The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-04 00:00:00

" Believe me to be, dear sir, failifully yours,

"F. L. AVOLINTOOK.
"To S. R. Graves, Esq., 9, Baltic-buildings,
Redcross-street, Liverpool."

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Yesterday the most charming of all the metropo-
litan fetes—the spring flower-show of this socieiy—
was, after a.lapse of two years, again given at Chis-
wick wi.h unusual success. The gardens were beau-
tiful, the attendance of -rank and fashion most
numerous, and nothing but more favourable wea-
ther was required to make the display equal to
those days of olct when the Chiswick:flower-show
was par excellence the fete clumpetre of the London
season ; but the weather—as is not unfrequently
the case in England—wee not entirely propitious.
It sprinkled rain a little now and then, and was
always threatening much more. To a certain ex-
tent this must have influenced the attendance of
visitors, though we seldom recollect to have seen
the gardens more crowded. Just now the Chiswick
grounds form one of Nature's flower-shows on the
richest and most beautiful scale. Clumps of flower-
ing trees, bushes of lilac, Gueldre roses, hawthorns,
and laburnums are decked in all their varied blos-
soms, checkerieg the colour of the smooth soft turf
like giant flower-beds. The very_ air seems heavy
with their fragrance, and the light young leaves to
rustle sympathetically under a flood of song which
is poured unceasingly from trees and bushes. The
cuckoos, in particular, were busy, and their well-
known notes echoed through the gardens as if ten
springs had come at once.
Yesterday, as the brilliant company wandered in
groups among this foliage of blossoms, the effect of
the scene was rich and glowing in the extreme, ir-
resistibly reminding the spectator of the pictures of
Watteau, or the sylvan fetes which Bocoaccio con-
jures up. The Devonshire-gardens, formerly so
great an attraction, seem rot so now. They have
a weedy, deserted look, like the grounds of a house
to let, and contrast but ill with the society's gar-
dens, which, as we have said, are the very acme of
neatness and good order, and lustrous in their pre-
sent beauty.

Amongst the many things exhibited on the
grounds more immediately relating to the science
of horticuture, may be noticed the number of
tents of all descriptions with which one part of the
grass plot was studded. These were specimens of
the sort of coverings required for the comfort, and
security from the elements, of men and animals in
an encampment or a campaign. They wero from
the manufactory 'of Mr. B. Edgington, of the
Borough,. and they showed, in a manner suffi-
ciently clear to everybody by whom they were
examined, the progress which within a few years
has been made for resisting cold and wet in this
class of erections.
As r:Tards the competitors' horticultural display,
we have seen better shows than that of yesterday.
The roses of the nurserymen wore very good ; so
also were the azalias, which were rich in blossoms,
and looked like piles of newly-fallen snow. In the
first class—that of mixed stove and greenhouse
plants—were some fine specimens, and so also were
there among the orchids, The fruit was generally
very good, though; except among the pines and
grapes, not such as to callforany particular remark.
There was a very numerous list of successful com-
petitors, far to numerous to permit of our more
than mentioning the names of those who took the
chief prizes in the more important classes.
The recipients of the most valuable awardsweror
some in three or more classes—Mr. Dods, garde
to Sir J. Cathcart ; Mr. Peed, gardener tmoieker;
Treadwell ; Mr. Pilcher, hardener to Mr.
Messrs. Veitch and Sons; Mr. WooleY , gardener to
Mr. Kerr; Mr. Green, gardener to.SirEAntrobus;
Messrs. Love and Sons; Mr. Wiggins, gardener to
Mr. Beech ; and Mr. Turner, of Slough. In fruit
the most successful competitors were—Mr.. Davies,
Mr, J. Temple, gardener
to the Dowlais Iron Co. ;
•
Messrs. Spary and Campbell; and Mr. Iveson, gar-
dener to the Duke of Northumberland. The highest
prizes awarded were 201., with the option given to
the competitors to exchange the money award for
medals at the rate of 151. or the large gold medal,
101. or the Kuightian medal, or the Banksian me-
dal, and so on.
The band of the Grenadier, Coldstream, and Life
Guards were in attendance in the gardens during
the day, and materially contributed to the anima-
tion of the scene by their performances. Towards
the close the three bands were united, and the
effect produced was most powerful.

ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN.—At the
general monthly meeting held on Monday la.t, Mr.
William Pole, M.A , F.R.S., treasurer and vice-presi-
dent, in the chair, Messrs. E. T. Bright and A. Colyar
were duly electkd members of the Royal Institution, and
Mr. E. Packe was admitted a member of the Royal In-
stitution. Thanks were voted to Professor F. Crace
Calvert, Professor T. H. Huxley, Mr. j. Vivian, and
Professor A. J. Scott, for their discourses on the. even-
ings of May Stb, lath, 22d, and 29th. The presents re•
ceived since the last meeting were laid before the mem-
bers.