The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-25 00:00:00

Royal Horticultural Society's Floral Fete,

The Queen's birthday was celebrated at the gar-
dens of the Royal Horticultural Society by one of
those delightful floral fetes which stand so deservedly
high in public estimation, acid prove so attractive
to the frequenters of the South Kensington grounds.
Hitherto the exhibitions of the society have been
almost exclusively confined to the display of the
choicest and most highly-cultivated flowers, but the
show yesterday inaugurated an interesting and im-
portant new feature, consisting for the most part of
a collection of ingenious designs, showing the vari-
ous uses to which flowers may be applied in the
decoration of halls, drawing-rooms, balconies,
churches, and buildings generally. Many of these
designs displayed exquisite taste, and the blending
of.the colours of cultivated and wild flowers, with
sprays, leaves, and branches of every description
was very beautiful. The entries in the several de•
partments were numerous, especially when it is
considered that this is the first time an exhibition
of this description has been held in connection with
the Royal Horticultural Society. The floral fête
took place in the arcades, which are now covered
with glass, and thoroughly protected from incle-
ment weather. The two entrances, one in Prince
Albert-road and the other in the Exhibition-road,
have been constructed, so that now, in case a fall of
rain should occur on an appointed fête day, visitors
need not suffer the same amount of incon-
venience and disappointment they have previously
done, for they can attend the show and witness the
whole of the designs without being for one moment
exposed to the weather. The gardens yesterday
presented a charming appearance, and looked to the
best possible advantage. The weather was magni-
ficent, the sun shining out with its utmost brilliancy.
Crowds of gaily dressed ladies, after leaving the
arcades, distributed themselves about the grounds
and the conservatories, where they admired the ad-
mirable perfection to which the flowers and wants
under Mr. Eyles' careful superintendence have been
brought. The whole of the cascades and fountains,
including Minton's majolica fountain from the In-
ternational Exhibition of 1862, were played, and
three bands of music enlivened the proceedings by
their admirable selections of operatic music. The
bands were those of the Ist Middlesex Volunteers,

the St. George's Rifles, and the Civil Service Rifle
Volunteers. Altogether the scene was gay and
animated. The show was a great success, and the
promoters have good reason to congratulate them-
selves upon the happy inauguration of a new and
interesting feature of floral fetes. The number of
visitors was no less than 9,338.
The following is the award of prizes
CLASS I.—For Floral Decorations of Buildings, Halls,
Drawing-Rooms, Conservatories, &c.

Miss Wint, prize of £2, for pendant baskets.
Messrs. Naylor and Co., honourable mention, for grace-
fulness and variety of glass ornaments.
Messrs. Claudet and Houghton, baskets in galvanised
ironwork, commended for graceful design.
Coalbrookdale Iron Company, iron and terracotta vases,
chair,,, and ornaments for gardens, honourable mention and
highly commended.
Messrs. Banting (March's patent), mirrors, toilet glasses,
plateaux for flowers, jardiniere, &c., honourable mention,
highly commended for novelty, beauty, and ingenuity.
Dobson and Pearce, hononrabla mention for ornamental
glasses for flowers, highly commended for novelty, beauty,
and ingenuity.
Barr and Sugden, prize of £2, for window conservatory
plant-cases.
Mr. Lucking, prize of LI, for small baskets of plants for
rooms and table decoration.
Mr. Bull, special prize of 6, for ornamental and decorative
plants.
Mr. Drewett, gardener to Mrs. Cubbitt, of Denbies,
Dorking, honourable mention for cut flowers.
CLASS IL—For the Decorations of Churches.

Miss Alice Sutherland, ornamenting a stone chancel
screen—Christmas, prize of £l, for novelty and simplicity
in working flowers in diaper.
Miss Sutherland, prize of LI, for working flowers fn
diaper for stone chancel screen—Easter.
Miss Annie Sutherland, honourable mention for a har-
vest thanksgiving decoration.

Mrs. Mould, prize of £l, for an Easter cross.
Miss Gray, a floral cross. honourable mention.
CLASS lll.—For Balconies and Windows.

Coalbrookdale Iron Company, for iron windows, gardens,
honourable mention, principle highly commended.
CLASS IV.—For Decorations of Dinner and Supper

Tables.

Viscountess Holmesdale, honourable mention for dinner
and supper table decorations, and highly commended for
great taste and arrangement.
Mr Robson, prize of 10s, gardener to Viscountess
Holmesdale, for drawing-room ornamentation and decora-
tion.

Miss Wint, honourable mention for dinner table decora.

tions.

Lady Hume Campbell, a circular plateau of flowers for
the centre of a circular dinner table, highly commended for
taste and effect.
CLASS Vl.—For Garlands and Miscellaneous.

Charles Noble, for seedling rhododendrons, honourable
mention. _ .

Miss Yates, prize of £l, for ornamental screens and
baskets of flowers.
The little Boys of Spencer House, Wimbledon-common,
prize of 10s., motto in wild flowers.
Messrs. J. Carter and Co., prize of £l, for hardy bulbous
plants.
Miss H. Sutherland, prize of £l, for a festoon for a
balcony.