THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 169 



been touched with mildew, which is the bane of Geant in all close districts. 

 With Eugene Appert Mr. Sfcandish had blooms of a new noisette, called 

 Celine Forestier, bright yellow, well formed, petals of better substance than 

 usual with noisettes, and it was reported to have stood the last winter with- 

 out hurt, when teas and noisettes were cut down by hundreds in many of ihe 

 large nurseries. It has evidently some of the tea blood in its veins, and will 

 jjrobably be a fine rose under glass and in tiffany-houses. Francois Arago, 

 another new rose, shown by Air. Standish. is one of the darkest roses known ; 

 if a free bloomer, it will be invaluable. By the look of it we should expect it 

 to be very shy, and requiring the purest atmosphere and a very dry half- 

 peaty soil. Messrs. Fraser, of Lea Bridge, also exhibited new roses. Their 

 .contribution included Louis XIV., deep crimson, velvety, well formed, 

 superb ; Mademoiselle Bonnaire, French white, like Maiden's Blush, and 

 questionable ; Anna de Diesbach, large rose, and certainly not new, for it is 

 to be found in all good collections ; Victor Verdier, rosy lilac, and as coarse 

 as Colonel de Rougement ; Triomphe de Lyon, like Leon des Combats, and 

 quite as good; Senator Vaise, a bright carmine rose, almost scarlet, and 

 every way excellent. 



We have already remarked, that roses in pots were only second rate. 

 They wanted size to make them equal to the occasion. Messrs. Paul had 

 the best lot, and took the first prize ; Mr. Francis, was second. A few 

 of Hunt's Sweet- Williams, shown by Mr. Bragg, attracted attention, but 

 we thought them not equal to many a patch of self-sown seedlings we have 

 seen in neglected gardens ; their markings, however, are curious, and the 

 edges of the flowers are not serrated, which bring them within the category 

 of florists' flowers. Mr. Bragg' s stand of pinks were as good a set as we have 

 seen this season. Mr. Turner showed Oscar strawberries, in magnificent 

 style. Such a box of huge, dark-coloured fruits is not often seen, even 

 in good seasons ; and if Oscar wili make such a show in 1S60, what will it do 

 when the zodiac is in order, and the seasonable sunshine comes, as of old? 

 The berries were like so many heads cut off prize cockscombs, and as firm 

 as if cast in terra cotta. At the end of the table, and apart from the com- 

 petitive stands, was a pretty basket, labelled " London roses, grown within 

 three miles of the Post-Office, by Shirley Hibberd ; not for competition." 

 This attracted a good deal of attention, and the generally expressed opinion 

 of the thousands who saw them, was, that in the individual excellence of the 

 blooms, they could suffer nothing by comparison with the best roses from 

 distant places, where soil and climate are alike of the best. In the centre 

 was a fine bunch of common cabbage ; around this were trusses of Geant des 

 Batailles, General Jacqueminot, Jules Margottin, Madame Domage, Noemi, 

 Lord Itaglan, Marquis d'Avesne, common moss, Havel, and Caroline de 

 Sansal. The Crystal Palace Company supplied plenty of furnishing plants 

 for the decoration of the table, and the total number of visitors during the 

 day was 16,312. 



"Floral Hall, Covent Garden, July 18th and 19 th. — Very different 

 from the exhibition at the Crystal Palace was the show of roses held here. 

 As other subjects were admitted, there was, of course, more variety ; but the 

 scenic effects produced were such as to give a uniqueness of character to the 

 event, such as is not often accomplished at flower-shows. At the far end of 

 the hall was a huge conical stage, filled with Gem calceolaria and a crimson 

 verbena, in compartments, so as to form alternate bands of crimson and yellow, 

 running from top to bottom, and widening, fan-like, to the base. The pots 

 containing the plants were laid on their sides, so that the entire head of each 

 plant was presented to the eye, and the foliage filled in between, as a dense 

 green groundwork. The plants were, we believe, supplied for the purpose 

 by Mr. Kendall, of Stoke Newington. One side of the room was devoted to 

 roses, the cut flowers making a grand show, and the plants in pots looking 

 considerably more miserable than any did at the Crystal Palace. Iu the 



