There is no doubt that the mass of the English people enjoy and cultivate flowers more generally than the Americans. This fact is demonstrated in the extent that " Window Gardening " is practiced in and about every village, town and city; among the poor, as well as the rich, are to be seen structures on the window sills, kept constantly filled with flowering and ornamental leaved plants through the whole season. In the more wealthy neighborhoods these window structures are elegant in the make and finish, and in places the whole front of a house would seem ablaze with bright colors and climbing vines. Through the mechanics' and laborers' quarters there would be a less gorgeous display; but even in the most wretched hovels, where the poor are compelled to live, it was quite common to see, in a back alley, on the sill of a window, four or five stories up, a single plant of geranium, or a pot of mignonette, that had been carefully tended by its owner. The demand is so large for this class of plants, that they are propagated by the million, and sold at very low rates, when compared with our prices for the same kind and quality of plants.

Fuchsias, strong, stocky plants, for twelve cents apiece; geraniums, balsams, calceolarias, etc., etc., at from four to six cents, or one-sixth of what they would cost here. In London, propagators from the suburbs send thousands of these flowering plants, every morning, to Covent Garden market; from here they are distributed, by men, women and boys, to all parts of the city, each of whom has his own customers, and keeps them supplied with whatever kinds they may want, not only for window decorations, but also for garden culture.

Where there was such a demand for annuals, there must be some place where the seeds were grown in great quantity. A visit to the flower farm of Dunnett & Beale, at Dedham, Essex county, soon solved this inquiry. Here I saw more than 200 acres, exclusively devoted to raising flower seeds; and at the time of my visit, the bulk of the past season's crop was in full blossom, presenting a display well worth a trip across the Atlantic to see. This, however, is a mere skeleton of one branch of the commercial florist's business on the other side of the Atlantic.

A visit to the mammoth establishments of James Veitoh & Son,Wm. Bull, E.G. Henderson & Co.,Wm. Rollisson & Sons, It. A. Prance, George Jackman & Co.,Wm. Paul, Thomas Rivers, and hundreds of others in the suburbs of London, one can see a choicer and very much more expensive class of plants, where the price of single specimens will range from $5 to $60 apiece, and plenty of demand for this class of stock. I saw in one of these establishments a dozen of large Azaleas sold for $60 apiece, to go to St. Petersburgh, for embellishing a banquet hall next season. In another, I saw fifty pot grape vines, in fruit, at $12 apiece, for a dinner party of a wealthy Londoner. Nor were these rare oases; for one familiar with plants need only examine the stock to judge of its value. The horticultural societies are far-sighted enough to offer large money premiums for fine plants, and the exhibitions that I attended seemed to warrant this course. At the exhibition of the Royal Botanical Gardens, I saw more/ and choicer plants shown by a single exhibitor, than I ever saw by one Society, including all exhibitors in this country.

Just imagine Fuchsias six feet high, and four or five in diameter, completely covered with flowers; Erica Candolleana, six feet in diameter and three in height; Alamandia grandiflora, a mass of flowers; Pelargoniums, more than seven feet in diameter; also, John Waters & Sons1 collection of Azaleas and Rhododendrons, the finest in the United Kingdom; in fact, these would make an attractive exhibition without further accession.

In England the Rose seems to have attained perfection, and the demand is very large. In walking over the grounds with one nurseryman in the suburbs of London, he showed me his stock of forty acres of standard roses, and he assured me he was not one of the largest growers. At the rose show at Sydenham Palace, the cut roses were arranged in shallow boxes filled with moss, each box holding forty roses. These boxes were placed in a line, and this line extended just half a mile, and the large size of the roses was quite as surprising to me as that of the whole exhibition. Another and very interesting feature of this show, and one that I hope some day to see adopted by our own Societies, was that of offering liberal premiums for dressing breakfast, lunch and dinner tables with flowers. Here the tables in each class were set, ready for a meal, with the plants arranged by the competitors, which in this instance were about forty in number. For this purpose the different varieties of the Fern were arranged with graceful and pleasing effect.

In fact, this part of the exhibition was more attractive to me than that of the roses.

The London Horticultural Society's exhibition was smaller than I had reason to suppose, from its standing and antiquity; still, the collection of Jack man's Clematis, in size, variety and brilliancy of colors, more than paid me for my visit. This, with the hospitable reception from the active members of this representative Society, will always be remembered by me with pleasure.

Window Gardening #1

One of the best for fine effects, but which I have never seen specially noticed in the books is the single scarlet African Hibiscus, a shrubby plant resembling the " Rose of Sharon" of old fashioned gardens, with dark green, glossy leaves and splendid, tropical-looking flower of a brilliant scarlet, as large as a coffee saucer. The stamens are yellow and the pistil a dark velvety red. The flower buds are formed on the terminal branches, and it is in almost constant bloom both in summer and winter. It is of the easiest culture and requires but the ordinary temperature, the only drawback being that the gorgeous blooms only last a day; but they are so bright and attractive that I should never be willing to be without them. My two plants are of different species and have been in my possession for several years. I sink the pots in June, and they do equally well in the yard all summer. Geraniums, of course, are indispensable and grow and bloom profusely in such a window. I have a very novel effect on one - a zonale green, with a lighter zone. A pure white shoot, both stems and leaves, has been thrown out, which retains its color as it continues growing, although standing in full sunshine. I hope to be able to propagate it.

Then, there are the old favorites usually grown - roses, pinks, azaleas, accacia, primroses, bouvardias, mahernia, etc., etc. I even find it possible to raise some hothouse plants by placing them on a high shelf in a warm corner, and succeed with begonias, heliotropes, poinsettia, euphorbia, coleus, and many of the foliage plants, which retain all the glory of midsummer.

But the gem of all is a magnificent calla of about sixteen years. A pot containing three large bulbs and some smaller ones, with large leaves and lovely golden-hearted lilies (for it is almost always blooming with three or four flowers at once) - its majestic stateliness is very striking. I wonder if it is generally known that two flower-buds are produced from the same leaf-stalk? I cut off the first when fully opened and beginning to fade, and soon another bud makes its appearance beside the stalk of the first. The only culture needed is to keep the saucer filled with water, adding occasionally a few drops of aqua ammonia or guano water. Sink the pot in partial shade and let it care for itself during the summer, and do not disturb the roots more often than is necessary to remove extra bulbs. A fuchsia - I think a speciosa, as it blooms constantly - has grown into a fine specimen. It is of trailing habit and has been trained up the side of the window. Some of the branches are five or six feet in length, the leaves are large and ovate and beautifully veined with red. The flowers grow in long clusters on the ends of every branch and keep forming; as fast as the first ones bloom new buds grow out.

Sometimes I have had over twenty flowers on one branch at a time, with buds still coming.

For delicate climbing vines I find none prettier than smilax and maurandias. The foliage of both is most graceful, and the latter blooms and grows either out or in-doors. Some of my pots of it are several years old. I take out the roots in June and plant them, and they soon run up six or seven feet and are covered with wreaths of bloom. In September they are taken up, cut back nearly to the roots, and they soon start into new growth again. They also make fine climbing plants for hanging baskets - as, for instance, a white one growing upon the wires, crimson-leaved altenantheras around it, with a fringe of the delicate blue lobelia. One basket that is always showy and sweet is just a mass of sweet alys8um. Tropoeolums in variety, and especially the dark Tom Thumbs, climbing and drooping, are very gay, and fragrant as well; and nothing can be sweeter than mignonette grown in this way. Transplant some seedlings in August. The Tropoeo-lums may be very easily rooted in sand, soil or water at the same time. The German Ivy (Senecio scandens) is always graceful and of very easy growth. I have found it most likely to bloom if left undisturbed in a basket or vase for two years, blooming freely toward spring the second season, with clusters of yellow balls, rather pretty.

Last fall, in gathering ferns, I found some exquisite sprays of the Virginia Creeper, which I pulled up by the roots, and planted in a basket, with ferns and other wildwood treasures. The leaves turned scarlet and dropped, and I supposed all was gone; but in March it sprouted out, and is now growing as lustily as though perfectly at home. I presume this is not a new experiment, but I have never seen it before, and think it will make a fine basket-plant.

As to my ferns, I am more and more in love with them day by day. It is said that our native ferns are not a success for house growth, because they are deciduous. It is true that those planted in autumn lose most of their leaves; but they start into growth very early, are more delicate and graceful than ever, and it is very interesting to watch the brown fronds develop into a perfect leaf. Then, if they are allowed to remain in the window all summer, the leaves grow more beautiful and do not wither, but retain their greenness all winter and commence growing earlier, so that they are " things of beauty and a joy forever." - N. Y. Indpendent.