THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
158 
[June 12. 
j or in a Wardian case,—the degree of moisture and shade 
being regulated by what you observe in their natural 
habitats. 
“ What forests tall of tiniest moss 
Clothe every little stone ! 
What pigmy oaks their foliage toss 
O’er pigmy valleys lone ! 
With shade o’er shade, from ledge to ledge, 
Ambitious of the sky, , 
They feather o’er the steepest edge 
Of mountains mushroom high.” 
Mr. Gardiner, who we believe to be thoroughly trust¬ 
worthy, resides at No. 158, Overgate, Dundee, and is an 
excellent and enthusiastic botanist, but, like many other 
men of science, he cannot afford to risk the loss of his 
time and money in travelling for the collection of speci¬ 
mens. To avoid such risk, and yet to place his services 
at the command of any one to whom they may be de¬ 
sirable, he has issued the following prospectus, and we 
can assure our readers that if we needed such a collec¬ 
tion, we should not hesitate to confide our twenty 
shillings to Mr. Gardiner’s keeping, with the full con¬ 
viction that whilst we served him, we should in return 
obtain our full money’s-worth:— 
William Gardiner begs to say, that it is his intention to 
prepare, during the present season, a series of Collections 
of Botanical Specimens, each to contain 250 select species,— 
the subscription, £1 , to be paid in advance. This unusual 
condition in W. G.’s practice as a botanical collector, will 
enable him to make the sets more interesting, as he will 
thus have the means of visiting more localities, and bringing 
together the rarities of each. The long experience W. G. 
has had in preparing botanical specimens, and the many 
thousands of them in the possession of his numerous sub¬ 
scribers, to any of whom a reference can be given, if re¬ 
quired, will be a guarantee for his fitness for the task he 
undertakes; and he trusts that those honouring him with 
then - patronage, will place confidence in his executing it 
faithfully. It is also W. G.’s intention to prepare to order 
volumes of specimens, mounted and named, of the different 
tribes of British Plants, as Flowers, Ferns, Mosses, Lichens, 
Seaweeds, &c., from £1 Is. upwards : Also, “ Summer and 
Autumn Leaves; ” “ Buttercups and Daisies,” a new book 
for the young; and new editions of “ Lessons on British 
Mosses; ” and illustrated copies of the “ Flora of Forfar¬ 
shire.” Early application solicited. 
We shall be much obliged by any, or by all our corres¬ 
pondents adopting the suggestion of Mr. Erringtou in 
our paper to-day, and sending us a report of the pros¬ 
pects of the fruit crop in their neighbourhood. They 
need only mention the name of the place, whether in a 
valley or on a hill, and the state of the crop in one 
word; for example. Maldon (hill), Gooseberries, good; 
Apples, bad; Pears, partial; &c. Of coimse we shall be 
glad of any comments, but these are not essential to 
the utility of such returns. 
GARDENING GOSSIP. 
There are to be three Flower Shows at Vauxhall 
Gardens, the schedules for one of which have been 
j issued. Those who feel a real interest in the shows at 
! the Surrey Gardens, regret this opposition; for, however 
it may be professed to be otherwise, the effect must be 
more or less injurious to a series of exhibitions on the 
same side of the water, in the same months, and sup¬ 
ported by the same people. We see in the speculation 
a certain loss to the management. It is impossible to 
be more attractive than the Surrey Gardens, and nobody 
will pay lialf-a-crown to see a flower show when they 
can see the same for a shilling; but it will have the 
effect of dividing the attention of exhibitors whose 
cupidity is aroused by the offer of large prizes. It is 
thought that this Surrey opposition is not unlikely to 
lead to a break up of the South London Floricultural 
Society. 
Roslierville Gardens, Gravesend, are especially adapted 
for flower shows; and at one time the managers con¬ 
templated getting up two or three exhibitions a season 
under an experienced manager. This they have declined, 
but a private individual has hired the grounds upon 
speculation, and issued a schedule full of monstrous 
absurdities. 
To say nothing of the great defects, a few of the little 
ones are bad enough. Prizes are offered for Cinerarias, 
Pinks, Hollyhocks, and some other subjects in July, long 
after or before any can be fit to exhibit! In fact, the 
schedule offers one hundred and twenty-four pounds in prizes, 
half of which cannot be shown for! If this be the result of 
ignorance, the speculator deserves to lose; if design, it will 
fail to take in the public. The metropolitan showers treat 
the thing as a hoax. 
The Great Northern Tidip Show went off much to the 
satisfaction of the Great Northern growers, and was 
especially pleasing to a class of dealers who cannot 
throw away foul tulips. Having secured three patrons 
of smudged-bottomed varieties for judges, and Mr. Henry 
Goldham, from London, as a fourth, to give countenance 
to their proceedings, they did as they pleased. They 
would not disqualify foul-bottomed sorts, and the tulips 
which had prizes were a disgrace to the fancy. 
Mr. Henry Goldham could not have carried his point 
against three lovers of foul flowers, but he could have retired 
and upheld the dignity and taste of the south, which rejects 
as unworthy - of notice all varieties with dirty bases. He 
could have said, “ Gentlemen,—As I am of no use against 
three of you, and never will sanction a prize to a foul flower, 
I beg to retire, and leave you to the indulgence of a taste 
which I hope will always be confined to the north.” Mr. 
Turner, of Slough, the best professional, and Mr. Edwards, 
of Holloway, a spirited amateur, had to sit down quietly 
under the disgrace of being beaten with tulips that the 
poorest grower in the metropolis would not disgrace his 
stand with. 
It has been suggested that as the trade has been 
liberal in subscribing funds from which to give prizes 
for New Dahlias, the managers of societies ought to let 
everybody show without entrance fees. 
The trade cannot anticipate in their gifts the idea of ex¬ 
cluding anybody who can buy new flowers; but if the 
entrance be more than nominal, say a shilling, a great num¬ 
ber will be debarred from showing after they have bought j 
new flowers to the extent of their means. We strongly 1 
recommend the Shacklewell managers to charge only a shil- j 
ling entrance for the new class; they had better have twenty \ 
at a shilling, than four at a crown, or eight at half-a-crown ; I 
it swells the show. 
The Plymouth Royal Botanical and Horticultural | 
Gardens were opened for the season on the 20th of May, j 
and the attendance was as brilliant as the show of j 
flowers. These gardens, established in those of Mr. ! 
Rendle, the enterprising nurseryman and florist, com- j 
bine the attractions of concerts, promenades, and horti¬ 
cultural displays, and are well worthy of patronage. 
