Dear Sir - I believe if gardeners would interest themselves more in diffusing a knowledge of the culture of plants in general, it would promote not only a higher state of culture, but induce many to put a hand to the plough, who, for fear of failing through incompetency, would glean a knowledge of what they really love, and shortly become true devotees to Flora. The gardeners of England, whose ambition it is to excel each other in a higher state of culture, are a class of men who accustom themselves to read, write, investigate and question, through their communicating channel, the Gardener's Chronicle, draw* on by their great leader, Lindley. Hence they arrive at true principles, and practical information. Seeing in your pages the spirit of improvement, I am convinced of your willingness to assist, and your ability to lead gardeners in this country, to a higher state of things. Under that impression I have been induced to write the following remarks on horticultural exhibitions, believing them to bo the effectual means of working out a more elevated state in horticulture.

As gardeners have no direct influence with the gentlemen of those societies, it is only through such channels as your valuable Journal, that they can get their suggestions brought before the respectful notice of those who have the power of carrying into effect that which they consider essential.

The Pennsylvania Society, I believe, stands first in the annals of American Horticulture. I was present at the annual meeting, and beheld two noble saloons filled with fruits, vegetables, and plants. Plants! did I say, - yes plants, (but what had become of their flowers I can't pretend to say.) Whoever has witnessed a Chiswick exhibition in the great metropolis of England, or a Regent's Park show, will contrast the difference between the two. He will contrast the difference between a plant five or six feet high, and as much in the diameter of its branches, regularly trained from the rim of the pot, without a stick, into a symmetrical bush, densely covered with flowers, and such as filled the saloons of the show in Philadelphia.

The latter plants had unshapely heads set upon branchless stems three or four feet high, denoting a system of being grown by the yard; contrast the difference between what we call exhibition plants on the two sides of the Atlantic, and then let us ask if a step in advance is not required here? But there was a time when the metropolitan exhibitions of England had their commencement. There was a time when the gardeners of England ex* hibited plants resembling hop poles; there was a time when their plants appeared to be grown by the yurd; there was a time when their pots were full of sticks, instead of flowers, and there was a time when all this was thought to be gardening in perfection. But the glory and ignorance of that day have all passed, and are only remembered as a dream. Now, the hop poles are reduced to symmetrical plants, the shower of sticks is annihilated by a short, stiff, self-supporting truss, and the plant itself defies you to detect any irregularity, or any want of inherent strength and beauty. And what has worked this great change? Nothing but a liberal spirit of competition.

Not competition for money, nor medals, but for ability; and this is the kind of competition wc want here; some of our competitors may ask, is there no ability displayed in our fruit department? I answer none; that which you exhibit by the peck and the bushel, certainly has not occupied much of your attention. It is art combined with nature, that shows man's abilities. Nature produces the bunch of Hamburghs, but it is by man's assisting ingenuity that the full amount of coloring matter is produced there. We certainly can produce fine peaches, "penrs, apples, and good native grapes; and what tailor, I ask, in the United States, can't do the same?

He who makes Horticulture his profession, surely should excel the non-professional man. But alas! still the Hamburghs are red huddled together like marrow-fat peas, and polished as though they were intended for mirrors. Can't this be altered - can't the gardeners of America produce as high a colored bunch of grapes as those of England? Certainly if they like. Nature has laid a bounteous soil, a bright sun and a clear sky, and these arc superior advantages to those of England. Then try what can be done. I think I hear the gardening voice of this mighty country crying, "A new beginning with the new year," - let us see by our culture that the finger and thumb have superceded the knife. Let us question the utility in allowing a branch to grow to be cut back by the kuife and thrown away; let us see plants grown in pots without long unsightly stems, and grown into compact globular bushes by finger and thumb pruning. Show the nurserymen how to produce flowering plants, instead of bits tied up to sticks three times larger than the so called plant itself.

But, say the gardeners, the inducements are not held out to us by our Societies - the arrangement of our Horticultural Society is too limited in each class, and the Society allows the nurseryman to compete with the amateur and gardener, therefore a gardener who grows fifty plants has no chance with a nurseryman, who grows a thousand. Again, there is no distinction as to what are required - the " best collection," leaves you at liberty to furnish what kind of plants you like. I am growing a few greenhouse plants and they may be good - my neighbor, who has a little more convenience than me, when competing, may add an exotic or two, or an Orchidse, and if so my plants are thrown in the shade and unnoticed, and then I go away determined not to exhibit any more. Now were our society to establish a classified arrangement, and were each class to have three or four prizes, stating the number of plants required to each class thus: Pelargoniums, for the best 12 in 8 inch pots, 3 prizes; for the best 8 in 8 inch pots, 3 prizes; for the best 6 in 6 inch pots, 3 prizes; for the best single specimen in 10 inch pot, 3 prizes; and in like manner with fruit and vegetables, as well as plants, every man would stand an equal chance, and we should have better plant growing, more plant selling-more competition, altogether more satisfaction.

The saloons would also be better filled with flowering plants. If my memory serves me correctly, our society intend to offer a premium, in 1852, for the best forty Dahlias. Now what chance will an amateur or gardener have for that prize? It is not very probable that the best cultivator will get it, but he who grows the greatest quantity - and I think to large growers, they would have found 24 sufficient, and there would be double the competition. We ought to have a chance at 12 and 6, with the best single specimen of any color, and to run out in classes as before mentioned. This would increase the sale, the quantity to be exhibited, a love to cultivate and improve. In like manner does the whole schedule require a proper classification, in order that each subscribing gardener may have a chance to display his ability.

* Though there is some truth in our correspondent's criticism of the Philadelphia shows - we are bound to say that nowhere in Europe are filter foreign grapes to be seen than at the Boston exhibitions. Ed.

I feel perfectly convinced that if gardeners had any means of bringing their ideas be fore the committee, those gentlemen would gladly accede to anything that would tend to improvement, and I think there is great room. " Floral Designs" seem to be the principal feature at the annual meeting; $30 and $40 are given for the first and second best design, a thing in my opinion not at all connected with Horticulture, but which any weaver may devise. [We quite agree with our correspondent about the tastefulness of these designs, and the folly of paying for them. Ed.] I was told that the Secretary actually paid $30 for a design in the September meeting, that I think was a most excellent representation of a toad stool, by the side of which perhaps stood a specimen plant that had taken months to grow it, and all the vigilance and care it is possible for man to bestow on it, in keeping in perfection for the specified time, and all for one dollar; or perhaps "a collection,'* for a little more. Is there no alteration required in this respect?

The above remarks are not written from any party feeling, but purely for the benefit of all, believing such an arrangement would best suit the necessities of exhibitors.

Yours very respectfully, A Working Gardener, Near Philadelphia, Dec. 2,1851.