358 THE FLORIST. 



Therefore, in taking nil these things into consideration, it was 

 considered that the justice of the case would be met by returning a 

 verdict to the effect, that our horticulturists be requested to discharge 

 defendant from their service as soon as possible — except in extreme 

 cases, and that a more general use be made of the temporary copings; 

 and also, that this verdict be accompanied with a request that the same 

 gentlemen will use their utmost intiuence and energies in endeavouring 

 to bring forward a more hardy class of those fruits that now require 

 the assistance of the plaintiff in this case. It was hoped and believed 

 that the time was not far distant when this very desirable object would 

 be attained, so that we should soon be enabled to gather our Peaches 

 from trees in the open air in favourable situations. Verdict accordingly. 



There now only remained the returning public thanks to the 

 several witnesses who had so willingly come forward with their evidence 

 to assist in carrying through this case, which was here done m the rpost 

 eloquent terms ; but at the same time regret was expressed that so many 

 persons should yet be found so reluctant to come forward to assist in the 

 advancement of science, as had been found to be the case in issuing 

 the summons for the information required in this matter. 



Thomas W. Abbott. 



Ribston Park, Wetherhy. 



THE DAHLIAS OP 1855. 

 The experience of the past season proves that slight dependance can be 

 placed on any opinion which may be formed of the capabilities of a 

 Dahlia, on its first appearance as a seedling. The gentlemen who 

 furnished the "tabular fist" in January last were all more or less 

 wrong. Nor do I see how such errors are to be avoided. Seedlings 

 exhibited for proof are only seen by the public at their best ; and there 

 is no possibility of formifig any reliable estimate of their constancy. 

 Nay, the very raisers may be deceived with respect to this property ; 

 for it sometimes happens that a flower is constant one year and quite 

 the reverse another. There is, consequently, no reason for affirming 

 that the opinions recorded in January were not correct, so far as the 

 means of arriving at sound conclusions had been afforded. 



" Constancy has so much to do with making a Dahlia a favourite," 

 that no new variety can hope to become established in public esteem, 

 which does not reckon this as one nf its primary qualities. I have long 

 felt that this property is not sufficiently insisted on. I can call to 

 mind several occasions when, if I had not taken the precaution to form 

 a corps de reserve, by planting out a few of the constant second-rate 

 varieties, somewhat contemptuously styled " useful," I should have 

 found it impossible to make up the lull tale of presentable flowers when 

 the day of exhibition came round. I have now arrived at the stern 

 determination of discarding (after a fair and impartial trial), all those 

 sorts — however beautiful they may occasionally be — which do not offer 

 a reasonable chance of one good bloom, from two or three plants, when 



