452 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 20, 1886. 
Indeed, there can be little doubt but that those 
special shows have proved of more than ordinary 
worth, because the best of our garden products 
have there been seen by visitors from all parts 
of the kingdom, and these have thus been en¬ 
abled to carry back with them into their distant 
localities much higher estimates of what is good 
in flowers, fruits, and vegetables than they pre¬ 
viously entertained. 
Specially for that reason, and because also 
the Colonial Exhibition of the coming summer 
is certain to attract vast numbers of people from 
all parts of the world, we learn with regret that 
the promoters of these South Kensington ex¬ 
hibitions of garden produce have somewhat 
reduced their prize list for this year. Most 
certainly we should have desired that the very 
best of its kind was sent up to Kensington for 
show, but interest of that kind is usually pro¬ 
duced just as the prizes are valuable. In any case 
so good and so interesting to all sections of the 
community have these special shows been, that 
horticulturists will learn of their suspension 
with much regret. Though the prize funds have 
been provided by the exhibition authorities, yet 
these shows have added materially to the repu¬ 
tation and popularity of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, under whose management they have 
nominally been held. Let critics pooh-pooh the 
exhibition elements of this society as they may, 
it is certain that their complete disappearance 
would prove but the prelude to the collapse of 
the society also. That the council are alive to 
that fact seems evident in the spirited action they 
have taken in regard to the coming Liverpool 
show. This exhibition will naturally possess 
attractions for the gardening world, far in excess 
of what are found in ordinary exhibitions; it will 
prove the special reunion of gardeners of all sec¬ 
tions, and thus to them, apart from its attractive 
aspects, it will be a welcome gathering. 
But, after all, the success of such an enter¬ 
prise is chiefly dependent upon the population 
of Liverpool and the surrounding districts. It 
is a centre of wealth and commerce; it is still 
more the centre of a vast mass of people, ani¬ 
mated by a love for flowers, or, indeed, for all 
that relates to gardening. We may hope to see 
the popular favour shown to this exhibition in 
no grudging spirit, and if the society be thus 
encouraged to reinstitute its former series of 
provincial shows, it will not merely add to its 
own usefulness and importance, but will re¬ 
latively promote the spread of floral tastes in the 
community. Coming close home again, we hail 
with exceeding pleasure the new departure of 
the management of the Royal Aquarium Society. 
High-class horticultural displays, such as are in 
promotion during the coming season, must have 
a refining and moralising effect. It would be 
difficult for the management to originate any 
form of attraction less open to objection, whilst 
it would be equally difficult to provide any so 
likely to produce beneficial results. Judging 
by the schedule which lies before us, it would 
seem as if these exhibitions were also to display 
some evidence of originality in arrangement, and 
in that respect alone they merit support. 
Perhaps the weakest element in existing 
flower shows is found in the sameness of arrange¬ 
ment and character of exhibits. It needs a 
genius to break away from fossilised styles, and 
place before the public something new—that is, 
whilst novel also eminently attractive. Of 
course, it will be pleaded that in most provincial 
districts the same plants are grown for ordinary 
decoration, and to refrain from inviting those 
plants to the annual local shows would be but 
to provoke failure. Certainly, there is need in 
the carrying out of any thorough re-organisation 
of shows, and a re-modelling of styles and 
methods of showing, of the active and unanimous 
help of the local exhibitors. Perhaps, with 
too many of these the financial element is the 
most operative one, hence they look upon new 
departures which may detract from their annual 
gains with distrust. Any real change for the 
better can only be found where gardeners and 
horticulturists generally exhibit souls above such 
grovelling considerations, and regard flower 
shows less as a means to obtain cash than as a 
beautiful and truly artistic display of garden 
products. However, it is easy to suggest and 
even to indicate directions in which change for 
the better is desirable ; but only heroes can be 
expected to carry them out, and those are rare 
amongst flower show managers. 
Independent bodies, such as the Royal Hor¬ 
ticultural or Royal Aquarium Societies, are at 
least at liberty to organise shows on more 
original lines, and such efforts may, in our large 
towns, be met with complete success. Where 
a radical change in schedule arrangements and 
classification is not possible, it is at least worthy 
the attention of the committees of these shows 
that they should devise some slight changes and 
novel attractions from year to year. It would 
be a grave misfortune in any locality if a feeling 
of satiety, arising from the sameness seen in the 
periodical flower shows, were to grow up. On 
the other hand, anything which tends to promote 
special interest in flower shows must add to their 
usefulness in practical and common-place ways. 
-- 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Meetings for Next Week .—Tuesday: Royal 
Horticultural Society—Fruit and Floral Committees at 
11a.m. Wednesday : Royal Botanic Society’s First 
Spring Show. Friday and Saturday : Crystal Palace 
Spring Flower Show. 
Paris International Exhibition. —In de¬ 
ference to the wishes of a number of the exhibitors, the 
exhibition which the Soeiete National d’Horticulture of 
France announced to run from the 4th to the 9tli of May 
next, it has been decided to alter the dates to the lltli 
to the 16th of May, all the arrangements respecting 
entries, tickets, &c., being changed to suit the later 
dates of opening now decided upon. 
Prizes for Young Gardeners— We are glad 
to note that the Liverpool Horticultural Association 
again offers prizes for essays to be competed for by under 
gardeners who are members of the association. The 
subjects selected for the essays are “ The Cultivation of 
Herbaceous Plants” and “The Culture of Roses under 
Glass,” and it is stipulated that those sent in must be 
original, and not take longer than thirty minutes to 
read. The rewards will consist of the Association’s First 
Class Certificate and money prizes, and we trust that a 
greater number than heretofore will take part in the 
competition, which can be recommended as one of the 
best of exercises for those who in due time will be called 
upon to bear their share of gardening responsibilities. 
The late Mr. James Cutbush.— The Editor 
of this Journal will be greatly obliged to any of its 
readers who may have votes for the Masonic Gilds’ 
School, if they will kindly send them to him, for use 
on behalf of the youngest daughter of the late Mr. 
James Cutbush, of Highgate, No. 25 on the list. The 
election takes place on the 10th of April, and as this is 
the candidate’s last chance, it is hoped that the pro¬ 
vincial friends of the family will send in their votes as 
early as possible. 
The Lambeth Amateur Chrysanthemum 
Society's Twelfth Exhibition will be held on No¬ 
vember 8th, 9th and 10th, 1886, at the Bridge House 
Hotel, London Bridge, S.E. 
The Royal Horticultural Society’s ar¬ 
rangements for the present year, as regards the displays 
to be held at South Kensington, are as follows :— 
Promenade Shows, March 23rd and April 13th ; 
National Auricula Society’s Show and Primula Con¬ 
ference, April 20th and 21st ; Promenade Shows, April 
27th and May 11th ; Show of Pot Roses, Azaleas, &c , 
May 25th ; Show of Orchids, June 8th ; Show of 
Pelargoniums, &c., June 22nd ; National Rose Society’s 
Show, July 6th ; Show of Flowers and Fruit, July 
13h ; Nattional Carnation and Picotee Society’s Show 
July 27tli ; Show of Plants and Flowers, August 10th ; 
Cottagers’ Show, August 24th ; Show of Grapes, Dahlias, 
&c., September 7 tli and 8th ; Show of Hardy Fruits, 
October 12th and 13 th Show of Chrysanthemumsand 
Vegetables, October 26th and 27th. From the schedule 
of prizes which has just been issued, we learn that at 
the meeting to be held on Hay 11th the Veitch 
Memorial trustees offer for competition a Memorial 
medal and a prize of £5 for the best collection of forced 
salad plants, consisting of not fewer than ten kinds. 
The Olay Cross Floral and Horticultural 
Society’8 twenty-ninth annual exhibition -will be 
held on Tuesday, August 10th. 
The Provincial Show at Liverpool.— For 
this important exhibition, which is to be held in the 
Botanic Garden and Wavertree Park, Liverpool, from 
June 29th to July 5th inclusive, the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society has just issued a schedule of prizes, 
amounting to £1,200. There are sixty-one classes 
for plants ; twenty for cut flowers ; twelve for table 
decorations, bouquets, &c. ; twenty-three for fruits ; 
twelve for vegetables ; exclusive of three classes for 
peas, for which special prizes are given by Messrs. 
Carter & Co., Messrs. Sutton & Son's, and Messrs. Webb 
& Sons ; and twenty for cottagers’ productions. The 
principal prizes offered include £20, £15 and £10 for 
twelve stove and greenhouse plauts, flowering and fine- 
foliaged ; £10, £7 and £5 for nine stove and greenhouse 
plants in bloom, for six stove and greenhouse plants iu 
bloom ; and for nine fine-foliaged plants ; £20, £15 and 
£10 for a group of twenty-five Orchids, arranged with 
Palms and Ferns, &c. ; £15, £10 and £7 for twelve 
exotic Orchids, amateurs and nurserymen ; a cup, value 
25 guineas, and 10 guineas in cash, given by the Liver¬ 
pool Horticultural Company, for twelve Orchids in 
flower ; £12, £8 and £6 for a group of miscellaneous 
plants, arranged for effect; £8, £5 and £3 for the best 
dinner-table laid out for eight persons ; £8, £5 and £3 
for the best collection of fruit, eight distinct kinds; 
£6, £4 and £3 for the best collection of vegetables, 
eight distinct kinds ; and £5, £3 and £2 for the best 
collection of garden produce, comprising plants, cut 
flowers, fruits and vegetables, effectively arranged, to 
occupy not more than 100 square feet of tabling. A 
class for the best exhibition of examples, illustrative of 
the culture of plants, vegetables, &c., on board ship, is 
a novelty, but a very appropriate one, all things con¬ 
sidered ; and another new feature, which should prove 
of unusual interest, will be the exhibition of a great 
variety of subjects included under the heading of horti¬ 
cultural and botanical literature, science and art, such 
as illustrations of British and Colonial periodical horti¬ 
cultural literature ; educational books, suitable for the 
instruction of young gardeners in the various branches 
of garden science; standard works, suitable for advanced 
pupils, and as reference works ; books illustrative of 
the history of gardening and botany from the earliest 
times to the end of the eighteenth century ; foreign 
garden literature ; models, diagrams, apparatus, suit¬ 
able for the instruction of gardeners in the elements 
of chemistry, physics, or vegetable physiology; series 
of specimens illustrative of methods of grafting and 
budding ; plans of small villa gardens, from 1 to 3 
acres; public parks, 100 or more acres; kitchen gardens; 
arboretums, &c., &c. ; plans and elevations of garden 
structures; elevations of ornamental conservatories, 
corresponding in style with the mansions ; drawings of 
flowers or fruits, adequate for botanical purposes ; floral 
design, conventionally treated, for a panel, not less 
than 3 ft. by 1 ft. ; photographs of flowers, fruits, trees, 
garden landscapes ; chromo-lithographs of newel's, 
fruits, trees, garden landscapes ; drawings in water or 
oil of flowers, fruits, trees, garden landscapes ; flower 
painting on china or terra cotta vases, tiles, plates, &c. 
Gold, silver and bronze medals are also offered for a 
great variety of implements, garden structures, tools 
and appliances. 
Gardening Appointments.— Mr. Frank Wil¬ 
son, lately foreman at Langlee, Galashiels, has been 
engaged as gardener to J. H. Robertson, Esq., Beechlee, 
Lasswade ; and Mr. Andrew Bogie, at present gardener 
at Adderley House, Monifeitli, Forfarshire, as gardener 
to Mrs. Reid, of Kenwolde Court, Virginia Water. 
Mr. J. Udale, who for the last eleven years has 
been gardener at Shirecliffe Hall, Sheffield, has been 
engaged as gardener to H. F. Paget, Esq., Elford Hall, 
Tamworth. 
Ealing, Acton, and Hanwell Horticul¬ 
tural Society. —The annual meeting of this society 
was recently held, when the balance sheet showed an in¬ 
come for the year amounting to £627 12s. 8(7.; annual 
