116 MEMOIR OF ALFRED SMEE. [Chap. X. 



had to say about gardening. Without any notes or premeditation 

 he commenced. On another occasion, within a few months, my 

 father delivered another lecture on the same subject at an equally 

 short notice, but this is the only one which has been preserved, 

 through the kindness of Mr. Shadbolt, a proprietor, who took 

 shorthand notes of it, and which was afterwards printed in the 

 Journal of the London Institution, February 5th, 1872. (See 

 Appendix, No. XXXIV.) My father's family are naturally proud 

 of this fresh demonstration of his genius. 



A few weeks after the publication of ' My Garden,' he gave 

 in August 1872 a fete in his garden, on the marriage of his 

 daughter. On this occasion he invited the children of the neigh- 

 bourhood to exhibit wild flowers, so as to "develope in them 

 intelligence, observation, emulation, and the sense of the beau- 

 tiful." He gave rewards in useful books to those who exhibited 

 the most beautiful collection of wild flowers, of which the species 

 were the most varied or which were arranged with the best 

 taste. The exhibition took place and was a great success, and 

 contributed to the interest of the fete. 



My father was an active supporter of flower-shows being held 

 in the city of London. Of late years, flower-shows, or rather 

 exhibitions of window-plants grown within the City, have been 

 held in Finsbury Circus, and. he gave prizes for wild flowers 

 at these little horticultural displays. He gave two prizes in 

 1875, three in 1876, and in 1877 he had intended to give no less 

 than six prizes for wild flowers, which were to be collected by 

 any resident in the city of London coming within the limits of 

 the society. 



The first prize will be for the best collection of wild flowers, correctly 

 named. 



2nd. Second best collection, correctly named. 



3rd. The best collection of wild flowers, unnamed. 



4th. Second best collection, unnamed. 



5th. The best collection of wild flowers tastefully arranged. 



6th. The second best tastefully arranged. 



The judges are empowered to withhold any prize if in then- opinion a 

 sufficient standard of excellence is not attained. 



Alfred Smee. 



These prizes were distributed last summer by my mother, 

 according to the wishes of her husband. These shows have been 

 very successful, and they have already realized the hopes of the 

 most ardent of their supporters. 



