, 1892-04-16

come, and the railway is rapidly bringing it
near, wa may have such a Show as cannot be
surpassed In any part of the world,-a Show
which for q display of fascinating plant life
and economic products will become an educa.
tor and a money-maker of universal interest.
To that end the Flower Show and Horticula
tural Society should work, and, we are sure,
Will work. The preparations for the first
Jamaica Exhibition SO absorbed attention. that
the progress Of what we may justly call the
Flower Show movement, somewhat suffered.
Now that the Exhibition is past, and
the cause of flower culture not only lives but
thrives, we feel sure the progress will be
great and permanent. The old tent style of
Show will prove quite inadequate to meet the
wants of the community. Room and enough
for an expanding movement that is to
encourage developments of economic products
and satisfy the desire for the beautiful, must
be had, and that can only be got at a noder-
ate cost BY preserving the present Exhibit n
Building. Shows of the kind once or twice a
year, though under circumstances far mere
untavourahle than ours, are now in large CEN
tres of population established as a means of
pleasure and instruction in England. With
our advantages we should not, and we believe
will not, be behind
At the annual meeting of the Flower Show
and Horticultural Society the other evening,
a resolution was adopted to resume the hold
ing of meetings for the purpose Of creating
interest in the work Of the Society. The first
Of these meetings will be held in the course
of three or four weeks. The Committee are
in expectation of a supply of seeds of ANIMALS
which will be distributed to the members
gratis, on condition that they cultivate them
for exhibition at the coming June Show. But
as soon as they come, or even before. . a meet
ing will be held, when Mr.. Chadwick. of
the Department of Gardens and Plarta-
tons, will give information on the soils thew
require and other points to be considered in
making the mosto of them. The meeting will
be q useful one and it ought also to be a very
attractive one-one of the series at which ex-
hibits will be on the tables and wherever there
IS a "colgn Of vantage, SO that the eve as
well as the ear may be informed and gratifed.
Such meetings a nd past annual Shows have
done q great deal more good than is general
~ known. Only those who see Iluch of tho
streets and lanes of Kingston. as our medical
men do. know the extent Of the growth of
culture of flowers in recent years in this CITY.
Some of the finest plans are to be found here.
Spots there are, that are Edens in their floral
eauty. 'The blissful felds.' the groves
of myrrh,' the towering odours, oassia, nard
and balm, . 'the wilderness of sweets that
Milton sung of are not all gone some of them
are here, some in Kingston lanes. Were he to
revisit earth and spend a month in Jamaica.
he would find many Of his own lines the YER
bal pictures Of the scenes in this island. Such
lines would come ack, as for example.
Nature here
Wantoned in her prime, and played at ill,
Her virgin fancies pouring forth more sweet.
Wild above rule, or art enormous bliss"
This appreciation Of flowers is growing
and will grow. The members Of the Flower
Show and Horticultural Society have every
thing to encourage them, and among these en-
couragements are the possibiliI es of Their work.
Every police station, aS a few do now, and
every schoolhouse and church and church
yard should give proof ola growing taste for
the beautiful in nature. In some cases great
improvements have already taken place I'M
der the kindly influence of the Botanical
Department as managed by the present and
the former Directors, and the publicity given
to the proceedings connected with the King.
ston Flower shows. Much may be done to
induce teachers and their pupils to cultivate
the same taste. There should. not be q
school yard or school building in any part of
the island which did not give some proof of the
prevalence of the love of the beautiful and the
usefulin plant life, an inducement to this be-
ing IN the fact that now the Text book of Tro.
plcal Agriculture is to play some part in
school life. The Education Department