2 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



nearly approaches to that of real gilding of any known chrysanthemum 

 — perhaps of any known flower of any kind. Among the varieties 

 renowned for their superior excellence among the incurved class, 

 Empress of India is undoubtedly the grandest chrysanthemum known. 

 Many cultivators insist that it is identical with Queen of England, and 

 others say it is the same as Lady St. Clair. It is, most assuredly, as 

 distinct as any we have, though to the Queen we are indebted for it. 

 To give an idea what may be done with Empress of India by means of 

 good culture, high feeding, and clever dressing, it may suffice to give 

 the measurements of a flower shown in a collection at Islington by 

 Mr. Merry, of Stamford Hill. This noble bloom measured more than 

 six inches across, and from the base to the crown four and a half inches, 

 and the florets half an inch in width, superbly incurved, and rounding 

 up in a most beautiful hemispherical outline. Another distinct variety 

 of the Queen is Princess Royal, a lovely flower, in the style of Golden 

 Queen, and said to be the same, but worth fifty Golden Queens in 

 carriage, proportions, and colour. Prince Alfred has rivetted the atten- 

 tion of all discriminative eyes this season. Mr. Howe, Secretary of 

 the Stoke Newington Society, grew the best flower shown, and that 

 flower could not be surpassed for symmetry ; it was perfect, and to 

 devote five minutes in its admiration would have recompensed any 

 genuine florist for a journey of a hundred miles. Other very con- 

 spicuous flowers of the incurved class are, Pen. Joshua Bix, Jardin des 

 Plantes, Lady PLardinge, Princess of Wales, Pier Majesty, Oliver Crom- 

 well, Beverley, Abbe Passaglia, Lady Slade, Cherub, Br. Brock, and Queen 

 of England. These are named as the grandest flowers known, not as 

 comprising all the best kinds in the incurved class. 



Reflexed varieties are of the greatest service for cultivation as 

 specimen plants, and for the decoration of the conservatory. In this 

 class Mr. Eorsyth has shown a superb new variety, called Pelagia, 

 which is of the same class as that fine variety King of the Netherlands, 

 though very distinct. The best yellow in this class is Chevalier 

 Damage; a well-grown plant is a mountain of gold. Prince Albert and 

 Beaute du Nord are the finest in this class for colour. Golden Trilby, a 

 lovely incurved variety, second only to Jardin des Plantes, makes a 

 superb specimen. Christine and Golden Christine still maintain their 

 high position ; and as the second of the two is a mixture of buff and 

 fawn, it may be grouped with any of the pure yellows. Among the 

 pompones, Golden Circle is fast rising to the first rank in importance. 

 It is a better colour than General Canrobert, and blooms as profusely, 

 but the flowers are not so well formed. Adonis, an established favourite, 

 is one of the liveliest of this class for furnishing, the colour pure and 

 lasting. The varieties of Cedo Nalli figure in all the pompone collections, 

 and in most cases the best collections of three have been the white, 

 the lilac, and the yellow Cedos ; and they match well, being all of the 

 same habit. Among the anemones, Lady Margaret has no equal ; and 

 amoug the pompone class of anemones, Mr. Astie is the best yellow, 

 Shirley LTibberd a fine rose, and Firefly the nearest approach to scarlet. 



The fruit show of the Eoyal Horticultural Society was a decided 

 success. Magnificent specimens of Brobdignag fruits were shown by 

 Messrs. "Webber, of Covent Garden. An average sample of Uvedale's 

 St. Germain measured eight and a half inches from the eye to the in- 



