-AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
247 
Second best twenty-four, premium of $2 ; 
awarded to M. Donadi, Astoria. 
Roses. —Best twelve, premium of $2; 
awarded to M. Donadi. 
Second best, premium of $1 ; to G. Marx. 
The Judges also make favorable mention 
of two Seedling Roses furnished by Mr. 
Cranstoun. 
Hardy Herbaceous Plants. —Premium of 
$5; awarded to J. Hewett, gardener to A. 
Bridgeman, Astoria. 
Second best, premium of $3 ; awarded to 
W.Cranstoun, gardener to Edwin A.Stevens, 
Hoboken. 
Verbenas. —Best collection, premium of 
$3 ; awarded to W. & J. Park, Brooklyn. 
Second best, premium of $2 ; awarded to 
James Weir, of Long Island. 
Bouquets.— Best pair of hand-bouquets, 
premium of $5; awarded to J. Cranstoun, 
Hoboken. Second best, premium of $3 ; to 
T.O’Corfftor. Best Parlor Bouquets, premium 
of $5 ; awarded to J. Weir. Second best, 
premium of $3 ; to W. Wilson of 14th-st., 
New-York. 
Baskets of Flowers. —First premium of $5; 
to W. Wilson, New-York. Second best, to 
to W. & J. Park, Brooklyn. 
Floral Design. —Special premium of $2; 
awarded to George Saul, gardener to Shep¬ 
herd Knapp, Washington Hights. 
Anchusa. —Diploma awarded to D. Boll for 
a seedling Anchusa. 
Strawberries. —To Dr. I. M. Ward, of 
Newark, N. J., for the best collection, a pre¬ 
mium of $5. 
To J. Rapeleye, Astoria, for the best quart, 
called Longworth’s prolific, a premium of 
$3. 
To JEdward Decker, gardener to J. Q. 
Jones of Staten Island, a premium of $2 for 
the second best quart. 
Gooseberries. —To William Cairns, of 
Newark, N. J., $2 for the best quart. 
To Edward Decker for the second best 
quart, a premium of $1. 
Grapes. —To William Chorlton, gardener 
to J. C. Green, Staten Island, a premium of 
$5 for the best four bunches of hot-house 
Grapes. 
To William Chorlton a premium of $3 was 
awarded for the best two bunches of one 
kind. 
Cherries. —To Dr. I. M. Ward, of Newark, 
for the best collection of Cherries, a special 
premium of $2. 
Vegetables .—To Wm. Cranstoun for two 
extra fine Cauliflowers, a premium of $2 
was awarded. 
To Cicero H. Ripley of Port Richmond, 
Staten Island, for a collection of Vegetables, 
a diploma was awarded. 
Correspondence of the American Agriculturist. 
THE GARDENS OF VERSAILLES-FLORAL EXHI¬ 
BITION IN PARIS, &c. 
[The following letter is from a lady cor¬ 
respondent, now in Paris.— Ed.] 
Paris, May 30, 1855. 
My brain has become such a labyrinth of 
beautiful flowers, pictures, statues, and cas 
cades, that the ideas can no longer find their 
way to my pen. I have seen Versailles in 
all its glory—its never-ending galleries of 
horrid old kings and frightful queens—its 
histories and allegories, its busts and vases 
its fine views and splendid decorations, and 
have feasted my eyes until even the sight of 
a bed was a comfort—if it was the death 
bed of one of France’s most naughty kings 
Latona was very beautiful, half hidden in the 
torrent those transformed Lybians poured 
upon her, to turn aside the vengeance of 
Jupiter, whose aid she had sought in her dire 
distress. Apollo with his heavenly steeds 
made a charming feature in the distant land¬ 
scape. The gardens were crowded in every 
direction with the Parisians in their tasteful 
dresses. 
We did not visit the Trianon Orangery, or 
Floral Exhibition, for what we did see fa¬ 
tigued us sufficiently. Under one of the 
palace windows there is an arabesque garden 
of box-wood and grass, with narrow paths 
forming the patterns; the effect of the two 
shades of green is exceedingly beautiful. 
The quinconces of flowers do not compare 
with those of the Tuileries or Luxembourg; 
but the statues, fountains, intricate paths and 
wild-looking bosquets, make more variety, 
and far exceed the others. The laburnums, 
May horse chestnuts, catalpas and lilacs are 
still in full glory, and make the air redolent 
with delicious perfumes. The pink horse- 
chestnut and purple catalpa are not common 
with us ; I think they are much more beau¬ 
tiful than the white. The Persian lilac trees 
dotted here and there upon the space in 
front of the Lux-Palace have a charming 
effect. There are two trees (lilacs) in aside 
garden, which are as large as good-sized 
plum trees, though shaped more like the ap 
pie tree. The tulips have been poor—a great 
variety of colors, and mostly all variegated, 
but they are not gay enough to have a good 
effect—and but few double om»s. The rose 
trees are, some of them, of such mammoth 
size, they approach to that of a peach tree 
instead of |a rose bush. The fashion of 
covering a whole bed with small pink flow¬ 
ers and having a border of fine blue ones, is 
very pretty—though I think white and pink 
would be still prettier. I have seen some 
splendid Cacti in bloom—one was the snake- 
species, falling around a hanging vase, with 
the crest of flowers at the top ; it was beau¬ 
tiful. 
All the vases in the gardens are kept filled 
with blooming plants, and are constantly 
changed as the season advances. It is the 
same with the beds of flowers, as soon as 
the blossoms begin to fade the plants are re¬ 
moved, and some later bloomers fill their 
places. The large bushes of pink peonies 
are lovely, and to an ignoramus in flowers 
are easily mistaken for large roses. I fooled 
Mr. G. by them. The crimson ones are just 
opening, and have been adding to their rich¬ 
ness in color on their long journey to light. 
Cherries are becoming quite abundant, and 
are brought to market (the*finest of course) 
packed in wooden boxes lined with paper, 
and arranged after the manner of figs. 
Strawberries as yet are sold in little earthen 
flower-pots, consequently must still be dear. 
I have not ventured to taste either as yet. 
Afternoon .—We have been to-day to the 
Floral Exhibition, on the Champs Elysees. 
It seems like the work of a fairy—the change 
two months has made in that. It was then a 
barren place, with the exception of the 
large trees. Now there are green-houses, 
pagodas, Swiss cottages and temples, erected 
in all directions. Terraces with their green 
sides studded with daises, forget-me-nots, 
and other small flowers—-fountains sending 
up their waters in all directions—rustic seats 
tasteful arbors—trellised fruit trees—re 
freshment salons —every variety of ever¬ 
green—the rarest flowers, both of earth and 
water—wire temples filled with birds sur¬ 
rounded with flowers—artificial lakes, with 
a variety of aquatic birds; one is of a pigeon- 
shape, with a pointed pinkish bill, which 
looks strangely floating on the water. There 
is one house devoted to ornamental vases, 
stands, and other ornamental constructions 
for holding flowers. Little glass hot-houses, 
to be kept warm by a lamp underneath ; they 
are intended for tiny jars of cactus, or for 
starting seeds. There is one fountain—the 
basin is filled with aquatic plants in full 
flower—the water spouts from every petal 
both of plant and flower. An electric pump 
which could raise 70 to 150 litres* in a min¬ 
ute, and some small iron garden plows, with 
wheels at the back, attracted much attention; 
the share is like a scyth-blade across the 
front, and is graduated as to depth by a 
spring, upon which the foot is placed. 
I saw one pair of garden-shears, which 
took the lead of those we have—about three 
times as large, and moved on a pair of small 
wheels. They know how to mow here bet¬ 
ter than at home, a little ! The display of fruit 
was great for the season in point of variety, 
but small in quantity ; the imitation fruit was 
very perfect. We had lavished many longings 
upon one large basket of fruit before we dis¬ 
covered that it was artificial. The peaches 
had all the down which nature gives. The 
largest pears are the Belle Angelica , which 
are as big as a good-sized decanter. There 
were models of some foreign fruits, which 
were both rare and beautiful. 
The display of Azaleas was splendid, with 
such masses of flowers that the leaves and 
branches could hardly be seen; geraniums 
were fine. One of a brown and white color 
was very odd-looking. Fuschias, poor; Cal¬ 
ceolarias, splendid; Roses, faded. The fam¬ 
ous Green Rose is certainly uncommon, but 
not at all pretty. The petals are formed 
like the.green ones which surround the bud. 
Verbenas were scarce ; Gilliflowers, very 
fine ; Peonies in all shades, but few fragrant. 
There were beautiful aerial plants, and an 
endless quantity of such as I had never seen 
before. I can not find language to express 
all that I have seen of the exquisite and love¬ 
ly in the last few days. 
*A litre is 68.028 cubic inches, or about one and one- 
fifth quarts.— Ed. 
Gain of Time. —The difference between 
rising every morning at six instead of eight 
o’clock, in the course of forty years, 
amounts to 29,500 hours, or three years, 
121 days and sixteen hours, which is eight 
hours a day for exactly nineteen years ; so 
that rising at six will be the same as if ten 
years of life were added, wherein we may 
command eight hours of every day for the 
cultivation of our minds and dispatch of 
business. 
It has been truthfully said by a satirist, 
that if some men could come out of their 
graves and read the inscriptions on their 
tombstones, they would think they had got 
into the wrong graves, 
