HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 17 



I mean, could not understand the eloquence of my eyes or heart, so 

 I must express myself more significantly. 



Now my exordium is over, and I still scratch my ear to know 

 how to come to the point. It is a delicate matter, interfering with 

 other people's private affairs; but I think this is not a private affair, 

 it is an affair of the Horticultural public, so I have the right to rum- 

 mage it, and as I must begin with something, I will ask you, first : 

 Who were the members of your committee of arrangement at your 

 last September exhibition — they were not gardeners assuredly ? but, 

 if they were, I congratulate them upon the fine distribution of the 

 articles exhibited. When I entered the Floral room, of course 

 nobody was there but the managers, as I thought ; there was no 

 crowd to prevent my looking at the objects closety, nor to distract 

 my attention. But this was all in vain. Everything was so much 

 mixed, pell-mell, that I could not find the plants that were for com- 

 petition, except a lot of antediluvian specimens — I suppose the 

 " hop-poles'' of the " working gardener" — *ivhich stood by the door 

 of the Hall— which plants, I suppose, had been once bushy ; they 

 must have been contemporaries of Win. Penn's elm. 



How many times I sighed for the Ericas of Chiswick, three or 

 four feet across, when looking at these venerable, but not very ad- 

 mirable productions of the 17th century, if not older; for I must 

 tell you, that when I sailed from Dutchified Albany, I had the con- 

 viction, whatever the " working gardener" had said, that I should 

 see some fine plants, if not of Ericas, at least some specimens simi- 

 lar; but , alas! — — 



Now I want all your indulgence, for I am going to abuse all 

 liberty of being indiscreet. I am going to ask you, who are the 

 members of your executive committee? — are there any scientific 

 men amongst them ?— are they young men or old ones ?■— it does 

 not matter, if they have young ideas. You will not speak. I see— 

 you are offended at my inquiries; if so, I am very sorry; but you 

 will permit ine to tell you, it is a poor way of reforming abuses, if 

 you will not point them out. I am launched now and I will give 

 you my opinion. 



I think a society like yours, in a city like Philadelphia, ought 



to have, as much as possible, scientific men for officers, or, if not 

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