May 25. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
137 
Triumphant >•, and Rosea elegans , sent, but not for com¬ 
petition, by Mr. Smith, a tradesman in the town. The 
beauty of these plants was mingled with a saddening 
influence. Mr. Smith, Jun., had been one of the chief 
promoters of the Society, and, by his happy tempera¬ 
ment, seemed to carry sunshine with him wherever he 
weut. Some*three years ago, after acting his part at one 
of these gatherings, he was suddenly removed. Not a 
meeting now takes place in which the want of his 
J benevolent, happy tact, is not mentioned with regret and 
| sorrow. Would that we could all act so as to he missed 
I when gone! No embalming recollections attend the 
I memory of the man who lived for himself. 
I The Fruit was more distinguished for quality than 
quantity. Apples appeared in first-rate condition. Mr. 
Newman exhibited what had been a magnificent Pine, 
j hut too far gone, and also a dish of splendid Kean’s 
Strawberries. Mr. Brown showed a splendid dish of 
the same kind, with scarcely a line to draw between 
them, though a few thumpers turned the scale in the 
former gardener’s favour. Queens were also shown in 
fair condition, but had been grown too much in the 
shade. Splendid black Grapes camo from Mr. Mackie; 
and good, ripe, yellow Muscats, were supplied by another 
gentleman; a rather uncommon thing in the first days 
of May. 
For Vegetables, Northampton has always been dis¬ 
tinguished. The roots were fine on the present occasion. 
The frost had prevented the usual supply of Asparagus. 
What did appear was in excellent condition. A bundle, 
shown by Mr. Watts, market-gardener, was very fine, 
and his white spring Brocoli has been for many years 
unrivalled ; it was very fine on the present occasion— 
as firm and fully half the height of a large-sized sugar- 
loaf, with stems as thick as my wrist. 1 heard Mr. 
Appleby quizzing about some seed, but they could not 
get legs to travel. It is believed that Mr. Watts uses 
extraordinary care in saving his seed. 
The frost had told against the exhibition by Cottagers : 
but yet there was a great turn out. That there were 
fewer comjietitors than for the summer exhibitions, 
made it easier work for the judges. So keen has been the 
competition, so difficult at times has been the task to 
find a flaw, that I could compare the task of deciding to 
nothing more fitly than having a handful of new 
sixpences from the mint put before you, with so many 
minutes to make up your mind as to which was best. 
There is never a good, but there might be better. 
Most of the articles exhibited commanded admiration, 
when individually examined, and yet the effect, as a 
whole, was not particularly striking. After musing on 
the matter, it seemed to me that the large room of the 
Corn Exchange, with its lofty domed roof, was too large 
for the quantity and size of the objects exhibited. 1 
heard several gentlemen say that the'plants would have 
told more in the large but low ceiling-roofed room at 
the George. Another raised a laugh by speaking of 
having a canvass or gauze tent pitched inside of the 
Exchange, and beneath that arranging the objects for 
exhibition. A joke that tells has generally a spark of 
truth in it. Plants and flowers always look best when 
j there is some opaque object against which to reflect 
i their beauties. The lofty arched roof of the room is 
opaque, and light is admitted by tiers of windows on 
the sides. If the lower tiers of these were rendered 
opaque by blinds or curtains, the plants placed against 
them would have more of a back gi-ound than when 
placed on tables in the centre of the room. At any-rato, 
a plant a few feet in height would not be crushed down by 
the overhanging vault to something of so many inches. 
We could think of an Araucaria, 100 feet high, standing in 
the court of such a place as beneath the dome of St. Paul’s. 
A plant a few feet in height, however beautiful, would 
be something like a scare-crow, more especially if light 
were admitted solely by the sides. The central division ! 
in the exhibition tents at the Metropolitan societies, I 
covered with green baize, served another purpose beside 
convenience. Let those in the habit of decorating 
rooms contrast the effect produced by setting down a i 
plant here and there, whatever the colour of the wall, &c,, 
and giving the same plants an evergreen back ground, I 
as practised by Mr. Fleming, and described in a previous 
volume. Well, then, taking these hints for what they j 
are worth, and as the roof cannot be lowered, what is to 
be done to render such exhibitions more attractive, not ; 
in the way of cultural skill so much, as in the mere ‘ 
matter of agreeable display—a display that will please, 
though not one in twenty will ever ask how the plea¬ 
sure is produced? The answer is a simple one. The 
place must be better filled, and loftier plauts must be 
introduced. 
I think a little suavity of manners, and a yielding 
here and there in trifles, would conquer the first diffi¬ 
culty. I perceive, by the advertisements, that there is a 
floral society in Northampton besides the one I have 
had the great pleasure of attending. 1 have witnessed 
first-rate floral displays at some shows, but with the | 
exception of some good pans of Heartsease, and a thing 
or two in the shape of Auriculas, not a florist’s flower, 1 
properly speaking, was present. 1 expected to see some 
fine Tulips, Hyacinths, Polyanthuses, and Auriculas. We j 
know the old adage about the strength of unity and the ' 
weakness of division. Would not a display of these and j 
other tilings have greatly enhanced the interest and the 
variety of the exhibition ? And if gentlemen’s gardeners i 
cannot find time to attend to these beauties properly, is 
that any reason why they should not duly honour and 
respect those who see something more beautiful in a fine 
laced Polyanthus than they can see in a magnificent 
Azalea? 
Then, though I would not, on the principles pre¬ 
viously advocated, wish any of my brethren to exhibit 
for a prize one plant with which they themselves were 
not satisfied, they keep many beautiful things at home 
that would - delight visitors, when exhibited in miscel¬ 
laneous groups, and not for competition. I know that 
I am treading on difficult ground here; but if employers, 
committees, and exhibitors, were coming to an under¬ 
standing in this respect, the interest of these meetings 
would be greatly increased. 
Then, finally, supposing the present arrangement to 
be continued, the lowuess of the plants will not after¬ 
wards be so much felt, as Fuchsias, &c., are generally 
exhibited in gigantic size. Let me not be misunder¬ 
stood. It is quite amazing what some of the gardeners 
in this neighbourhood produce with the means at their 
disposal, and the daily demands upon their resources. 
It would be next to impossible for them to bring tall 
plants, as so many breaks to the level uniformity, j 
owing to the difficulty of carriage alone. The nursery- i 
men, Messrs. Jeyes and Perkins, might, in this respect, 
do much, even by bringing some of their choicest ever¬ 
greens and Conifers in pots. Both, I am sorry to say, j 
have had much to think of this spring, besides the ex- : 
hibition, which they have by no means forgotten, having \ 
suffered severely by the night of the 24th ultimo. There ; 
can be no question, that even masses of evergreens, 
especially the choice of them, would be a good feature 
in such large places. 
It may be asked, what encouragement would there be? 
I answer, even greater than that which now exists; and 
those who witnessed the company assembled in the after¬ 
noon, when most of the gentry of the neighbourhood 
were present, and those who stood at the closing of the 
doors, and saw numbers at the reduced price refused 
admittance, as the things could not be kept longer, will 
be apt to come to the conclusion, that the great in rank 
will patronise such exhibitions so long as they are 
