42 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 17. 
up with balls, and replanted on the Boulevards and other 
public parts of the capital. This was a work of some mag¬ 
nitude. The magnificent perspective view of the interior 
will not be the least of its attractions; for, standing at one 
end, the visitor sees the other dwindle to the smallest di¬ 
mensions, and it will be quite invisible when the breath of 
some thousands of persons mixes with the atmosphere. 
This fine building, which, in general form, may be likened to 
more than half-a mile of Paxton’s first transept, though not 
so lofty, begins at La Place de la Concorde, and continues 
westward the whole length of the Quai de la Conference, and 
right behind the Palais de /’ Industrie. Immediately in front 
of the latter, and on the other side of the avenue, extensive 
premises are now in course of preparation, under the 
direction of the Imperial Society of Horticulture, for the 
general Horticultural Exhibition. Besides commodious 
greenhouses and tents which will be erected, about half an 
acre of ground will be enclosed, and laid out as an orna¬ 
mental garden, with several basins and fountains. 
The Moniteur of the 25Lli contains a list of the juries 
selected for the different classes. In the class of objects 
'belonging to forestry, fishing, hunting, and “products ob¬ 
tained without cultivation,” I find the names of Professors 
Brongniart and Decaisne, both eminent botanists connected 
with the direction of the Garden of Plants. In the agri¬ 
cultural class, which also includes everything belonging to 
it, as horticulture, 1 presume, the principal names are those 
of M. Vilmorin and M. Boussingault. One might have 
expected to see at least M. Decaisne associated with the 
latter gentlemen; for he is the acknowledged head of the 
cultural department at the Garden of Plants, and he is, 
besides, the principal editor of the Rems Horticole, the only 
periodical here devoted to gardening and botany. But no 
doubt the imperial commissioners have made their appoint¬ 
ments with the greatest discernment, and we may be satisfied 
that the gentlemen named in the different departments or 
classes will acquit themselves creditably. 
The first class comprises mining and mineral products; 
and it may be recollected that these occupied the same 
priority at London in 1851. The second class includes 
objects relating to hunting, fishing, forestry, &c. In the 
Crystal Palace, this class was devoted to chemical and 
pharmaceutical products. The third class is that of the 
agricultural products, including everything relating to the 
culture of plants, vegetables, fruits, &c., as well as what 
relates to the rearing of useful animals. In this class, Mr. 
Cole and Dr. Lyon Playfair act as commissioners for 
England. 
The Cattle Show is to be held during the first eight days 
of June; and I notice, from the programme which has just 
been issued, that the famed English breeds of cows, sheep, 
pigs, &c., take the lead in all the first classes. The highest 
prizes range between 800 francs (J032) and 1000francs (,£10). 
This exhibition will also include pigeons and poultry of all 
kinds, and we may expect the usual accompaniments in 
farm and dairy produce, as well as machines and implements; 
but probably the latter will form a separate show, or be 
included in the third class. 
The question of preserving fruit of all kinds, but par¬ 
ticularly Apples, Pears, and other garden sorts, lias often 
been raised in the horticultural press, both in England and 
on the Continent, and this has so often led to the discussion 
as to the best means of preserving their forms and colours 
for the purpose of identification. To know the numerous 
varieties of fruit well, to be able to point them out with any 
thing like certainty, requires long, uninterrupted practice. 
Mr. Thompson, of Turnham Green, is, perhaps, without ex¬ 
ception, the ablest person in this branch. Ho is among 
fruit, what Mr. Moore, of Chelsea, is among Eerns; and few 
persons have had so good opportunities of arriving at A 1 
in the pursuit of any special object; but gardeners and 
amateurs, in general, not to speak of the public at large, 
have no means of ascertaining whether the names which 
they give their Apples or Pears are really correct, and 
almost every person who is fond of growing fruit has some 
sorts of which the names are wholly unknown to himself 
and his acquaintances. Names sent out from the nursery 
witli the young trees are not always genuine; and even if 
they were, they are always liable to be lost or confused, 
and mistakes of this kind are not so easily rectified with 
varieties of fruit as with species, or even varieties of 
plants. 
In the many excellent museums of Natural History, either 
in England or on the Continent, we look in vain for the 
different varieties of Pine-apples, Grapes, Figs, Plums, 
Apples, Pears, Peaches, Nectarines, and other kinds of fruit. 
With this exception, and that of culinary vegetables, we may 
see named specimens of every thing that grows on the 
earth, or “ under the waters,” in all their minute scientific 
details, from the jaws of a mouse up to the great anti- 
deluvian animals, whose names we can hardly pronounce 
in a breath; yet, if we can judge from the eagerness with 
which people throng the fruit-tents of the Chiswick and the 
Regent Park fetes, we may be satisfied that a Pomological 
Museum* or whatever else it might be called, and considered 
merely as an agreeable show, would always secure plenty of 
admiring visitors, while it could not fail to be an invaluable 
source to all in quest of instruction respecting the names 
and general history of the different sorts exhibited. There 
is, indeed, no scarcity of books from which such information 
may be obtained; but even the best books on this subject 
furnish very scanty means of identifying any considerable 
number. Varieties of fruit, in general, cannot be subject to 
mere technical descriptions, however nicely or clearly framed, 
and it is well known that most of the terms employed for 
this purpose are necessarily vague and uncertain in their 
import. It may not be difficult to distinguish, by description, 
an Apple from a Pear, an Apricot from a Plum ; but it is 
very different when we come to varieties of the same kind. 
Few persons, I imagine, ivould be willing to rely on an j 
abstract descriptive distinction between a Noblesse and a ! 
Royal George Peach, or between a Providence and a Mont- | 
serrat Pine. When we see them together, or good illus- | 
trations of them, we readily recognize their peculiar j 
characters; but descriptions alone are of little or no use i 
whatever,—large, small, round, juicy, melting, sugary, j 
and similar terms, may mean nearly anything you please, j 
Books, then, it is pretty clear, to be of any real value in this 
way, should contain accurate portraits of all the sorts and 
varieties enumerated; but such works, owing to the expense 
attending their preparation, could only be within the reach 
of a very limited number of persons ; for it is very doubtful 
whether much reduced wood engravings, similar to those of 
plants in Loudon’s famed Encyclopedia, could be made 
available for fruit. It is also to be observed, that several 
samples of the same variety, and even very often from the 
same tree, will assume different features in form or colour, 
according to circumstances, growth, age of tree, exposure, 
and particular stages of maturity. There is, therefore, an 
additional difficulty here in obtaining accurate portraits, 
however skilful the artist might be. At all events, it | 
would be necessary to include a certain number of examples, j 
But while fully appreciating the value of illustrations, so 
far as they can be conveniently published in books, I am 
still of opinion that the best way of showing a certain 
description of objects, which cannot themselves be preserved 
for any length of time, is that of giving proportionate 
models, and also colours, when existing in the original. 
In this category must be placed almost all cultivated 
fruits such as I have already enumerated. We can only 
preserve their forms and colours by models in plaster, wax, 
gutta percha, or similar substances. Some models, in wax, 
of some of the principal tropical fruits, are to be seen in 
one of the rooms of the Polytechnic Institution at London. 
Beautiful paintings of the same sorts are to be seen in the 
Botanical Gallery of the Museum at the Garden of Plants 
here. But it is clear that those who have had the control 
of these things have fallen into the mistake of supposing 
that tropical fruits only can be interesting to the public or 
to those professionally engaged in horticulture. The com¬ 
mon fruits and vegetables grown in our own country are not 
known to the great multitude of those who frequent galleries 
of Natural History, except as so much agreeable and 
nourishing food. Every plum of like size and colour is a 
“green gage” in London, or a “ reine claude” in rails. 
Ask what particular Pippin such or such an apple is, and 
the wonder will be that you think there are more than one. 
Anybody can tell you the difference between a turnip and a 
* Horticultural Museum would perhaps be a more appropriate name. 
