FLOWER SHOWS. 
47 
Mr. Mylan; the new gold Knightian, Mr. Rollison ; the gold Banksian, 
Mr. Durnsford. For a new species of Rhododendron — the gold Banksian, 
Mr. Smith. For greenhouse Azaleas—the gold Banksian, Mr. Falconer. 
The turf of the gardens was in the finest possible state, and every thing 
showed the good effects of the late showers. The very beautiful flower, the 
'Wistarias Sinensis, which extends over a great portion of the wall on the north 
side of the grounds, was in full blossom, and gained universal admiration. 
ADVANTAGES OF FLOWER SHOWS. 
The Society’s fetes and exhibitions, for the promotion of the horticultural 
arts generally, have, no doubt, been of great use in every department, and not 
less in that of flowers than in any of the others; for it has been much owing 
to them, not only by means of those collectors whom they have sent, directly 
of themselves and at their own cost, into almost every region of the world, 
but also of others whom they have inspired with the same desire of examining 
the vegetation of all climates, and selecting its beauties, that more new flowers 
have been introduced in some single years, since they were in activity, than 
were formerly introduced in a century. 
But the establishment of such societies, so that they shall be properly 
effective, requires the cooperation of many influential men, and the constant 
expenditure of a good deal of capital. Therefore their labours are necessarily 
confined to particular localities, so that they can directly influence only a 
limited portion of the population ; and even though these could be made more 
general than appears to be possible, their exertions would still be imperfect, 
because their grand object is to procure novelties ; and, after this, there still 
remains the equally important labour of ascertaining the improvements of 
which these novelties are susceptible. 
This, to be rightly done, requires the study of many heads, and the labour of 
many hands ; and as it is one of the most healthy, most innocent, and most 
instructive methods of occupying those leisure hours which the very constitu¬ 
tion of our nature renders it necessary that even the humblest class of labourers 
should enjoy, some means are required which shall give a local impulse to the 
delightful occupation of tending and improving flowers, and this with due 
emulation, and at the smallest expense possible. This is now very generally 
and successfully, and, we may add, delightfully done, by means of floricultural 
associations upon a minor scale, which are ramified through every county in 
the kingdom, and are met with in the villages, as well as in the towns. In pro¬ 
moting anything which is good, there is not a more successful method than 
for each man to strive with another, who shall do it best. This holds true in 
every art and every pursuit in which human beings can be engaged; and as 
there is no occupation more perfectly free from animosity and selfishness than 
floriculture, the emulation of man with man in this art gives a higher and 
more kindly tone to the minds of all, at the same time that it tends greatly 
and effectually to the improvement of the art itself. 
The reason of this is very apparent. There is no object in the cultivation 
of a flower beyond the fact of its being admired, and the pleasure resultin 
