FLORICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE. 
287 
exhibit themselves, and these rarely meddle with any science, or if they do, 
they merely touch the surface, and say nothing that can instruct any part of 
the audience. Phrenology, Daguerrotype, and other matters of mere mouth¬ 
ing and marvel, which are useful to nobody, are the stock subjects wherewith 
they go about to illuminate mechanics. We readily admit that the said 
mechanics are far better attending such lectures as even these than they would 
he in the alehouse ; but the betterness is in purse and health, and not much in 
mind. 
As for the Floricultural and Horticultural Societies, again, they do not 
instruct each other, or state their modes of treating plants to the assembled 
members, so as that these may be commented upon, and added to the general 
stock of knowledge when they are worthy of it. Then, as for the shows of 
flowers and other productions of the garden, they no doubt encourage a taste 
for the growing of fine flowers ; and every candidate for the prizes exerts all 
his skill and art, in order to bring to the show the finest specimens. Many of 
those specimens are splendid, and none are mediocre, and thus much labour, 
and many unsuccessful attempts, must occur before the choicest beauties are 
produced. But, in so far as the show and the showers are concerned, this 
labour and those experiments are lost to the profession and to the public, 
because no account is given of what was done, or of the reasons for doing it. 
If every exhibitor were bound, by the laws of the Society, to give an account 
of the natural habit and habitat of his plant, and detail the operations through 
which he went in order to bring it to the state of perfection in which it is 
shown, the show would be, what it ought to be, a very delightful meeting for 
instruction. It is probable that, if this were to be required, the number of 
plants and exhibitors would be diminished, but the knowledge communicated 
would far overbalance this deficiency. 
But though this blending of information with a flower exhibition would be 
very desirable, we doubt whether it would be practicable, as the two branches 
would then be carried forward at the same time, have no congruity, and on 
this account they would not harmonize with each other. A flower show, if 
open to the public,—and to be so open is one of the best properties about it,— 
is attended by .a motley audience, consisting of men, women, and children, of 
various ranks in society. These come to see sights, and not to hear in¬ 
struction,; how valuable soever that information may be. We find that an 
exhibition of a professedly scientific nature, however good it may be in itself, 
does not draw the attention of the public, or gratify them, unless there is 
a good deal of spectacle in it; and, therefore, where spectacle is the principal 
part, as it is at flower shows, we suspect that the ablest lecturers on Floriculture 
would address themselves to deaf ears. 
Therefore, the only place at which the information that we desiderate can 
be communicated, is a quiet association, wholly composed of real cultivators, 
like the West London. The flower shows must thus be left to their proper 
function of diffusing a love of flowers and floriculture among the people 
generally, and it must be allowed that this is so praiseworthy, pleasant, and 
instructive an object, that it cannot be too generally diffused, or too nume¬ 
rously frequented on show days. 
Valuable, however, as the flower shows, and the stimulus which they afford 
