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1852.] THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 229 



m&P' — ^^? 



C?) prove an efficient exponent of Agricultural wants. But after all r+J 

 ^ more is to be expected from one efficient Model Farm well conducted Q \j 

 in any state, than such general organizations. The establishment of \ 

 such has been urged and recommended time after time by our states- 

 men who have witnessed their salutary effects in other countries. We 

 believe after all the move must be made either by some state or 

 county society and we hope that of Pennsylvania or Philadelphia 

 county will set the example. 



We shall not now detail the plan which might be proposed for the 

 establishment of model farms or agricultural training schools. Such 

 an establishment has been in operation for some time in this county, 

 but being a private establishment it cannot be said to meet the de- 

 mands of the state, although no doubt a very useful institution. We 

 hope, however, to see the benefits which it was intended to afford in- 

 creased in thp coming year, and it will then serve to point to what 

 might be realised by a more extensive organization. 



Retrospective Criticism. 



Foreign Horticultural Establishments. — The botanic gardens of G. 

 Britain, whether royal, belonging to societies, or supported by sub- 

 scription of townsmen, are what we hope to see in many places in this 

 country. We have so extensive a flora, and American plants are so 

 much desired in Europe, that very profitable exchanges could be made 

 with any of those foreign establishments. It seems to us that the longer 

 the pui chase of ground for this purpose is put off, the more difficult will 

 be its acquisition, as the bricks will soon cover all the ground between 

 the rivers here, and prices are rapidly advancing in all the suburbs. 

 With respect to gardeners who have " been at Kew," in the earlier 

 years of our horticultural experience we often doubted whether there 

 were more than two places in the United Kingdom, r as all the garden- 

 ers we saw had either come from Kew, or the Duke of Buccleugh's. 



Grape Culture. — The culture of foreign grapes under glass is a mat- 

 ter very interesting to the amateur and the market grower. To one* 

 for the importance of having so fair a dessert fruitfalways attainable — 

 to the other, on account of the very good prices realisable for his pro- 

 ductions. A good system of growing them is followed by many of 

 our gardeners, and those who wish to follow in their footsteps have 

 only to read and practise. Subscribing to the "Florist" will furnish 

 the first requirement, which is also the most important in our opinion. 



European Horticulture. — Your readers are very much indebted to 

 I Mr. Buist for his observations. We have a better idea of flower shows 

 \~ and gardens from his too short letters than we have gotten from Eng- A 



<^lish and Continental papers in several years. His continuance of the 



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