THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST, 201 



1852 J 



\5 The day could not have been rivalled to show off the fashion of Cy 

 the great metropolis, the floral and the' fruitful products of her gar- 

 dens and vast conservatories, to more supreme advantage than that of 

 the 10th of July! 1852. Early in the morning, the whole vicinity 

 was alive with waggons and Vans with (heir towering loads of plants 

 and carefully protected fruits, (no vegetables exhibited.; The various 

 Tents covered nearly two acres ; the plants were nearly a repetition 

 of those exhibited at the Regent's Park, with the addition of a few 

 more competitors. Every contributor arranged his own productions, 

 under the directions of the renowed Thompson for fruits. The new 

 curator, Mr. Gordon divided out the spaces for 1 plants, whilst Lindley 

 the Hercules of the age in the science, rested under the cooling shade 

 of a birch with his various couriers in attendance — by 10 o'clock all 

 must be, and was arranged. I was highly privileged in being per- 

 mitted a spectator of the whole, and profitably admired the keenness 

 of perception and very critical eye of maiiy of the contributors in 

 arranging the various colors of their competing plants. Pine Ap- 

 ples were deposited in quantity, the heaviest 71b. 10 oz. Of Fuch- 

 sias, the best reds were Sir J. Falstaff, Voitigue'r and Alpha. Fancy 

 Geraniums, Fairy Queen, Jenny Lind, Madam Rosati, Albonii, Deli- 

 catum, Beanti, Clementine and Perfection were the most remarkable* 

 This lot of plants was one of the centres of attraction, they were 

 from 2 to 4 feet in diameter. The air plants the same, or nearly so as 

 those of Regent Park, and showed evident signs of being on the* 

 wane. Grapes of surpassing splendor, the only new sort was Jud d 

 sort's, Richmond Villa, bunch, medium size ; berries, very Jarge^ 

 round, oval, of a reddish black color. Strawberries, very large, 

 principally of the British Queen Variety, on which Kittley's Goliah 

 appears to be an improvement, and looked better than the faulty 

 green, Or half ripe points of the former. In Cherries, Knight's early 

 black was the leading sort. Seedling Verbenas, Scarlet King, 

 British Queen, (white,) Drummondii, (mottled) were worthless, and 

 would not have brought oVer ten cents each in Philadelphia market. 

 There is a load of Achimenes! Six large baskets, each 12 feet in 

 circumference, and I suppose each basket contains 6 plants, and good 

 at that : all eyes are turned towards them, splendid ! magnificent ! 

 grand ! fine man ! look Patrick ! ! were the exclamations of as many 

 individuals. But, behold! to my silent astonishment, there was only 

 one plant in each basket, and that plant was g'rown in a 12 inch shal- 

 low-pot— ^put that in your pocket Achimenes growers. 



The rush was now to the Achimenes tent, where with the favorite 

 old sorts 1 saw the following new ones: patens major, dark violet; long- 

 iflora major, large blue; Marguerite, pure white; Warsew r iczi, blue; 

 Khelii, rose; and Backmanii were worthy of note. A plant of Lisian* 

 thus Russellianus, three feet wide and as much high, with its tulip- 

 shaped flowers, I set down as the best grown plant at the exhibition, 

 ail its critical habits and nature considered, but was disappointed on 

 my visit in the afternoon to find it only third best. Punctually to the 

 hour the bell tolled 10 o'clock, all and every one moved out at one 

 gate, when the judges of the day entered by another; their delibera- 

 te tions were then carried on silent and alone till 12 o'clock, when the 

 r~y Fellows of the Society were admitted 

 /j> The public at five shillings a ticket followed at 2 o'clock, where- (~ C) \ 



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