7th October.
Tar Flower Shows are popular in Shanghai is shown by the large public attendance on every occasion that they are held, and that they have given satisfaction to the exhibitors is evidenced by the increased support year after year accorded by those who take a delight in growing flowers and vegetables, or by those who make a profit by raising them. For notwithstanding insinuations that have been made to the contrary, exhibits have been accepted without question from all classes of the community, whether foreign amateur horticulturists or native market leners.
Flower Shows have done much more for the benefit of the community generally than would appear to the uninstructed. The climatic conditions of this place are so different from those of home, that even those with a knowledge of horticulture find that, on arrival at Shanghai, they have not only much to learn, but also much to unlearn. It took years of experimenting, failures and persevere ance before residents thoroughly understood how to successfully produce the well-known flowers of home, simple as the process would appear to be to those who never tried the practical issue. There is no doubt that the friendly competition at Flower Shows did much to encourage the horticulturist, and the gardens is largely due to such compresent flourishing state of private
tition. At the Spring Flower Show eld in the Consular ground in 1879 there was only one calceolaria exhibited, and that was a miserable specimen that no one would dare to send to a Flower Show at the present day. On that occasion there were only some six or seven pots of maiden hair fern exhibited, and none of those were remarkable specimens. At Flower Shows of recent time calceolarias are so plentiful, and are so splendidly grown, that awarding prizes for the three or four best specimens is a task not easily accomplished; while the most casually observant visitor must have been struck with admiration at the number, size, variety and beautifal appearance of maiden hair ferns that are now exhibited. There were very few native nursery gardens in former days, and the few that existed were stocked only with flowers indigenous to China. Now they abound in every direction, and flowers and vegetables of infinite variety can be obtained at moderate prices. Not only are the native gardeners eager competitors at every Flower Show, but they have learnt the value of using freshly-imported seed every year. This knowledge and the inventive to better production has undoubtedly been gained at Flower Shows.
Flower Shows in Shanghai, however, labour under serious disadvantages, as they cannot be conducted on' the same principle as at home. There exhibitors have a full knowledge of horticulture, and lay themselves out for special exhibits, conforming to the rules of the Show without trouble to themselves or the officials." Exhibits are sent to the Show in good time, and are placed at once amongst the class to which they belong, each one being accompanied by the name of the grower in a sealed envelope. The Judges award the prizes, and then the envelope attached is opened and the name of the successful exhibitor.is recorded by the Secretary, so that when the public are afterwards admitted they have before them all the information that is desired. Here it nite impossible to follow this procedure. The Show is open for one day only, and from seven o'clock in the morning until noon
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.