026 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
TAUNTON AND WEST SOMERSET HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 
The third exhibition this year took place last Wednesday in this town, at the 
Assembly Room. The supplies of specimens of every description were abun¬ 
dant. Grapes, pines, melons, peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, and mulber¬ 
ries, profusely decorated the tables, and furnished ample evidence of the grate¬ 
ful powers of vegetation, when duly promoted by superintending skill and scien¬ 
tific labour. The shrubs and flowers displayed on the occasion were of great 
beauty and elegant variety; and the culinary vegetables were of extraordinary 
size. The company which was numerous and highly respectable, were admitted 
to the room at two o’clock, and the exhibition closed at five, when a sale of the 
prize fruit and vegetables took place ; most of the articles met ready purchasers, 
and the whole fetched upwards of £4 exclusive of pines, £16 were received for 
admission at the door. The arrangements, for the display of the very numerous 
articles shewn on the occasion were highly judicious, and the scene was as splen¬ 
did and varied as it was delightful. 
YORK FLORAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The Autumn meeting of this Society was held on Sept. 25th, in the Guildhall, 
and we were highly gratified by the very splendid show of flowers, fruits, and 
vegetables, which was equal to any we have ever seen, particularly when the late 
season of the year is considered. On entering the hall, a beautiful arch of flowers 
presented itself, erected over the President’s Chair,—and containing most of 
the varieties now in bloom. It was surmounted by a shield of flowers,—surroun¬ 
ded with the motto—“ Honi soit qui mal y pense: and a crown for a crest. This 
very splendid ornament was furnished by Mr. Clarkson and was much admired. 
By its side, rose a lofty pyramid of flowers, the contribution of Mr, Wood, gar¬ 
dener to Messrs. Backhouse. This was rich in the floral varieties of the season. 
On the left of the Chairman, the centre window of the hall was adorned with a 
very handsome bouquet, sent by Mrs. Rigg. It was in shape like a pointed arch, 
with projecting spirals, like the points of a star, and had a very novel and plea¬ 
sing appearance. Several smaller bouquets were placed in the various parts of 
the room. A number of stove and greenhouse plants, in blossom, occupied a 
table on the left of the Chairman. The centre table was filled with specimens of 
that beautiful tribe of flowers, the Dahlia; and tables on the right of the Chair¬ 
man were covered with a profusion of vegetables and fruits. The prize flowers 
and fruits, covered a table in front of the Chairman ; and the prize vegetables 
filled two tables at the other extremity of the hall. Mr. Clarkson, in addition 
to his bouquet, sent a basket of pansies, very tastefully arranged. A basket of 
Dahlias, containing a great many most beautiful varieties, sent by Mrs: Holmes, 
of Fulford, was also much admired; as were a collection of balsams, furnished 
by Messrs. Backhouse, and which ornamented the tribune or forum, used by the 
Commoners, at their meetings. Amongst the vegetables, some remarkably fine 
endive, vegetable marrow, and beet root, sent by the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, 
attracted much attention. There were two cabbages, of the drum-head sort, of 
an extraordinary size, weighing about two stone each;—and the prize vegetables 
generally were of the finest description. 
