S02 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET 
rich earth, waters well and returns them to the window. 
One very large Geranium several years old, so treated, 
nearly filled a bay-window, and one would judge that if 
the cherry-pink trusses on it at one time were cut and 
tossed into a half bushel basket they would fill it over 
full. She is fond of opening the doors from the 
kitchen on washing day to let the steam into the rooms 
where the plants are. She strains her soap-suds to get 
the lint from them, and waters the plants freely with 
them, and towards spring supplies some sort of liquid 
manure or plant-food to keep tlio plants from exhaustion. 
With Geraniums standing low in the window to catch 
the sunbeams, and Begonias on shelves or brackets 
above in shade and warmth, one may have plenty of 
beauty and also plenty of light, and it will be observed 
that the conditions favorable to 'tlieir thriving are the 
same which make a room healthful for its human occu¬ 
pants.— F. J. B. in Lairs of Life. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
New York. 
The September meeting of this Society was a disap¬ 
pointment to its many friends and members who had 
hoped the “New Hall" was to contain, at least once a 
month, a display of plants and flowers creditable to 
the city. Such, however, was not the case. The ex¬ 
hibits were by no means numerous, besides, they were 
not of a character to attract attention. Geo. Such had 
a small, but good display of miscellaneous cut flowers. 
Messrs. Hallock & Thorpe made as good a display of 
cut flowers, Dahlias and Gladiolus, as the excessive 
drought would permit. Among their Gladiolus were 
several new seedlings of considerable merit. Among 
the number we noticed Col. Stuart Wortley, a fine spike 
of large size, well-arranged flowers, beautiful fire-red 
color, with a white'line through each color. We con¬ 
sider it one of the finest American seedlings. George 
Bennett, Esq., exhibited a few well-grown Orchids, 
conspicuous among which was Odontoglassum Vexilla- 
rium. It is to be hoped, that in the future more interest 
will be taken in the exhibits by those who have it in 
their power, in order that the Society may not be 
merely one in name only. 
Pennsylvania. 
It was our privilege to attend the fifty-fourth annual 
exhibition of this Society, held at their ball in Philadel¬ 
phia, commencing Sept. 11th and continuing during 
the week. At the same time and in the same building, 
the American Pomological Society had its annual meet¬ 
ing and exhibition. The two combined formed one of 
the largest and best displays we have ever seen. As one 
entered the hall, it seemed like entering the tropics. 
The immense number of well-grown Palms, Tree Ferns, 
Crotons, Dracaenas, Marantas, fancy Caladiums, and 
many other kinds of exotic plants, all of large size and 
remarkably well grown, was a sight long to be remem¬ 
bered. Among the more conspicuous objects was a 
table of Marantas with a large Croton as a centre-piece, 
from the nurseries of David Furgussen & Sons, Laurel 
Hill. The plants were all remarkably well-grown, per¬ 
fectly clean and healthy, and staged with excellent 
good taste. The same firm exhibited a large and 
choittt collection of Begonias, Crotons, Palms, etc., etc. 
In Palms and ornamental-leaved plants, the collection 
of Hugh Graham & Co. far surpassed any we have here¬ 
tofore seen. All of the Crotons were remarkably well 
colored and furnished, notwithstanding they were from 
four to six feet high and nearly as many iu diameter. 
Henry A. Dreer was a prominent exhibitor, his twelve 
fancy Caladiums, all new varieties, were said to be, by 
those competent to judge of their merits, superior to 
any ever exhibited either in this country or Europe. 
The leaves of some of the plants were eighteen inches 
long and fourteen in width, while their markings were 
simply superb. In the same class Mr. Graham showed 
some remarkably fine, large plants, but not of such fine 
varieties. The Dreer collection of Gloxinias and Tuber¬ 
ous Begonias was alike creditable. One of the great 
attractions of the exhibition was the tank of rare 
aquatics from the well-known establishment of E. D. 
Sturtevant. Esq., Bordentown, N. J. The Nymphsea 
Devoniensis, with flowers eleven inches in diameter, of 
a bright-pink color, seemed as much at home as if in 
their native habitat. The exhibit of cut flowers and 
floral designs was especially good. In this department 
Craig Bros, were the largest exhibitors, and carried off 
the greatest number of prizes. Hugh Graham & Co. 
showed some very fine work; their masterpiece was a 
pulpit twelve feet high, fifteen feet broad, and eight 
feet deep. The groundwork of the design was Hydran¬ 
gea and Ferns, with panels of Roses and Dahlias. In 
front was the altar, also of the same flowers, with a 
Rose and Heliotrope bible open. Across the top of the 
back of the pulpit was the inscription “Praise the 
Lord” in large colored letters. In a central aisle is 
written “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and on the left are the 
cross and anchor. This piece took the first premium 
for a large design of flowers and plants. 
For an original funeral design, for which there were 
large premiums offered, the most beautiful piece we 
have ever seen was from the establishment of W. H. 
Wyatt, “ Life’s Record,” a closed book, admirably exe¬ 
cuted,'and resting on a table of Ivy leaves with choice 
clusters of Roses at each corner. A table design by 
Pennock Bros, was the most elaborate and neatest, be¬ 
sides containing the most rare flowers, of any design we 
have ever seen. Lily-of-the-Valley seemed as plentiful 
as at spring time. 
For this magnificent exhibition, two important ele¬ 
ments were manifest—first, those who had rare and 
beautiful plants were willing and anxious to show them; 
second, the managers were willing to offer sufficient in¬ 
ducements to reward them for their trouble. 
We regret our room will not permit a more lengthy 
description of the rare and beautiful plants and flowers 
on exhibition. 
