16. Miss Herbert (Keynes) relurnul bij Po. Py. R. Sm. . . . 4* 



17. Admiration (Green) ,, J. Sra. W. . . . 3 



18. Miss Ward (Turner) „ DL. F. RP 3 



19. Phaeton (Miquet) ,, P. R. W 3 



The following eight sorts have each two votes : Claudia, Duchesse de 



Brabant, Flora M'lvor, Forget-me-not, Janas, Lady Grenville, Reine 

 des Fleurs, and Wonderful. Fourteen varieties having each but a 

 single vote are therefore not given in detail. It will be observed that 

 the 15 lists extend to 41 sorts ; of these but one, Baron Alderson 

 (Perry) obtains what I may term universal suffrage. 



Originally, I believe, the fancy Dahlia was introduced to our notice by 

 our Gallic neighbours, and for a time we were indebted mainly to im- 

 ported varieties ; this is not now the case, as will be evident from these 

 returns, the majority of the varieties being those of home produce. 



Again thanking those gentlemen who so readily responded to n;y 

 application, and trusting they may not regret the use I have made 

 of their ideas, I subscribe myself theirs faithfully, 



John Edwards. 



PELARGONIUMS. 



In trying to judge of the progress made in the improvement of florists' 

 flowers from one year to another, we are sometimes unable to perceive 

 any great advance. Now and then, certainly, a list is made, and all 

 can see at a glance the improvement that is made ; but to gain a clear 

 and definite idea of what has been done, it is needful to look back for a 

 few years, that, by comparing the favourites of the past with the new 

 flowers, we may be made aware of what has been achieved. These 

 reflections occurred to my mind on looking over the plates in the 

 Florist, and contrasting that of Pelargoniums in the first number with 

 those in the number for September, 1854, and certainly the most un- 

 initiated could not fail to be struck with the immense improvement that 

 has been effected in those seven years, and it should be particularly 

 noticed that this improvement has been effected upon flowers already 

 highly cultivated, and which it was thought by the talented editor of 

 the Gardeners' Chronicle could not be surpassed, when he recom- 

 mended seedling Pelargonium raisers to give up their pursuit and try 

 some fresh crosses of the wild species, according to a long series of 

 directions given in the Chronicle. But I am not aware that any one 

 has followed them ; and the rich success that has rewarded those who 

 persevered in their own way, proves how incorrect were the editor's 

 views. Perhaps he was misled by the high-sounding names sometimes 

 given ; for we have had the " Perfection" of one raiser, the " Victory " 

 of others, and " Defiance " often hurled about, and he might take it 

 for granted that raisers themselves really thought they had reached 

 perfection ; but it may now be, I confess, somewhat difficult to point 

 out in what Hoyle's "Wonderful," one of the varieties figured in 

 Plate 92, can be improved upon. Of course, we now want to get every 



