The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-31 00:00:00

Royal Horticultural Society,

Yesterday, we are happy to say, her Majesty de-
parted from the rule of strict seclusion which since
her sad bereavement she has maintained, and paid
a visit to the second flower-show of the season at
the grounds of this society at Kensington. The visit,
as far as the outward state of royalty is concerned,
was private, but private in no other sense, for her
intention of honouring the exhibition had been pre-
viously intimated, and most of the members of the
society, with a large number of visitors, in all some
3,000 spectators, were present on this occasion.
Outside the grounds, too, there was a considerable
crowd near the entrance, which waited from an
early hour in the hope of getting even a passing
glimpse of her Majesty. The loyal patience of
this crowd was severely tried, for the wind was
high and keen, and the monotonous downpour
of rain was only alternated with showers of sleet
and snow. Even her Majesty's proverbial good
fortune in weather is insufficient, it seems, to
remove the ban of inclemency under which the
fetes of this society always suffer. As at Chiswick
in bygone years, so at Kensington now, a flower•
show at the Horticultural always means rain, if it
does not, as yesterday, mean snow as well. Her
Majesty arrived at precisely the hour she had inti-
mated, 11 o'clock, and her appearance was wel-
comed with the most enthusiastic cheers by the
crowd outside. Mr. Henry Cole, Mr. Wilson Saun-
ders, Sir Wentworth Dilke, and all the members of
the Council of the Society were in waiting at the
entrance to receive her Majesty, and ushered her at
once to the entrance-hall, where part of the flower-
show was laid out. Her Majesty was attired in
plain deep widow's weeds, and appeared in excel-
lent health. With her Majesty was her Royal
Highness the Princess Helena, who was not in
mourning, and in attendance were the Countess of
Gainsborough, the Hon. Lucy Ker, General Grey,
&c. The show, like all flower-shows at this season
of the year, was very small, and not remarkable for
any special excellence, if we leave out of sight the
extreme difficulty of rearing flowers at all even in
stove-houses at this period of the winter. Her
Majesty and the Princess Helena, however, ex-
amined it in detail with considerable interest. Two
collections of roses, sent by Mr. Turner, of Slough,
and by Messrs. Paul and Son, of Cheshunt, were
much admired by Ler Majesty, who stayed some
time examining the great size and splendid colour
of the various specimens. Mr. Bull's collection of
rare plants, some of which were very beautiful,
were also honoured with a long inspection. There
were some fine eollections of tulips, lilies of the val-
ley, and hyacinths—the latter of remarkable size
and beauty—to which the attention of her Majesty
was directed. One flower of the latter class is named
after the late Prince Consort, and is almost jet black
in colour. Everywhere her Majesty passed she
was received wish the most profound marks of
respect by the visitors, to all of which, with
her usual kindly courtesy, the Queen made deep
acknowledgments. After a short stay in the show,
her Majesty, accompanied by the Council, and fol-
lowed at some distance by many of the visitors,
went into the arcades and passed completely round
the grounds to where her statue by Mr. Durham,
which was to have occupied the summit of the Ex-
hibition memorial, has been placed on a temporary
pedestal. After a few moments spent in examining
this fine work the conservatory was entered. Here
the band of the Guards was stationed, and, imme-
diately on the arrival of the Royal party, played
the National Anthem—the only incident of the
visit with which her Majesty did not seem to be
entirely pleased. In the conservatory, which is now
in the most exquisite order, and almost in the full
bloom of its spring, her Majesty remained for a few
minutes, graciously expressing to the Council the
pleasure she had derived from her visit. The Royal
party then left the grounds by the north entrance in
the Kensington-road, after a visit of nearly an hour.
During the remainder of the day the flower show
was visited by what, in the face of the weather,
might almost be called large numbers—for, as every
society knows, flower shows at this early season of
the year do not draw. That at the Horticultural
Society's grounds yesterday was ,only one of those
rare exceptions which serve to prove a rule, and it
is almost needless to state in this instance how much
of the attendance of visitors in the afternoon was
due to the fact that her Majesty bad honoured the
display in the morning. The success of the show
was unlooked for as regards the Society, though not
undeserved, for the plants and flowers were far finer
than could have been expected at this end of a long
winter. The following prizes were awarded to the
chief competitors :

Six Camelias in Flower, distinct kinds (amateurs)-Ist
prize, withheld; 2d, Mr W. Young, gardener to Mr R. Bar-
clay, Highgate.
Four Rhododendrons, four kinds (amateurs)-Ist prize,
Mr W. Young, gardener to Mr R. Barclay, Highgate.
Six Roses in pots, distinct kinds (open) —lst prize, Mr
C. Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough; 2d, Messrs gaul and
Son, Old Nurseries, Cheshunt.
Twenty-four Hyacinths, distinct kinds (nurserymen)
Ist prize, Messrs W. Cutbush and Son, Highgate; 2d, Mr
W. Paul, Waltham-cross.

Twelve Hyacinths, distinct kinds (amateurs)-Ist prize,
Mr W. Young, gardener to Mr R. Barclay, Highgate; 2d
Mr A. Carr,.gardener to' Mr B. Noakes, Highgate.
Twelve pots of Tulips, four kinds (open)-Ist prise,
Messrs W, Cutbush and Son, Highgate Nurseries, and Mr
W. Paul, Waltham-cross (equal); 2d, Mr W. Young, gar-
dener to Mr R. Barclay, Highgate.
Collection of 18 Forced Flowers, various (open)-Ist prize,
Mr W. H. Treen, Victoria Nursery, Rugby; 2d, Mr W'
Young, gardener to Mr R. Barclay, Highgate.
Six Geraniums, forced, distinct kinds (open)-Ist prize
Mr C. Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough,
Twelve Camelias, cut blooms (nurserymen)--Ist prise,
Mr W. H. Treen, Rugby.

Six Camelias, cut blooms, distinct kinds (amateurs)—
Mr T. Todman, gardener to Mr R. Hudson, Clapham

common.

Six pots of Lilies of the Valley (open)-Ist prize, Mr W .
Howard, the Gardens, Bedford hill, Balham ; 2d, Mr W•
Bartlett, Shaftesbury-road, Hammersmith.
Miscellaneous Collections—Plants in Flower (open)—
Eska prizes, Mr Wm. Bull, for collection of new and rare
plants; Messrs Paul and Son, for collection of cut roses ;
Mr Wm. Paul and Messrs W. Cutbash and Son, for collec-
tions of hyacinths; Mr Wm, Paul, for collection of cut roses;
Mr. Wm. Bull, for collection of azaleas ; and Messrs Paul
and Son, for collection of cut roses.

DIARY OF THE JAPANESE AMBASSADORS.—The
Japanese Ambassadors who visited this country last
last year have published their diary through the bookseller
Fou-Yah, at Yeddo. Among other things it is therein said
that the people of the West are very little different from
each other ; the dresses are the same as well as the weapons,
though one nation manages them better than another ; the
French above all appear to excel therein. Ceremonies and
honours are very easy, and the honours to be paid to a
Sovereign are very nearly the same as to a person of infe-
rior rank—one takes his hat off, makes a small reverence,
and therewith the thing is finished. At our audiences with
the princes they were not separated from us by a curtain;
even the princess was not veiled, and sits as high as the
prince. The lords were very civil, even too civil, for they
allowed us to eat and drink more than was in accordance
with our ceremonies. The lower classes were less civil, and
nue quivocally demonstrated that they found us ugly. Among
the women there are many handsome ones—among others
the Empress of the French. They run like a man. In order
to appear taller they wear a high bonnet. Even fashion-
able women dance very much; they hang on the arm of
the men, and one sees the men frequently run along the
Streets in the arms of women. We believe them to be their
Own wives, Women in general enjoy too much liberty, and
the fashionable ones wear the same dresses as those of the
lower class. The dress of the women, especially at night, is
not always decent. Excepting the Dutch women, all other
European women stand below the French. The men are
stiff, rough, and a little proud; they wear no weapons,
and very seldom the distinctions of their rank. It
appears that everybody, and even tho fashionable
people, frequent the " cafes." High officers even fre-
quent the theatres. We wero sorry we could not
understand everything there. Almost everybody had a
spying •glass, which, perhaps from distraction, was always
directed at us, The merchants are proud, and the shop-
keepers do not like one to turn their articles too muoh
about. It annoyed us very much to see raw meat exhibited
in tbo towns. Eating meat is often very healthy; but why
exhibit it to every one ? In Paris and London they run
(walk) very fast, just as they do in our country when there is
a fire. The houses are so high that they must bo destroyed
at the first earthquake. They appear, however, to stand

against fire.
It is stated that Mr. Thiers is about to offer to
the world the collection of magnificent engravings which
bae been for so many years accumulating,