19:2 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 24. 
| by a pretty well generally recognised standard, not that 
j we consider tbe circular outline contains the perfection 
of beauty. Were all flowers perfectly circular, they 
| would become hideous from their very monotony. 
Even now, we are sacrificing brilliancy of colour to 
I texture and outline; whilst laws are recognised, however, 
they must be acted on. If no class for culture exists, 
the"finest specimen of cultivation, if deficient in florist 
properties, has little chance with what is a superior 
article, though shewing less skill in the grower. Judges 
hero have often a very difficult duty to perform. It is 
safest for the exhibitor to shew the best kinds of florists’ 
flowers well grown; and if he cannot obtain these, to 
reserve his skill to objects whioh the florist has not yet 
succeeded in taking under his peculiar care. Then, 
secondly, plants must be shown for what they are, not 
for what they have been, or what they may become. 
A plant past its best will succumb to a plant not quite 
come to its best; both will yield to a plant about equal 
in cultural skill, but just in its prime. Thirdly, size 
must not be idolised; too much importance has been 
given to this. Compact, healthy growth, abundance of 
fine flowers, and little shouldering from stakes per¬ 
ceptible, will always beat a straggling plant, though a 
waggon might be required to carry it. 
2ndly. Fitness for a defined end. —Thus, in vegetables, 
without any rules to guide us, we should judge some¬ 
what differently the productions of a cottager and those 
of a gentleman’s gardener. Size would form a prime in¬ 
gredient in the first case ; quality the first consideration 
in the second. Then, as respects fruit; some societies 
have two classes, divided into weight and flavour. Here 
the man of lino tasto, and superior cultural skill, can 
each compete without crossing each other. Without 
such definition, and with judges who look upon flavour 
as the first essential, what would he the use of showing 
the finest specimen of a plum against a little well-ripened 
greengage. Fitness for the table is generally the criterion 
for fruit. Without specific notice, this otten interferes 
with cultural excellence. Over ripeness, or not being 
ripe enough, bruised in the packing, or the bloom rubbed 
off, or the hole of a slug or worm, will run the risk of 
placing them below inferior specimens as respects 
culture. Now for myself, I should be loath to pass a 
very fine dish of poaches with a bruise or two from a 
long journey, and put unmutilated, but inferior speci¬ 
mens above them ; hut such things are often done. The 
finest plate of Kean's strawberry T have ever yet seen 
was passed over by the judges. The exhibitor quietly 
said to one of the judges, whilst looking at them, “ I sup¬ 
pose you were afraid of them.” “ Oh no,” said he, and 
taking up a huge one, and pointing to a slug hole on 
the under side, he os coolly said, “If you can send 
holed fruit to your employers table, I can’t do it to 
mine.” Now I say nothing of such a decision; you 
will form your own judgment; but if cultural excellence 
had entered into the decision it would have been dif¬ 
ferent. Most gardeners would contend with me, that, 
unless in specified objects and novelties, cultural skill 
should hold no secondary place. 
•Irdly, and finally at present. Be. more careful of the 
quality than the quantity you exhibit. Re neither over¬ 
sanguine, nor over-covetous. Every bad specimen, 
among either fruit or flowers, detracts from the value of 
J good ones in the collection. A grasp after all may leave 
you with nothing, when, by moderating your desires, you 
j would have been successful. This is a rock on which 
I hundreds founder; get disappointed, and exhibit no 
more. Thus, a man has three kinds of fruit, all very 
j good; he must exhibit in a collection of six, trusting to 
| the superior to overcome the blighting effects of the three 
j inferior dishes. Nay, he may be so grasping as to ex- 
j hi bit likewise several single dishes, hut not so good as 
] the best in his collection. His three inferior dishes 
weigh down his three good ones to zero. He is beat in 
the single dishes; and, instead of having several principal 
prizes, he goes away grumbling that he has little or 
nothing. He has himself entirely to blame. And so 
with plants; the honour of showing a splendid single 
specimen is greater than that of exhibiting a very in¬ 
ferior six. The taking a first prize for six is greater 
honour than being ever so far down for a twelve. Every 
inferior plant detracts from the value of a good one. It 
is no disgrace not to exhibit at all; it is no dishonour 
to exhibit sparingly, and only what is good. There is no 
honour in mere size and quantity, some of which will 
scarcely bear inspection. Resides, people judge from 
what they see, and not from what you may have at home. 
Articles, however few, but good, will ever give honour 
to the gardener. I know that many have little means, 
and little command of labour for preparing for exhibi¬ 
tions. Let them not exhibit at all, or exhibit sparingly. 
The success of an exhibition depends upon its quality, 
not the quantity of the articles. 
“ O, but,” say some of our committee men, and ex¬ 
hibitors, too, “ we should have so few things that the I 
people would not come to look at them. They like 
masses aud quantity, and without it our rooms and fetes 
would soon be desolate.” I reply, humour the wish for 
great display, by all means—quantity is so far always 
attractive; but confine your good things to exhibition 
tables, aud have other tables filled with objects not for 
competition, firing them, if you will, in waggon-loads ; 
if your funds will allow it, give extra prizes in abundance 
to these; and, at all events, do not scruple giving plenty 
of commendations and honourable mentions —they cost 
nothing in hard cash; they please the bringers; the 
public is satisfied; the society will flourish; and all con 
cerned meet in satisfaction and harmony. R. Fish. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS AT THE REGENT’S 
PARK SHOW. 
The 9th of June, 1852, will not be easily forgotten by 
the visitors and exhibitors at the Horticultural Fete, in 
the Royal Rotanic Society’s Gardens, Regent’s Park, on 
that day. As early as five o’clock in the morning, and 
until the closing of the show, the rain fell incessantly, 
and most of the time very heavily, thus disappointing 
thousands who would otherwise have paid their tribute 
of admiration to the beauties of Flora and Pomona, 
spread with no niggard hand for their gratification. Yet, 
notwithstanding the “ pelting of the pitiless showers,” 
several hundreds of the more ardent lovers of the 
produce of “trim gardens” paid their devoirs to the 
beautiful objects placed in the tents, congratulating 
themselves with the somewhat selfish feeling, that they 
had a better opportunity of seeing the flowers and fruits 
than they would had it been as fine a day as it was a 
foul one. 
Florists’ flowers were, in most instances, in fine con¬ 
dition, the exception being most seen in the Ruse tent. 
Had we not seen the May exhibition, we might have 
thought the roses excellent, but at this show they were 
decidedly at a discount, though there were some half- 
dozen in the whole lot that were quite up to the point 
of excellence. 
Pelargoniums, as might have been expected, were of 
first-rate excellence, indeed, superior to the May shows. 
The following are noted as being either fresh kinds, or 
in better condition than on former occasions:— Ajax, 
upper petals, purple-crimson, edged with scarlet; lower 
petals, rich purple-rose; form good, and substance ex¬ 
cellent. Conspicuum, a richly dark-coloured flower, of 
good properties. Upper petals, very dark crimson, 
edged with fiery scarlet; lower petals, a pleasing light 
rose, with a crimson spot in the centre; eye, a bluish. 
