102 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 24, 1859. 
as they passed by. But I was exceedingly sorry to hear 
one uniform exultation among them all at the downfall 
of the Horticultural Society—no doubt the effect of ex¬ 
cessive legislation, still a very bad feeling. Our mother 
dear at Chiswick Green was only over-anxious, like 
many others, that her children should have a systematic 
education : she was only wrong in the means, and in not 
understanding the right organisation of her own flesh 
and blood. Here all are allowed to claim a common 
descent from the original gardener, to enjoy them¬ 
selves in paradise thus regained. Everybody seems 
to like all this; everybody goes to see all this ; every 
one you see or meet has a smile or a nice turn of the 
eye; and, what to me is inexplicable, ladies seem to 
look here after each other’s dresses as much, or nearly as ' 
much, as the gentlemen do. Perhaps the reason may be, 
that, as all dresses are just as safe in the Crystal Palace 
as if they were under a glass-case at home, there is more 
time on hand to make observations; more of that com¬ 
fortable assurance that “all is right,” which is the 
grandest secret in this world for placing a lady in her 
proper sphere. 
The arrangement was, a large circle-stage in the very 
centre of the building, 140 feet round, rising up, step 
by step, to a great height, till it ended at the top in the 
form of a cone, just large enough for a tub to stand 
on, and the tub big enough for a handsome Norfolk 
Island Pine, which thus crowned the Exhibition. Below 
the shades of the far-fetched Pine stood the Derby 
stakes, the grand competition-struggle for the £25 prizes, 
which were never more magnificently run for than on 
that cloudy day. You could hardly see the run in the 
distance; but, as they neared the winning-post, Dods’ 
Bay was gaining one inch at every “ loup; ” Peed’s 
brown Puncher was then only one-half of the nose 
behind ; and Page’s Ely-catcher, was up neck and neck 
with Puncher. When the umpires decided this heat 
we could draw our breaths more freely. Dods was in 
first; Peed next; and Page next. 
Mr. Dods, gardener to Sir J. Cathcart, Bart., had 
Acrophyllum venosum, Tetratheca ericifolia, Erica de- 
pressa, some Aphelexes, or “Everlasting,” and a blue 
Leschenaultia in the true style of what the best plants 
should be in a first-rate private collection. The rest 
were larger than is ever desirable, except for grand fete 
days. They were yellow Heaths, Eriostemons, — all 
Eriostemons being very much alike,—Polygalas, Boronias, 
Epacrises, Azaleas, and others, all splendidly fresh. 
Mr. Peed, gardener to T. Treadwell, Esq., Lower Nor¬ 
wood, was dangerously close upon the baronet’s gardener. 
His specimens were most remarkably uniform in size, 
and one size and a half under Mr. Dods’ largest. Yincas 
and Ixoras were the only two different from the strain of 
his rival. 
The third prize went to Mr. Page, gardener to W. 
Leaf, Esq., Streatham. He, also, had a uniformly-grown 
and sized collection of first-rate merit anywhere else. 
Ixora, Francisea, Leschenaultia formosa, JDracocephalum 
gracile, and Adenandra speciosa, different from those 
who stood above him. 
The large collections were so' good and numerous, that 
an extra prize for twenty had to be awarded to Mr. 
Rhodes. 
The next collections were in twelve stove and green¬ 
house plants. The Messrs. Fraser, of Lea Bridge Nursery, 
taking the first prize; and Mr. Cutbush, of Barnet, the 
second. The size and strain of both these collections 
were admirably suited for private establishments in the 
country. Heaths, Eriostemons, Azaleas, Boronias, Poly¬ 
galas, Chorozemas, Bossiseas, and Pimeleas, were the chief 
plants, with a fine Medinilla magnifica, and a Stephanotis, 
in Mr. Fraser’s collection. 
Next were the collections in ten stove and greenhouse, 
all in bloom. Here again the specimens were most re¬ 
markably different from the false and faulty standard 
which was put up on the plains of Chiswick. Mr. Green, 
one of the best and the most successful exhibitor in the 
world, who stood it the longest, and who never opened 
his lips against rules, or judges, or reporters, or his ears 
to idle gossippers, carried the first prize in this essential 
class. His Tetratheca ericifolia was splendid ; his Alla- 
manda yrandifiora, Boronia JDrummondi, Franciscea ca- 
lycina, Friostemon intermedia, Pimelea spectabilis (or 
spec, as they say), and Polygala, and Azaleas were 
perfect examples of what the great patrons of gardeners 
should aim at for private enjoyment. Mr. Peed was next 
to him with plants only a shade less—a large Chorozema 
cordata, two Eriostemons, Polygala, Aphelexis, Erica 
depressa and Cavendishii, and others of that stamp. Mr. 
Tegg was next with a huge Pleroma Benthamianum, a 
fine Taberncemontana coronaviaflore-pleno, and Allamanda 
Neriifolia, differing from the rest. The third best were 
from Mr. Haile, gardener to Lord Lovelace— Lthynco- 
spermum jasminoides, Clerodendron Ecempferi; Yinca, 
Epacris, and Chorozema Laurenciana being different from 
the above.' 
Collections of sixes came next. Mr. Cliilman, gardener 
to Mrs. Smith, of Epsom, was first here with Acrophyllum 
venosum, Chorozema Laurenciana, Aphelexis, Franciscea 
latifolia, Boronia Drummondi, and a large Erica Caven¬ 
dishii. Mr. Laybank came next with Adenandra fragrans, 
Epacris pulchella, Pimelea spectabilis, Polygala, and a 
large pyramidal Cavendish Heath, and a smaller plant 
behind it of Boronia, which was an oversight. Mr. Hamp 
was next with the same style of plants. But the third 
best were from Mr. Carson : fine-sized specimens of 
Tetratheca, Acrophyllum, Chorozema, Eriostemon, Epa¬ 
cris, Polygala, Franciscea, and Aphelexis. 
Then were the collections of twelve stove and green¬ 
house plants, in or out of bloom, or variegated, placed for 
the best effect; for which Mr. Cutbush, of Barnet, came 
in first. Evident pains were taken in the setting, and 
the plants were capitally matched. A fine Maranta 
capitata, the first time I have seen it exhibited—a broad¬ 
leaved, dwarf, bushy specimen ; a splendid Aspidistra 
lurida, Sanseviera zeylanica, Yucca aloifolia, Maranta 
zebrina, and lineata rosea, very fine ; Croton, Caladium, 
Dragon plants^. 
In the same class private growers had ten plants; 
and Mr. Dods was first with a remarkable Platyce- 
rium grande, with immense, lai’ge-spreading, elk-horn¬ 
like fronds in front; a variegated Pine Apple; Farfu- 
gium grande; the finest Pandanus Javanieus variegatus 
ever shown—it was as close and as far across as an old 
stool of Pampas Grass, and just that style of make; a 
great Caladium bicolor, and the Blechnum corcovadense, 
which the Messrs. Jackson here keep in winter along with 
the Azaleas. Mr. Young was next. His Tupidanthus 
calyptratus being one of the finest-leaved plants there, in 
the way of an Aralia, long footstalks, and palmate-spread 
leaves on the top, eight or nine of them making one set; 
Caladium, Dracama, Farfugium, and such-like. Mr. 
Rhodes was next with smaller plants. His Maranta vit- 
tata was very fine ; and his Platycerium stemmaria quite 
a bush, and called Acrosticum—a fine Farfugium. Mr. 
Hamp had a collection of similar kinds. Mr. Summers, 
of the new “ Grass ” celebrity, had a prize for a collection 
of very remarkable plants. His Cecropia peltata is a 
remarkable fine-leaved tree after the Aralia make; his 
Sugar Cane was a grove. His Araliapapyrifera, Solanum 
purpureum in bloom, variegated Hydrangea, Cleroden- 
drum Kcempferi, and others in that style, I booked when 
I went to see Spergula pilifera —the “ new Grass,” a 
sample of which was shown by him in another part of 
the Show along with my “ carpet plant,” which is very 
inferior. People must mind they are not taken in and 
done for by buying plants of the carpet plant, which, as 
far as I can make out, is not Sagina procumbens, but 
Spergula saginoides, which makes it more dangerous 
for deception, as it may be picked up in nine gardens 
