c, in moveable small pots ; so 

 that I feel sure none of those who really value a flower show 

 as we have them now would turn aside to look at these 

 productions. 



As to Brussels, there are a few things that our reformers 

 must bear in mind. In the first place the whole affair is a 

 government matter from beginning to end. Expense is not 

 considered. The productions of growers in any part of the 

 world are delivered in Brussels and sent back to their desti- 

 nation free of expense. The trouble of unpacking and the 

 expense of attending on the plants may even be dispensed 

 with ; and owing to this, several of our large growers con- 

 tributed to the success of the exhibition. 



In the second place, this Belgian exhibition takes place 

 only triennially ; for that, persons may indeed give them- 

 selves up to the extra trouble and bother that is occasioned 

 by it; but these same persons would be very unwilling to 

 do so nine times instead of once. 



Thirdly, The show is open for a week or ten days. One 

 whole day is allowed for the Judges to go through the various 

 productions, and these Judges are very numerous — a very 

 different state of things to that which prevails here. 



In none of these points do I see that it is possible to effect 

 any change amongst us. It is certain that the Chancellor 

 of the Exchequer will not put down to secret service, or any 

 other additional item in the estimates, the cost of providing 

 flower shows for the London folks in the season, and no 

 society will guarantee exhibitors the cost of the carriage 

 of their plants. There is no probability of any society being 

 contented with triennial exhibitions, nor, indeed, would it 

 suit the requirements of those who attend the shows. And 

 the experience of this present season evidences that it is 

 out of the question to hope to prolong our great exhibitions 

 for more than one day ; for when the expense of bringing 

 up these collections to the place of exhibition is considered, 

 and also the number of assistants who are required to attend 

 on the plants, the cost of another twenty-four hours in 

 London to those who come from a distance, especially in the 

 case of amateurs, would greatly deter people from coming 

 forward in any future improvement that may be made. I 

 think, therefore, that it would be well for people to keep i 



out of their minds any idea of taking the foreign exhibitions 

 as models or guides. 



Can nothing, then, be done ? Let us see. The points are 

 whether any better arrangement of the plants can be made, 

 and whether the sameness of the exhibitions can be remedied. 

 Seniores priores. I will take, therefore, the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society first ; and I daresay I shall write a very unpa- 

 latable thing, but which I believe many besides myself 

 think — that there can never be a heautiful exhibition at 

 South Kensington ; and for this simple reason, that there is 

 no place to hold it in. 



I understand, whether rightly or not, that Mr. Henry 

 Cole, who seems to be the Deus loci, now says that no tent 

 shall be used in the gardens, as it is unsightly, and that 

 hence the fine "mast tent," as Mr. Murray delighteth to 

 have it, was erected outside ; and I ask, Where, then, can 

 an exhibition be arranged ? "In the arcades," will be the 

 reply of the "great Govemment-boilers" men. Who is 

 there that does not see at once that if this be indeed the 

 only answer to be given the case is hopeless ? The light in 

 those arcades is all side light, and any artist knows per- 

 fectly well that that is fatal to the good effect of colour, 

 whether in pictorial or natural objects. Then, again, the 

 arcades are so narrow that it is impossible to place plants 

 advantageously ; while the asphalte flooring is so conducive 

 to the generation of dust, that in a very short time the 

 crinolines sweep up and disseminate a steaming cloud of 

 it, while draughts are unceasingly careering up and down, 

 to the imminent peril of throats and lungs, and to the 

 certain injury of plants. 



Prizes were offered this year for the best arrangement of 

 plants for a greenhouse, and they were placed at the end of 

 one of the arcades, and I think Mr. Teitch could tell a tale 

 of the state of his plants from the draught that they caught 

 from the staircase. 



No one can disparage the plants that are brought to South 

 Kensington, there are generally enough of them to make 

 up two or three shows ; but, at the same time, I have never 

 seen that either in the conservatory or in the arcades they 

 have had justice done to them ; and whatever success has 

 attended the exhibitions has been due to the plants and not 

 to the arrangement. 



The Royal Botanic Society and the Alexandra Park Com- 

 pany hold their shows under tents ; and there can be no ques- 

 tion that this is after all the only way in which flowers can be 

 seen to advantage. Of course you are dependant on 

 weather, and so you are for everything of a similar character 

 in this country ; but the Botanic Society has tried it for 

 years, and has found in the long run that their exhibitions 

 have paid and paid well. I believe the unanimous testimony 

 of those who frequent the metropolitan flower shows is that 

 the Botanic holds the foremost place for beauty — the undu- 

 lating character of the ground, the green banks (showing 

 up the colour so well), the softened light through the can- 

 vass, all conduce to make it admirable. It is not perfect, 

 and when I come to speak of improvements I may say where 

 I think these may be made. The plan, too, of separating the 

 cut flowers in a long and narrow tent, where they can be 

 displayed singly, is another excellent arrangement. 



There remains, then, the Crystal Palace, but this is swi 

 generis. The arrangement there is of the simplest character; 

 but the beauty of the place itself, the noble expanse of light, 

 softened by the canvass stretched over it, give a charm to 

 it which to some extent relieves its formality, while in no 

 place are the facilities for seeing the productions so great, 

 owing to the width of the transept and tlie ease with which 

 numbers of persons can promenade at the same time. 



I have thus endeavoured to give my impressions of the 

 present state of the London exhibitions, the more neces- 

 sary in that I find many wild notions propagated about 

 them. Thus, with all due deference to Mrs. Ellis, her islands 

 of beauty for which she pleads are impracticable, at any rate 

 at Kensington, and the same may be said of Sir Joseph 

 Paxton's recommendation about the fortnightly meetings, 

 at least beyond what the Floral Committee now has. He 

 forgets that when those Regent Street meetings used to be 

 held horticulture was in a very different position, and that 

 any one corning to London now can see at Messrs. Veitchs*, 

 Lows', Williams's, the Hendersons', or any of the great 

 London nurseries, a much better collection of those plants 



