366 
THE FLORIST. 
for, if we are not greatly mistaken, most of what may be called the 
visitors were mere London sight-seers, who would doubtless carry home 
with them correct ideas of the quantity of fruit they had seen, but who 
were in no position to profit by it, or draw practical inferences for their 
own guidance in cultivation. For these reasons we wish it were 
possible to bring similar collections of fruit together on such occasions as 
the Royal Agricultural Society’s meetings, or even the Baker-street 
Exhibition, both of which are visited by hundreds of influential yeomen 
from all parts of the kingdom; for we feel pretty sure the effect would 
not be lost on them , particularly if convinced (and this would be no 
difficult matter) that the equals to the best Pears and Apples in the 
room were within the reach of themselves (or indeed of anyone possess¬ 
ing a garden), at an annual cost, after the first outlay, not greater than 
what it costs to grow a similar number of Currant bushes. We should 
like to see such Pears as the Maria Louise, Knight’s Monarch, or Beurre 
Diel superseding the Swan’s Egg, Bishop’s Thumb, or Windsor, in the 
gardens of farmers and tradesmen—three Pears which form, in a great 
majority of cases, the standing stock for country orchards and gardens. 
The report given below will particularise the various productions 
most deserving notice in each class. Our object here will be to glance 
at the most remarkable exhibitions; first of which, and indeed among 
the finest specimens of Pine culture ever witnessed in Britain, were the 
smooth-leaved Cayenne Pines from the Royal Gardens, Frog- 
more. If, as has been justly said by one of our correspondents, that 
St. James’s Hall witnessed the grandest assemblage of the “Queen 
of Flowers ” in July last; it is no less true that in November were 
gathered beneath its roof some of the finest specimens of the “ King of 
Fruits,” ever exhibited—specimens which reflected the highest credit 
even on the Royal establishment at Windsor. We also noticed a handsome 
Queen, a few other very fair Cayennes, Jamaicas, Providence and Black 
Prince. By far the best Grapes were three bunches of Muscat, shown by 
Mr. Drewett, perfect in compactness of bunch and evenness of berry, they 
possessed that soft amber tint which tells of perfect ripeness most com¬ 
pletely, and realised all that could be wished in Grape culture. We 
understand the borders are heated from below, by hot-water pipes, a proof, 
as this journal has always advocated, of the advantages of bottom heat 
in the cultivation of exotic fruits. We considered the black Grapes as a 
whole were inferior to those of last year. The Grapes shown by foreigners 
were confined to one or two contributions only, and these consisted of 
second-rate Hamburghs, and more inferior Chasselas. Could none of 
the Grape growers round Paris and Angers send us a collection worth 
looking at ? Mr. Lewis Solomon had a nice basket of Peaches in his 
superb collection of foreign and home-grown fruit, valuable for 
November. There were also three or four very good collections of 
Oranges, Citrons, &c.; these add much both to the interest and variety 
of the exhibition, and should, we think, be encouraged; more especially 
sweet Oranges for the table. Fruit of the Eugenia Ugni was shown 
by several for Mr. Wentworth Dilke’s prize ; they only confirmed 
our previous opinion of this berry , that for dessert purposes it is not 
worth growing.; and as we have nothing favourable to report on it as 
