530 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



as a first prize, and this was won by the same exhibitor 

 as before in a great competition, the judges being, it may be 

 interesting to state, the late Dr. Hogg, Mr. J. R. Pear- 

 son of Chilwell, and Mr. T. Speed of Chatsworth — as fine a 

 trio as ever judged at any show, but, alas ! all gone. The year 

 of this gathering is fixed by the entry in a book " purchased on 

 the field of Waterloo, September 18, 1872," for which visit, and 

 to the Belgian nurseries, the £5 came in helpful in defraying 

 the expenses — an investment in search of health and knowledge 

 which was abundantly justified by the results. 



Such, then, is, so far as I know, the beginning of the grouping 

 system, which has become the prominent feature in the plant 

 classes at hundreds of shows ; and it may perhaps be said that 

 those two first prizes ever offered were won by a departure from 

 the close packing, smooth banking, formal method of arrange- 

 ment which was adopted by all my competitors in those early 

 days, and which is " so long a dying." The grouping system 

 gradually spread. Prizes for attractive arrangements of plants 

 were offered and well won in 1875 at Richmond. It was in 

 the same year, also, that this method of exhibiting was raised 

 from a local to a national custom. It was a memorable year in 

 the annals of the Royal Horticultural Society, for in it the South 

 Kensington dynasty was overthrown for ever, and the Society 

 has increased in prosperity accordingly. 



In celebration of that great change practically the whole of 

 the London nurserymen joined forces, and, without fee or 

 reward, produced an exhibition of a unique character on 

 August 21st. They brought out their finest and rarest plants in 

 varied sizes, and arranged them in the most picturesque manner. 

 It was an exhibition of groups — the greatest and most diversified 

 ever seen. Commenting on this show in the Journal of 

 Horticulture I said : — " The occupation of space in the most 

 effective manner has been well demonstrated. Is it not reason- 

 able that the instruction afforded should be utilised? Would 

 it not be wise to apportion a given amount of space at shows 

 generally and leave exhibitors to occupy it as they choose, with 

 large plants or small, few or many ? If it would be wise to do 

 so, would it not be also wise to do it well — that is, to offer large 

 prizes, or at least place the space classes on a level with the 

 specimen plant classes at our shows ? " 



