The Sun. — 1864-08-12 (London, England)

LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1864.  The waning of the splendour of our flower garacne is amnng the regular signs of the passing away of summer ; and the autumnal months, though lighting the monarchs of the woods with tints and shades. which some think eclipse even the fresh verdure of the spring, are only looked to by the hum b:e floriculturist as bringing the first signs of decay and desolation. The limited gardens in the metropolis and its vicinity generally give early evidence of the change, perhaps because their owners are in the habit of taking flight themselves early in autumn, And are therefore indifferent to the appearance of their gardens and conservatories when the reign of the rose is over. There is very little doubt that, with proper care in the selection of plants, and a due regard. to their natural seasons for flowering, a garden even in this climate may be induced to preserve a cheerful appearance through the greater part of the year. This is the fact which Sir JOSEPH PAXTON, no mean authority in the art of external decoration, has taken the opportunity of bringing under public notice in a letter addressed to the assistant secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society. Now the din of Parliamentary battle is for awhile suspended, and argument, lamentation, and recrimination have hem well nigh exhausted about the Danish Duchies—while the American war goes on its endless round, and we have no more exciting subject to divert our attention than murders and suicides, experiments at Shoeburyness, and madmen in railway carriages, Sir JOSEPH PAXTON probably supposes that his remarks on the principles of horticulture generally are less likely to pass una heeded than in the earlier days of the season. Perhaps he thought, too, that the moral of his story would receive a better illustration now than when flowers abound on every side, and botanic shows and exhibitions are the order of the day. It is with regard to the merits and defects of these exhibitions that Sir JOSEPH PAXTON has written his letter, having been requested to give his opinion as to the nature and character of the exhibitions which it is most desirable that the Royal Horticultural Society should encourage tor "the true advancement of horticulture and its accompanying sciences. In the first place, Sir JOSEPH is by no means satisfied with the existing state of things, notwithstanding the gorgeous array visible at some of our flower shows. The general condition of our horticulture is he considers artificial and unnatural, and he attributes this principally to the arrangement of our exhibitions. They have, he considers, been advantageous in encouraging improvements in the culture and management of plants, but the good which they have effected has not been unmixed. O wing to the time of the year in which they are held, the Efforts of cultivators are exclusively directed to the production of such plants as will bloom at the London season, to the total disregard of ail other periods. Some plants are forced, others are artificially kept back, so that all may flower together, thus crowding into a month or two the ornaments of the year, and entirely neglecting those plants which will not submit to such meddlesome interference. Some years ago, the .:ritic tells us, he called to see a first class Lona don garden of great repute. It was an exhib;tion day, and so only a few lonely plants were visible. Again he called later in the season, but a e show days were altogether over, BO there was no more to be seen, for the training system h% d begun, and all s in preparation for the next year's competition. If the efforts of the Horticultural Society are directed to/ securing the greatest number and most beautiful display of plants in the haltdozen exhibition days of the London season they are certainly successful, but if their object is rather to encourage horticulture as a science, then these "spasmodic efforts," as Sir JOSEPH PAXTON terms them, which leave a refit part of the year unemployed and unproductive, are not altogether satisfactory. The exhibition system has certainiy succeeded in producing a wonderful