JANUARY. 31 



freely upwards, or it will be intractable to the trainer. If it presents 

 barren axils, or throws up blind shoots, it should be discarded. 



Constancy also is a great point. Some of our best varieties (best 

 when true) are inconstant ; as Hebe's Lip, Mont Blanc, and others. 

 Some, as Foster's Favourite and Beck's Competitor, rarely bring a 

 bloom true, and should be thrown away. Those which bloom cor- 

 rectly at one period of the season and not at the rest, as Cavalier, 

 should not be branded as inconstant. 



Class II. — The general circularity of the blossom is understood 

 and acknowledged as a requisite by all ; and yet many flowers are 

 highly vaunted which offend more against this canon than ought to 

 be tolerated ; for nothing can compensate for its infringement. 



By surface-curvature is meant the absence of flatness, of course 

 "without crumple. The centre should always be slightly cupped, and 

 the flower may be equally graceful whether concave throughout, or 

 whether it change at three-fourths the length of the petals, and as 

 gently reflex, presenting something of the open trumpet or bell- 

 mouthed figure. 



The way in which it sits on its calyx makes a great difference in 

 its general appearance ; for in this are involved the chief properties 

 of the throat, which should be open but not staring, and taper but 

 not elongated. 



The freedom from fringe at the edge, and from crumple on the 

 surface, need no remark. But on the breadth of the under petals, 

 and especially at their extremity, depends the filling up of the inter- 

 vals between petal and petal ; and by consequence the flowing nature 

 of the outline, and the circularity of the flower. Therefore the lower 

 petals should be broad, and increasing in breadth outwards. And 

 the curve with which the petal terminates should have a radius of 

 considerable length : in flowers of high refinement, from half to the 

 whole length of the petal ; in bold flowers it may be less, say a third. 

 If it descends below a fourth, the petal will be too pointed for a 

 modern collection. The individual shape of the upper petals may 

 vary considerably without much change in the general effect. 



Class III. — The average size may now probably be called an inch 

 and three quarters, and a flower should be expected to be this at 

 least. 



A due relative size, or rather length, between the two classes of 

 petals is of great importance, and should always be required. If 

 otherwise, the flower will always sit uneasy on its calyx, besides that 

 the proportion and the contrast are both injured. 



Class IV. — The first four requirements in this class appear to me 

 sufficiently to explain themselves. Harmony should rank high, be- 

 cause here position of itself involves contrast. 



The contrast exhibited by the margin maybe either of two kinds. 

 It may arise simply from position, it being a part of the general ground 

 colour on which a blotch is laid ; if so, the blotch should be large 

 and even, and terminate abruptly, or the contrast will be feeble. Or 

 there may be a contrast of colour as well as of position ; and then it 

 will admit of tlie upper and outer edge of the blotch being starred. 



