HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 43 



heavy soils has been injurious, not only to trees but to strawberry 

 beds. 



Now, sir, if these rough notes are of any use to you or your 

 readers, you will hear from me again, on some other fruits. 



Chester, January, 1853. G. T. 



PRIZES IN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



In the different horticultural and floricultural societies in Eng- 

 land, we continually notice premiums in cups and in money offered 

 by private individuals, for the best collections or for single varieties 

 of their several favorites. Nurserymen offer premiums for new 

 seedlings of show flowers ; and we all know what prices are asked 

 and obtained for some of jdiese acquisitions. 



Different societies are formed there for the encouragement and 

 exhibition of different flowers, as Hollyhock, Pansy, Chrysanthe- 

 mum and Dahlia societies. 



We should like to see private prizes offered here, (under the di- 

 rection of the different societies,) for any object which may tend 

 to improve either the growth or variety of our plants, or to in- 

 crease the knowledge of and love for botanical science. 



We re-publish an offer from our last number, made by a respon- 

 sible party, giving to any one who will exhibit six good plants of 

 Ericas, of certain sorts named, or like sorts, eighteen inches or two 

 feet high and bushy in proportion, Ten dollars, and for Boronia ser- 

 rulata and Hovea Celsii, two feet high (erroneously printed 3 feet) 

 and as much through, Fifteen dollars — $25 for the eight plants — 

 open to all the country : at any Horticultural exhibition in the 

 United States. We hope to see the first prize, that for Heaths, 

 taken in this city ; but we think that for the latter there will be no 

 competition for sometime yet. 



We would be glad to receive more such offers : and we think that 

 if the system were started, the premiums offered by our societies 

 would be much increased. 



Now we propose to do a little of this on our own account : pre- 

 mising that what premiums we offer, shall be through the Pennsyl- 

 vania Horticultural Society and for plants shown at their rooms. 



