JULY. 



101 



me, or your readers generally, whether this is all that is to be done for florists' 

 flowers by the Royal Horticultural Society, after all the fine promises of 

 patronage made to us a year or two back ? — A Florist of the Old School. 



Yours is a florists' periodical, and it has always been appreciated for the 

 soundness and independence of its views ; I, therefore, ask you the question, 

 Whether or not you consider what the Royal Horticultural Society is doing for 

 florists' flowers is anything like a fulfilment of the promises made to the floral 

 world when it started on its new course ? It was said both the Pomological 

 and Floricultural Societies would be superseded by the full recognition of 

 meritorious garden flowers, fruits, and vegetables by the Committees of fruits 

 and flowers formed under the auspices of the Society. I have no fault to find 

 with these Committees, which I hear on all sides are well managed ; but I think 

 the now great and powerful Society might acknowledge, in a more suitable 

 manner, florists' flowers at their exhibitions, than by merely throwing them 

 the crumbs left after the great aristocratic classes have been satiated to re- 

 pletion. I confess I do not know why, but somehow or other florists' flowers 

 never seemed to me to like Chiswick, and, for aught I know, they may feel the 

 same sort of thing at Kensington. I have a suspicion that their owners share 

 in this feeling. When I used to attend Chiswick regularly as an exhibitor in 

 this class, myself and others had a kind of fidgetty feel about us ; Ave kept an 

 involuntary look over our shoulders, as if we felt the chances strong for our 

 being handed over to the police for an unwarrantable innovation where we had 

 no business; like an unlucky wight whom we once saw caught trying to get 

 into the gardens with a bundle of Sweet Williams under his arm ! and no great 

 sin either, for there has been much worse rubbish admitted since then and 

 staged, aye, and prized too, than our humble friends Sweet Williams. 



I remember when the now great Society were nigh about bankrupt, and 

 casting about for help most piteously, some one taunted them with having, 

 among their other shortcomings, given the cold shoulder to florists ; to which 

 one of their officers replied in a repentant strain, " True, we did it ; but lend 

 us a hand now, and you will find us wiser than of yore, and will see how 

 liberally you will be treated." But this promise only reminds us of the old 

 distich — 



" The devil was sick ; the devil a saint would be. 

 The devil got well ; the devil a saint was he !" 



And so with the Society. " They say we are all right now, so don't bother us 

 with your Pinks or Picotees ; for if we do for appearance sake give you a 

 few prizes by way of a sop, don't deceive yourselves, we don't want you ; if 

 you like to take what we offer, well and good, let that pass ; but if you begin, 

 as of old, to grumble, you must go elsewhere;" and so, as the Scotch reviewer 

 said of Byron's poem, "We must take what we can get and be thankful, 

 considering from whence it comes." 



But I am not thankful, and out with it, and wish you to tell the world 

 that I and many others are not satisfied with present proceedings. I wish to 

 respect every florist, and every kind of florists' flowers, supposing always there 

 is fair play between us ; but, if not, why, then, you may as well know that I 

 don t care a fig for Orchids, or Mosses, or Cordylines, or Anoectochiluses (how 

 can one like a plant always poked under a glass, and which mustn't be 

 handled?) or such like things. Perhaps it is because I can't afford to get 

 them, or couldn't grow them if I did ; but anyhow I don't begrudge those 

 who have the means to purchase and grow them, if they will let us share with 

 them the honest rewards of skill, anxiety, and cultivation due to us as florists 



