The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-05 00:00:00

The great flower show which opened yesterday,
with moderately auspicious weather, and which is to
continue open until Saturday, weather or not, is
certainly as near perfection in all departments as the
emulative skill of the best horticulturists in the world
could have made it. The extension of this floral
fete over five days is a most acceptable improve-
ment upon the more usual plan of taking away at
night the plants that have been brought together in
the morning. That it is possible, with care and ex-
perience, to preserve the finest botanical display in
perfect condition for a longer period than one short
day of ten or twelve hours was proved by the un-
qualified success of the International Exhibition of
Horticulture, on the site of the building of 1862.
That enterprise showed what could be done in main-
taining a vast and attractive show of the most deli-
cate and perishable flowers in bloom, for a time
sufficient to enable thousands and thousands of
visitors to inspect at leisure the beauties of an art
which, as the regular quoters of Shakspere tells us
pretty often, does mend nature, and_ is the nature
that it mends. This time, there is no less likeli-
hood than there was then of the show lasting out
its full term of splendour. , The blooms of azaleas,
pelargoniums, roses, and other flowering plants ap-
pear to be in that stage which is most favourable to
the hope of continuance, and at the same time there
is no reason for early visitors to regret their preci-
pitancy in having preferred the first to the last
days of the fete.
The show has been admirably arranged, under
the direction of Mr. Eyles, the superintendent of
the gardens, in a spacious tent, 300 ft. in length and
150 ft. in width. The middle area for a considerable
space is sunken, so that, on entrance to the higher
ground, an imposing view is obtained of the entire
display. At one end are the roses, Mr. W. Paul's
blooming conspicuously as usual. Down the central
line of the tent a series of tree ferns, one or two of
which attain the height of at least 20ft., has been
contributed by Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, Mr.
Williams, and Mr. Bull, the ord•r of merit accord-
ing with the sequence of names as they are here
placed. Round the bole of each fern a distinct
character of display has been aimed at with success
in every instance. For example, pots of strawberry
plants, in prolific bearing, are exhibited by Mr. J.
Fraser, of Lea-bridge, as the ornamental finish for

the base of one tree. Next it is observable an ela-
borately varied yet harmonious bed of foliage and
flowering plants, by Messrs. Henderson and Son,
and similar to a show made by them the other day
at the Botanic Society's fee. Another and larger
miscellaneous collection, surrounding one of the
most majestic of the tree ferns, will repay a very
careful and minute inspection. A Bornean plant,
the Cypripedium Stonei, a perfectly new variety, is
exhibited by Mr. R. Stone, gardener, to J. Day,
Esq. ; and who also shows a Cattleya Dowi', in
which the combination of colours is wonderful.
Messrs. Veitch have in the same enclosure many ex-
traordinary productions of their fostering skill
and care, the chief of all, perhaps, being a hybrid
Alocasia, the parents of which, Alocasia Veitchii
and Longiloba, were exhibited merely to show by
contrast the distinct character of the hybrid. Tho
Adiantum Farleyense, a native of Barbadoes, also
found a place in the same parterre, the exhibitor
being Mr. Robert Veitch, of Exeter.
On the sloped banks of the terraced walk running
round the pavilion the principal display of pelar-
goniums was made by Mr. Charles Turner, Mr.
John Fraser, and others. Among these elegant
plants, covered with bloom, might have been pointed
out several which were on show in the Regent's
Park last Wednesday—an argument in itself for the
practicability of keeping such objects before the
public gaze longer than is usual. The prize-win-
ning pelargoniums were the strikingly vivid Lord
Clyde, the Ellen Beck, the Sainton-Dolby, the
Countess of Waldegrave, the Godfrey Turner, the
Lucy, and, in fact, all those tried varieties which
have established themselves in the favour of nursery-
men and amateurs within the pant season or two.
On the upper ground the azaleas made a dazzling
and sumptuous appearance, lining the sides of the
tent very richly, and helping the general effect in a

most notable degree. Among the larger objects of the
show deserve to be specially recognised a splendid pair
of Dracaena species, standing one on either side
of an opening for visitors to pass up or down.
The array of ferns contributed by Messrs. James
Ivory and Son ; the orchids of Mr. Penny, gardener
to 11. 11. Gibbs, Esq. ; and the same descripton of
plants by Messrs. Jackson and Co., aided conside-
rably to establish the general character of excellence ;
while everywhere the numerous and perfect speci-
mens of horticulture supplied by the.Messrs.Veitch,
who undoubtedly stand foremost as producers and

exhibitors of new and rare plants, raised the stan-
dard of excellence to the highest pitch. Their
Majestic Pandanas Veitchii, the same that attracted
so much notice at the International show, reap-
peared yesterday with undiminished prestige.
As the afternoon wore on, the weather seemed to
promise better and better for the four days which
are to follow. A fashionable assemblage took up all
the chairs upon the terrace and lawns, and would
have taken up more if they had found them. The
band of the Ist Life Guards, and another band
which, for the reason that it is not worthy to be
named in the same day with the former, need not
be named at all, played alternately till the arrival of
the time for dismissing the company with " God
save the Queen."
,A meeting for the election of
Fellows took place, in the course of the day, when
twelve new candidates v►ere added to the list, among
them being the Hon. C. W. Wentworth-Fitzwil-
Ham, Col. John D. Scott, and Dr. Moxey.