CORRESPONDENCE.
Feilding Horticultural Society TO- THB KDITOB OF THE BTA«. A [■ My name's Grumble., -and I am the descendant of a long race of Grumble* all noted for their power of finding fault, and I inherit that facnlty in a high degree.? Hitherto I have confined myself to exhibiting it at home for the purpoie of making that home pleasant. —However, Mrs Grumble and the lesser Grumble* say they hare had quite enough of it, and enquire (rather sarcastically;' I think) if I can't find something abroad to grumble about. Of course I can ; there?* ' that Horticultural Society— strong and. robijtf,. with the vitality of a bull calf. How M it that it is prospering so when older societies of the sort, in older towns, hare dwindled into such Weaklings that they can scarcely be kept alive, and will probably expire before the spring flowera come? I will tell you : It is because the committee is a working committee, composed of working men, who go to work quietly and earnestly at the subject, and so long as the society is satisfied with such a committee, and doesn't go hob* nobbing to greatness, it will prosper, but when it starts courting the great ones, who believe that sticking their illustrious cognomens to anything is all «uflicient, and reckon it a bore .when/ more is required to make the .thing go ahead — when the society does this, then start the Feilding Band practising the Dead .March that they may he able to play it respectably at the funeral of the Feildtng Hor* ticulturnl Society. Tt was the working man who started the affair ; it was the working man who supported it when it was an insignificant baby ; and it is the working man who manages it now it is vigorous enough to attract the notice of knobbery. Then let the working man still have a chance at the shows; and put him on a level footing with the wealthy ones who now come forward to struggle for the prizes. In the days when the society first started, the means of production were about equal with those who then exhibited, and they all entered at about scratch. It ia different now. The success of the shows and the prizes given. have lured from a distance peoplp whose means enable them to employ professional gardeners and have every appliance for producing garden stuff in perfection, and although the cottager still wrests laurels from even favored ones like ; these, he labours under great disadvantages and his chances of success grow less every year. His time and means keep still as limited, while every improvement' can be theirs, and he gradually withdraws as he finds how hopeless it is to compete against such rivals. The same holds good ' With bouquets. In vain does the cottager's daughter say "good morning" to the first streak of dawn on the eventful day of the show, that she may cut the choicest blossoms from her modest garden before the »un has had time to sully their beauty, &nd makes them into a simple nesegay ift the hope of winning a prize with them. The wealthy dame orders her gardner overnight "to make up the 'bookayt* in the morning," and while she lies a- bed the " Ponica," with rare flowers ' reared in greenhouse and conservatory at his command, sets to work. In all*probability he has been judge at many a show, and knows just the sort of blooming snowball or carpet pattern, bunch to suit the green in the judge's eye, make him soft on that particular bunch, and award it a prise, while the cottage maid looks, deprecatingly at her little bunoh of flowers and sighs at their simplicity, but you can tell the little dears from me not to be disheartened, -for if tho- morning breeze doesn't bring them a prize, it puts a freshness on their cheeks and a brightness in their looks which shames the flowers, and which the dame of affluence does not get with her probocit aqitilet (that 'B the Grumble Latin for nose) poked under the bed clothes, while I content myself with giving a friendly, snarl at the society tor not making a separate class to which professionals, and those who employ such, shall' have, their' exhibits confined, and if the members of the socety don't act on the hint, Til make , them jump, for Til let out such a growl that I'll make them think that savage old brute Cerberus has slipped his collar, and that all three of his heads are within two inches of the seat of their pantaloons.-— I am, <fee, OID Gbukblb.
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Bibliographic details
Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 11, 5 July 1884, Page 2
Word Count
774CORRESPONDENCE. Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 11, 5 July 1884, Page 2
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