3 I LY. 203 



Ramsey, and Blue MoJel ; 2, Messrs. Dicksons & Co., with Royal 

 Standard, Mary Lamb, Col. Windham, Countess of Rosslyn, Mrs. 

 Hope, Sir J. Cathcart, Seedling of 1859, J. B. Gough, Ariadne, 

 Jeannie, and Charles MTntosh ; 3, Mr. Niven, gr., Keir, Dunblane. 



Open to all, and selected from all the blooms in the room : For the 

 best self in the room, Mr. Taylor, Blaydon Burn, Newcastle, with 

 Royal Purple. For the best yellow ground in the room: Mr. M'Far- 

 lane, Barnton, with C. W. R. Ramsay. For the best white ground in the 

 room : Messrs. Dicksons & Co., with Countess of Rosslyn. For the 

 best Pansy in the room: Mr. Taylor, Blaydon Burn, with Royal 

 Purple. Sweepstakes for the best 12 dissimilar blooms,, open to all, the 

 prize was awarded to Mr. J. H. Douglas, Nurseryman, Kosebank ; 

 there was, however, no competition Jbr this prize. 



New flowers were on this occasion produced in considerable numbers, 

 some of which contested very severely with older favourites for the 

 pre-eminence, as will be sufficiently evident by a glance at the winning 

 stands. Mr. M'Farlane's new yellow ground flower, " C. W. R. 

 Ramsay," figured in each of his first prize stands, took the prize for the 

 best yellow ground in the room, and was awarded a certificate of merit ; 

 another flower shown by Mr. M'Farlane " Titian " (a dark self) very 

 nearly beat Mr. Taylor's Royal Purple. There was a good white ground 

 flower, " Mar)''," in Mr. Douglas's stand from Rosebank, to which a 

 certificate of merit was awarded; the " Countess of Rosslyn " was the 

 only check to this flower coming in for the prizes for the best white 

 ground in the room. These facts are sufficient to prove the increasing 

 interest taken in the improvement of this interesting little flower by the 

 members of the Scottish Pansy Society ; and the great care in not 

 granting first-class certificates to any but superior flowers, is an 

 encouragement to those who are disposed to give their support to the 

 Society. The next annual competition of the Society will be held in 

 Glasgow in June 1860. 



CLOTH OF GOLD AND ISABELLA GRAY ROSES. 



As might naturally be expected (says the Wiltshire Independent) the 

 controversy about the merits of these two Roses has commenced with 

 the blooming season. The Gardeners' Chronicle of May 28 has a 

 notice of the two Roses, accompanied by reports from two correspondents, 

 one of whom has been blessed with so slight a modicum of success with 

 the fair Isabella, that he must, indeed, be thankful for small mercies, 

 to chronicle it ; one expanded bloom, pinched by the cold, but showing 

 unmistakeable indications of beauty, and an opening bud, being the 

 crop of a vigorous specimen, planted in 1857 ! The other correspondent, 

 a lady, has more cause for joy ; her Isabella (at Torquay), in its third 

 year, and which grew immensely last year, having now above 90 buds 

 on it, most of which are rapidly expanding. The specimen sent to the 

 editor of the paper just alluded to is described by him as a " nice " one 

 — not a very glowing description of a selected bloom, sent by a lady ! 

 However, 90 buds, opening into even nice blooms, is something 



