NOVEMBER. 277 



now, though in former years as many as ten reports of provincial 

 shows have appeared at once. Could not the Florist add some 

 sort of a supplement to give these very useful reports, and so cause 

 it to be regarded as the head organ of the floricultural world ? the 

 Midland Florist, a threepenny publication, has done this for some 

 time past, to the great satisfaction of its numerous readers. The 

 varieties let out this season now demand our attention. The fol- 

 lowing were shewn : 



Times . 



Queen of Lilacs (> 



Serai)h 5 



Magnificent 4 



Fame 3 



Charles Turner 2 



There are several shows not yet reported — Salisbury, Shackle- 

 well, Slough, and the Grand Birmingham and Metropohtan ; but I 

 do not think the result of them will materially affect the above state- 

 ment. 



In conclusion, a few words on the novelties of 1849 and 1850 

 may not be unacceptable to your readers, though they only give the 

 experience and observation of one individual. First and foremost, 

 then, stands the Beauty of Hastings, a flower which, with all its 

 boasted qualifications, has not appeared once through the past season. 

 Its failings appear to be " hard and treacherous in its eye," and in 

 size not coming up to the point required for a front-row flower ; but 

 possibly in another season it may " come out better." Then Dread- 

 nought has not once been exhibited, I suppose on account of size, 

 being generally small; but a better dark flower I have not grown this 

 year, so constant, and in form and outline a perfect model. Bushell's 

 Duchess has appeared only once, though many were the good points 

 it was stated to possess ; it is now marked to be thrown out. Rubens 

 and Dr. Franklin have proved but very transitory planets ; and 

 Dauntless and Queen of the West have been very diffident in ap- 

 pearing before the public, for reasons best known to their respective 

 growers. 



To turn now to the more pleasing task of praising the " Stars of 

 the Season." All must own that the Iron Duke has proved himself 

 worthy of his noble name ; indeed, take him for all in all, he is, in 

 my opinion, the Dahlia I should grow were I only able to cultivate 

 one variety. Mr. Seldon is another noble variety, and is a fitting 

 companion to the Duke ; I have not seen a bad flower of either this 

 season. Fearless is a very tine lilac, pretty constant ; Grenadier a 

 useful ruby-crimson, not always high enough in the centre ; Mrs. C. 

 Bacon, a very useful novel variety ; Purple Standard, good, but not 

 novel in colour ; Queen of the East, a variable variety, sometimes 

 blush, and oftener fawn, and would be better a trifle closer ; Earl of 

 Clarendon, a rich orange-scarlet, at times hard in the centre ; Negro, 

 a useful dark, but a little too much ribbed in the jjctals. To speak 

 of the varieties sent out this year as a whole, they have caused 

 another step in advance. Sir F. Bathurst will long be a favourite, 



