Manchester has once more held its great Whitsun Show, and in doing so has demonstrated that in Cottonopolis there is no such thing as a decline in horticultural exhibitions to mourn over; and so no doleful miserere comes from any one connected with its management. The 'Gardeners' Chronicle' spoke of it as "an exhibition of a first-rate character, equal, perhaps, on the whole, to any of the great exhibitions of ordinary years, metropolitan or provincial, and probably never surpassed, certainly very rarely equalled, except, indeed, at the International of 1866, in the elements of Orchids, which made a thoroughly magnificent display - so numerous were they, and of such generally excellent quality." The June Exhibition at Leeds, which opened on the same day, suffered somewhat, as Manchester did slightly, from the simple fact that it was impossible the same plants could be in two places at once; but any little drawback of this character was amply compensated for in the fact that the amateur element about Leeds has this season asserted itself, and wrested from outsiders the prizes they have aforetimes borne away out of the district. This speaks well for horticultural enterprise about Leeds, and is scarcely reconcilable with symptoms of decline.

The great exhibitions held at the Crystal Palace in May and June, and the great Exhibitions of the Royal Botanic Society in the same months, have been warmly praised, as they deserved to be; while the large Show of the Royal Horticultural Society, held on the 8th of June, was pronounced to be, by the highest authority, without question "the best show of the season." There were some grand specimen stove and greenhouse plants, some magnificent fine-foliaged plants and superb Orchids shown on that occasion, but the former were crowded together in the hateful arcades, and half their beauty was lost in consequence. This does not look like a decline, and the throngs of visitors at each of these great shows indicated that the popular interest is as well sustained as ever.

So far, the parallel between the metropolitan and large provincial exhibitions holds good. Both have this season been of large extent and fine quality; but here the parallel ceases. The promoters of the former complain that they cannot be made to pay; or if they do pay, the return falls short of what might reasonably have been expected to accrue to their exchequer. In the provinces, as an almost invariable rule, excepting when the weather is very unpropitious, the receipts are in excess of the outlay, and a handsome surplus is the result. These shows, probably because more localised, attach to themselves a very great amount of popular support among those who go to flower-shows to see the flowers and plants more than to see each other - an element the great London exhibitions do not attract. The masses of the people in London - those who represent and correspond to the operative and artizan classes in Manchester and Leeds, for instance, and who contribute so much to the financial prosperity of their horticultural exhibitions - never come to a large metropolitan show; no attempt is made to attract them; perhaps they are not wanted. A great London show means a fashionable lounging-place and promenade, with the popular element kept outside.

At Manchester, the total receipts were £1650; of this sum, £1100 was received in shillings. So much for enlisting the popular element on the side of flower-shows.

The excessive drought, now so seriously affecting the southern, western, eastern, and a portion of the northern, midland districts of England, is one of an almost unexampled character, commencing, as it did, so early in the year. In the London district, hot, bright, sunny days, having the appearance of set-fair weather, alternate with days quite cloudy, and even cold, the clouds appearing to be charged with vapour, but none falls; and notwithstanding a steady fall in the barometer, the long-looked-for rain appears as remote as ever. There is a prevalence of cold north-westerly winds, occasionally varied with short periods of warm southerly breezes, and again by north-easterly winds; and notwithstanding the frequent bright appearance of the weather, the evenings are often chilly, and the nights cold. Observation points to the presence of cold currents of air that seem to cross each other in contrary directions; and when the wind has been in the south-west, masses of clouds, driven somewhat rapidly across the horizon, had come from the north-west. Garden crops, though showing signs of distress, are yet looking better than might be expected. Peas, Beans, Potatoes, and suchlike, want rain badly; and if it does not soon come, the crops of the former must be very small.

The grass crops are very thin, especially on gravel and strong clay soils; in many cases they will not be worth cutting, and they are so dried up as to be of little avail for cattle-food. Spring-sown cereals are giving out rapidly; autumn-sown look much better, but must soon show signs of suffering. Where there is a scarcity of water, the deterioration of the crops is much more apparent. Since the above was written, a heavy thunderstorm has visited the London district, and the country generally, but the fall of rain round the metropolis was somewhat scant, though highly refreshing.

Such a season as this shows the value of all artificial appliances for the purposes of irrigation. It points to the necessity for the construction of tanks for securing all the fall of rain-water on buildings, etc, during the rainy season; for the husbanding of all waste water used for domestic purposes, the which can also be secured in tanks, and pumped up for use as required. All cleansing processes can be gone through, but there should be no waste; and the experience of the last three years goes to indicate the possibility of dry summers being the heritage of a good portion of England. Such a season brings to our notice the almost inestimable value of mulching, and the necessity for husbanding and employing all materials available for the purpose. True it is that nature serves man, and that all things are in decay that he may be strengthened and supported thereby; but in this very service, nature, that is never wasteful of power, and always beneficent in action, sometimes appears to fight against man, to the peril of his welfare. It is then that man must parry these seeming attacks, and turn nature against herself, so that his work be not retarded. When so confronting him, he must subjugate her; and in his brain - that magazine of divine forces - he must seek for his weapons.

A man of observation and intelligence is rarely wanting in resources; and if ever the gardener had to fall back on this armoury, it is now, when suffering under the influences of a long-continued drought.

An invention, likely to be very useful to exhibitors of cut flowers, is found in "Chapman's Multum in Parvo Packing-Case." We have had an opportunity of inspecting it, and think highly of its merits. The case, when opened in the front, discloses two stands, one above the other, on which can be exhibited Roses, Dahlias, Verbenas, Hollyhocks, etc.; and when the exhibition-tent is reached, these can be drawn out and placed in position. These stands are securely fixed in grooves, and yet slide backwards and forwards easily when the lid is opened: when it is closed, it is practically imposible for them to shift or move about. There are receptacles in the stands for receiving the flowers, with a tube for them to rest upon; but one peculiarity is, that when the stems of the flowers are placed in the water, they are firmly gripped by a circular piece of some flexible material like galvanised india-rubber; and so closely does this hold the flowers, without at the same time injuring the stems in any way by the force of the pressure, that were the box turned topsy-turvy, not only would the tubes not be loosened, but not a drop of water could escape, so securely is it confined.

Those who have had actual experience of the insecurity of, and the danger of injury attending, the old stand, will appreciate this new invention of Mr Chapman's. Mr C. J. Perry, of Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, has now in use a set of boxes for Dahlias, Roses, and Verbenas, and speaks highly of their excellent preserving qualities.

Those also who state that the old regard for florists' flowers is on the wane, and that the florist of twenty years ago is fast becoming an extinct species, would have found their assertions in much danger had they witnessed the meeting of the Royal National Tulip Show held at Cambridge last month. There was no lack of flowers or exhibitors, fire or enthusiasm. The northern growers came in strong force, and brought with them some beautiful flowers. The date was a little late for the southern growers, as their flowers had become flushed owing to the prevalence of hot bright sunny weather, thereby losing that refinement so dear to, and valuable in the eyes of, a Tulip-fancier. As a general rule, the flowers appeared somewhat smaller than usual, but there was no doubt as to their purity and beauty of marking: delicate purity, richness of marking, and perfection in form, met in these Tulips, and who wondered at the regard in which the lovers of the Tulip held their flowers 1 The judges were men sincerely to be pitied, and on no account to be envied: theirs was a difficult and wearisome task, and for some three and a half hours they held bravely to their work; and their decisions appear to be as correct as they were honestly given.

To judge Tulips requires not only a perfect acquaintance with them, but much honest independence and firmness. The examples of Tulip lore we heard would construct a unique vocabulary, could it be compiled; it was a part of the Tulip Show, and many of the visitors stood by listening with much interest to the discussions which took place among the exhibitors as to the relative merits of certain flowers, and enjoying the scene with a relish altogether new to those who had never before witnessed a Tulip Show.

The Society for the Encouragement of Florists' Flowers have made arrangements to hold an exhibition at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, on the 6th of September and following days, when prizes to the amount of £150 (towards which the directors of the Crystal Palace Company give £100) will be offered for Dahlias, Hollyhocks, Gladioli, Verbenas, and Asters. Schedules of prizes will shortly be issued.