356 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
well covered with flowers, was conspicuous, being a 
very effective plant at this season. 
" The fruit display, especially Apples, was quite com¬ 
plete. Pears and Grapes were not as good, but taking 
the department as a whole, it was a success. The vege¬ 
table department, though not large, was very interesting, 
there being some remarkably fine exhibits of table vege¬ 
tables, which the premium of $40 brought out. We 
noticed a very interesting display of twenty varieties of 
Watermelons by one exhibitor. The Queens County 
Fair has considerable more than a local reputation, 
for which it is to be congratulated. This reputa¬ 
tion has been earned by giving liberal premiums 
to exhibitors, and by showing a desire to treat all 
fairly. 
Flowers and Plants at the American Institute. 
The display this season f ar e xceeds in points of excellence 
that of any previous exhibition of this old and well- 
known institution. The plants shown by Messrs. Hallock, 
Son & Thorpe,W. C.Wilson, Esq., and John Finn, Esq., 
were all remarkably fine. This was particularly so with 
the Palms, Ferns and variegated-leaved plants. The dis¬ 
play of cut flowers, owing to the excessive drought of 
the two months was very slim. The display of fruit 
was very good, the collection shown by Ellwanger 
& Barry could not have been better. We were some¬ 
what surprised at the good display in the various classes, 
from the fact, that in the history of this institute, the 
managers were never known to have had anything in 
readiness for the exhibitors on the morning of the exhi¬ 
bition. This was particularly the case this year. Not 
a table in readiness when the plants and flowers arrived. 
Floral designs had to be placed on barrels, Vegetables 
among Palms, consequently the whole affair was rather 
mixed as far as the arrangement was concerned. There 
cortainly can be no excuse for this neglect, although 
the exhibitors may have been a little slow in making 
their entries. 
The directors, however, are anxious to make this 
department an interesting feature of their annual exhi¬ 
bitions, and to that end they offer very liberal pre¬ 
miums, which, if other things were favorable, would 
bring together such a display of plants and flowers, 
rarely seen in this country. But the arrangements are 
so bad that our florists are disgusted, and will not take 
valuable plants where they cannot be shown in a man¬ 
ner that will enable them to be appreciated. 
The florists have another just cause for complaint, 
viz., the selection of judges. Never before was there so 
much ignorance shown in awarding premiums, as at this 
exhibition. Nearly all of the awards were misplaced. 
We would suggest a slight improvement in this respect 
for their next exhibition. 
HARDY FLOWERING PLANTS. 
The following list of hardy herbaceous plants and 
shrubs were in flower on C. A. Dana’s place, Dosoris, 
Long Island, in September and October. 
Pampas Grass; Arundo Donax twelve feet high ; 
Pennisetumm longistylum; three varieties of Eulalia, 
E. Japonica, E. Japonica var., and E. Japonica zebrina; 
Erianthus Ravennce (American Pampas); Uniola lati- 
folia, all in bloom in September and continuing into 
October. 
Violets, double fragrant, begins in October ; Viola 
pedata bicolor (Bird’s-foot Violet), succeeds well here; 
Asters in varieties as follows: curtisi, very fine; turbi- 
nellus, azureus, Novce-Anglice and roseus , horizontalis, 
oblongifolius; Amellus bessarabicus ; Liatris elegans, a 
little tender as far north as New York ; Gaillardia pin- 
natifida, and picta, annual; Achillea millefolium (Yar¬ 
row), in bloom since July. Pyrethrum uliginosum, hand¬ 
some, tall perennial with large white Daisy-like flowers 
in bloom. Anthemis tinctoria, cut-back plants, per¬ 
petual bloomers, yellow flowers; Lespedeza bicolor, 
shrubby nature, in bloom since early in September; 
Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting Peas), young plants and 
stray flowers on old ones ; Gaura Lindheimeri from cut 
back plants, a Texas perennial barely hardy in New York; 
Scabiosa (Mourning Bride), annual and perennial forms, 
scattering flowers; Callicarpa purpurea, blue fruit and 
insignificant flowers; Antirrhinum majus (Snap-dragon), 
a few flowers on old plants, fair crop on July sown 
ones; Centrantlius ruber, second crop of flowers, not 
always hardy ; Dianthus superbus, deltoides, and other 
scattered flowers open; Anemone Japonica, red and 
white in all its glory; three varieties of Coreopsis, lan- 
ceolata, tripteris and verticillata, all of which are very 
good and bloom all summer; Aconitum unscinatum, a 
best, other varieties for early autumn are yet good ; 
Conoclinium adestinum (Mist Flower), fair plants raised 
from seed sown in April now in their glory; Helianthus 
maximilianes, Sun-flower, coming into flower grandly 
and Helianthus cucumerifolius lasted all summer long; 
flowers two inches in diameter, orange-yellow with black 
center. Pansies raised in June or earlier; Armeria's 
(Thrift), a few scattered flowers; Roses; Daphne cne- 
orum shrubs, bloom in spring and fall; Lonicera Hallii 
(Honeysuckle), been in constant bloom since May, and 
lots of flowers yet to open, Plumbago Larpentce, 
(Leadwort) blue flowers, nearly over; Catananche coeru- 
lea not satisfactory as a hardy perennial, Crocus speci- 
osus and other fall forms; Euonymus bushes in fruit; 
Phlox paniculata, a few pieces left since August and 
September; Feverfew, double white, second crop, splen¬ 
did; Lindelofia spectabilis, blue flowers, second crop; 
Mallow, Malva moschata and Alcea, second crop; Platy- 
codon grandiflorum, var. autumnale, a few late flowers; 
Tradescantia, pilosa and Virginica, cut-back plants; 
Cedronella cana, barely hardy but blooms gocd first 
year as an annual; Gentians, saponaria and Andrewsu 
about gone; Althceas, a few late blooms ; Hibiscus, coc- 
cineus and Califortvcus, nearly gone; Chrysanthemums, 
many early sorts; Sedum Seiboldii, quite hardy and 
pretty with its rose-colored flowers; Tricyrtis hirta, at 
its best. Frost often catches it. 
As long as the frost stays away there will be Dahlias, 
Gladioli, Salvias, Ageratum, Meteor and French Mari¬ 
golds, Drummond Phlox, Petunias, Mignonette, Ver¬ 
bena, Zinnias, Nastrutiums, Carnations, Globe Ama¬ 
ranths, etc. 
