16 THE FLORIST, AND 



of premiums than mere trash ; and sometimes worse than that, no 

 mention, no notice taken at all of their plants. In the year that is 

 just past, we have seen something of that sort, but it is of no use 

 to particularise. They become dissatisfied, demoralized, when they 

 see that, besides getting no premiums or mean ones, they get no 

 credit, no publicity being given to the awards of prizes, exept in a 

 few of the political papers; the two or three horticultural magazines 

 they subscribe to, and which ought to publish all the proceedings of 

 horticultural societies, never mention a word of such, or if they do, 

 it is in such a partial way, that it is still worse. Editors and pro* 

 prietors of these magazines seem not to comprehend that their 

 interests are connected with the success and prosperity of horticultural 

 societies, the prosperity of gardeners, nurserymen, — of all, in fine, 

 who are engaged in horticultural pursuits, all are linked together. 

 This is entirely lost sight of; you are the first, in }^our last two 

 numbers, who seem to have understood the importance of giving a 

 large publicity to every branch of horticulture. In my opinion, 

 your "monthly tour of inspection," which I would call "horticultural 

 review," will do more towards the diffusion of taste for horticulture 

 than all the exhibitions alone. But if magazines (and we will have 

 a respectable number of them,) and horticultural societies, would 

 join together and lay aside their little jealousies and many other 

 things not worth mentioning, in a few years we would begin to see 

 some of those wonders of the old world that I am anxious to see in 

 the new one ; that is to say the wonders of gardeners' skill. lam 

 also desirous of seeing one day, a large Central Horticultural Society, 

 or Horticultural Congress, composed of all the local societies, that 

 in twenty-four hours could meet in one given place,. New York for 

 instance ; but this is perhaps too much for the present, and before 

 establishing a new society we must try to reform the defects of old 

 ones. Let us begin. Will you allow me to speak of your society ? 

 You do not answer ; so I take your silence for consent ; but first, a 

 few words in the shape of exordium. Besides my being fond of 

 flowers, as my name implies', I am very fond of talking. I say so 

 here to prevent some of my friends, the gardeners, telling me that 

 I have too much tongue for a lover of flowers ; real love whatever 

 befits object, speaks more with the eyes and heart than with the 

 tongue. I believe that too— but the object of my love, of my talk, 



