16 THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. [May 



Un serve the cause of horticulture far more than it does, and that some/s) 

 gp ideas of his own would be advantageously adopted. In this opinion ^ 

 he probably does not stand alone, nor from his censure could any 

 society be exempted. No society is perfect — there is always room 

 for improvements, and each individual member of such societies, 

 would be worth Barnum's attention, had he not some little idea of 

 the superiority of his own ideas. But a society is not an individual, 

 and some members must concede something in all detail matters. So 

 far I do not see that our society is such a very scandalous affair. He 

 considers that gardeners have no direct influence in the management 

 of the society. This must be a misconception If so, I do not see 

 that the society is to blame. No good gardener has, to my know- 

 ledge, ever been refused admission to membership in the society; 

 every detail, no matter how small, is laid before the members as- 

 sembled at each monthly meeting, the majority of whom are 

 gardeners generally, and by them adopted or rejected. If any mem- 

 ber, let him be a gardener or an amateur, or neither, have any 

 suggestions to make they are always attended to. Now it seems to 

 me, that if the arrangements of the schedule of premiums, are so 

 very defective, and if such important improvements could be made 

 in it, the society would have been proud to receive them when the 

 schedule was proposed for adoption. It is neither fair, just, nor 

 generous to sit quietly- by in a meeting, assent (tacitly) to all that 

 passes, and then come out with such a "did }^ou ever!" before the 

 world. Is it fair to condemn the usefulness of the society because 

 plants "grown by the yard" are brought there X Does the society 

 grow the plants'? Does the society colour the grapes 1 I rather 

 "guess " the society is better pleased with good specimens than with 

 bad ones. Let the " working gardener " bring his Chiswick grown 

 specimens there — it will be time enough then for the society to turn 

 out the lean ones. Sam Slick tells us never to "say we can go 

 ahead, but go." A clever fellow that same Sam — should like to see 

 a few more of 'em. There are many things in the management of a 

 society, which those who are not in its actual machinery deem ob- 

 jectionable, but yet would wear a very different aspect under other 

 circumstances. Now with regard to gardeners not being on the 

 committee — our friend considers this a great grievance — this is a 

 matter of opinion. I, as a gardener, would rather be off thern ; I 

 have never felt more ill at ease than when I have been on committees 

 under which the inspection of my own things have fallen. So with 

 regard to the designs — I have no doubt but that the majority of the 

 V members consider them most untasteful objects. But a society must I 

 CL be pecuniarily as well as scientifically successful, and if the committee J^> 

 of management err in deeming the designs important to these ends, 



