90 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. April 10. 
alone, it is quite possible to distinguish from each other 
the far greater majority of the varieties of all the hardy 
fruits. By an examination of all' the four parts— 
blossoms, leaves, wood, and buds—there could be no 
difficulty in detecting each variety. Bounded upon 
these data, we hope to see a fruit classification attained. 
When we see the useful progress that this Society is 
so unostentatiously making; when we reflect upon the 
importance of fruit-culture in an economical point of 
view; and when we remember the numerous Societies 
for its promotion which have existed for so many years 
jn Germany, Belgium, and other nations of the Con¬ 
tinent, we cannot but regret that Societies once powerful 
to achieve good in this country should not have ex¬ 
pended some of their energies in this direction. How¬ 
ever, this is a vain regret; so let those now entered 
upon the field be inspired with a hope for a richer 
harvest, seeing that it has been so slightly tilled by 
those who have preceded them. 
We have noted that in Germany Pomological Societies 
are many, and to show what energy inspires the cul¬ 
tivators of this science in that land of the Rhine, we 
need only quote the Pomological Society of Guben, in 
Lusatia. This Society was consulted as to the most 
efficient modes of improving the national fruit-culture, 
and the following is an epitome of the Society’s reply— 
“ 1. Instruct youth in the cultivation of fruit-trees: 2. In¬ 
struct also ministers and schoolmasters : 3. Oblige ministers 
and schoolmasters to acquire information on the subject: 
4. Render ministers and schoolmasters responsible for public 
ordinances relative to the culture of fruit-trees: 5. Es¬ 
tablish branch Pomological Societies: C. Establish a nursery 
and an orchard for the principal society: 7. Plant fruit- 
trees in the public places of villages, and along the high 
roads: 8. Let every parish ( commune ) be responsible for 
fruit-trees planted in public places: 9. Appoint public 
watchmen for fruit-trees: 10. Increase the penalties for 
injuring fruit-trees : 11. Prohibit the destruction of small 
birds, which are necessary for the destruction of caterpillars; 
but the sparrow is to be excepted, because it attacks both 
buds and fruits, and only eats caterpillars when it cannot 
get any thing else : 12. Establish public officers to super¬ 
intend the execution of pomological laws, and judge petty 
offenders: 13. Name an inspector-general for pomological 
plantations for each province.” 
MEETING OF THE HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY.— April 3. 
The Roses, the Cinerarias, the Orchids, and the 
Azaleas, with Begonias, were the chief masses on this 
occasion ; but there were many well-grown specimens of 
greenhouse plants. The library and the secretary’s 
office had to be thrown open to exhibit part of the 
collections in, and the passage leading to the large 
meeting room was loaded on both sides as thick as the 
plants could stand. The rooms were so thronged with 
visitors, that by the time the “ chair was taken,” about 
three o clock, there was barely standing room ; to move 
about was out of the question, until the lecture was 
over. 
1 here was not a bad plant at the meeting, and only 
two small dishes, or rather samples, of vegetables that 
were not either first or second-rate. Two of our best 
ine-growers sent a Pine-apple each, which were as 
good, probably, as any Pine-apples ever were at this 
season; but, nevertheless, they were disqualified by the 
judges, and deservedly so, on account of a serious 
deformity in each of them, caused by a stopping of the 
growth when the topmost row of pips, or eyes, contracted 
round the crown, in the usual way, after that, as if 
nature had taken a sudden thought, the growth of the 
fruit continued three weeks longer; but the contraction 
of the ring of pips would not yield, and, consequently, 
the after growth looked like a toy Pine-apple on the top 
of the true one; besides, one of these Pines was too 
ripe for table. When I saw such beautiful Pines dis¬ 
qualified, I really felt sorry; but then I recollected, 
that at the very last meeting the ruling passion com¬ 
pelled my own “ self” to sing out lustily against some 
of the things, although it would have been more pleasant 
to report smoothly, as if everything was worthy of a 
prize. The fact is, I am getting too good-natured for 
this sort of thing since 1 left off being on the “circuit,” 
unless the case is glaring indeed ; but all the world are 
now so well up to gardening, that judges cannot slip 
out of anything, however unpleasant to themselves 
individually ; so that the Queen of England stands no 
more chance for a prize at the Crystal Palace Exhibition, 
next June, or at any of our exhibitions, than Mary 
Smith, or Janet McFarlau, under similar circumstances. 
ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS. 
I felt like cross currents of electricity passing over 
me on heaving, in the lecture, that Her Majesty was the 
most successful cross-breeder of Begonias in the three 
kingdoms, through Mr. Ingram, her major-domo, at 
Windsor. There were twenty kinds of Begonias from 
the Queen, represented by cut flowers and samples of 
the leaves tied up in bundles; among them were many 
beautiful crosses, which I shall mention presently ; but 
I must first pointout a radical defect in the way they were 
exhibited. I think I have dispelled the vulgar notion of 
placing scarlet or glaring colours in the midst of a 
group of beds. I also think that 1 have shaken the 
public faith in the opinion of great painters, as to the 
right grouping of flowers without reference to the 
natural ground colour on which the groups are disposed. 
Her Majesty’s Begonia flowers were placed before us on 
a large piece of white paper, just as an Italian painter 
would place them ; but I bold the plan to be radically 
defective, against all the queens and painters on the face 
of the earth. 1 learned the secret from ladies who were, 
at the same time, first-rate painters and first-rate flower- 
gardeners. I have applied the secret in a hundred ways, 
and never found it to fail, and I shall point out how the 
Queen’s Begonia flowers ought to have been shown, and 
why that way. There is hardly a bright scarlet in the 
flowers of this group; those of fuchsioides and coccinea 
come the nearest to clear scarlet, and this is the only 
colour in flowers that is improved by being placed on a 
white ground; but the easiest way of learning my 
meaning is to place two variegated Gerauiums in good 
bloom, side by side, one to be the Flower of the Bay, 
the ottyer the Mountain of Light. The former wants 
two shades of being a clear scarlet, and the whiteness of 
the leaves under the flowers makes the colour duller 
than it really is, and the same kind of leaf heightens 
the effect of the better scarlet of the latter. Therefore, 
if you want to see the best effect of any flowers except 
bright scarlet ones, never place them on white paper. 
Begonias offer more white, blush-white, French white, 
and pale pink, than any other genus I can think of, 
and these are the very tints which are soonest drowned, 
or subdued, by being set on a white ground; and yet, if the 
earth of a flower-bed was as white as paper, these tints, 
or colours, could be safely trusted into the bed, because 
we shall suppose that thick masses of green leaves 
come between the white surface of the bed and the light 
tints in the flowers. 
