290 THE FLORIST. 



to about forty celebrated Pelargonium-growers for the names of the 

 twelve very best varieties, and also the twelve best suited for general 

 and exhibition purposes ; but I fear the replies will reach me too 

 late for giving you the result for this month's Florist, but it shall 

 certainly be forwarded in time for the January Number. Without 

 wishing to disparage the productions of other raisers, the almost 

 total absence of Mr. Hoyle's flowers from the Exhibitions of the 

 past season (see list at p. 254) quite confirms me in stating that 

 the most of them are very finely bred, yet few of them are well 

 fitted for general and exhibition purposes, for which Beck's, Foster's, 

 and Lyne's, have been so long celebrated. Orion. 



« NEW AND FIRST-RATE VARIETIES OF PELARGONIUMS." 



Will you give me space to make a few observations touching the 

 Pelargonium, suggested by your remarks in last month's Florist ? 

 You "want the public to demand that all the new flowers sent out 

 this autumn be seen next season in specimen plants ;" and you kindly 

 furnish the names of two metropolitan exhibitors who are willing to 

 grow and show for any raiser who does not himself exhibit. I con- 

 clude you mean they should be shewn in the collections. Now to 

 this request I beg to enter my protest. It appears to me a much 

 wiser plan that buyers of new flowers should demand to see a speci- 

 men plant before they be asked to purchase, and thus have a fair 

 opportunity of judging whether the plant suits their taste or not ; 

 and it should be borne in mind, that the prizes oflFered for collections 

 are for " specimens oi superior cultivation ;'' and although something 

 is said in the schedules of "new and first-rate varieties," I have 

 never seen any attention paid to this point in making the awards ; 

 the only point apparently attended to is, which are the finest plants } 

 I do not say it should be so, if the object be to test the merits of 

 new varieties ; but I do say, that to conclude that the winning col- 

 lections contain the best flowers that have been raised, is to be mis- 

 led, as I was myself often misled in the days of my simplicity. I 

 give it as my opinion that such specimens are not needed to shew 

 the quality of a new variety, nor are they the best from which to 

 form a judgment. I should choose to judge from a plant of such 

 size and growth as any ordinary cultivator can grow, in preference 

 to one requiring some sixteen square feet of stage-room, the only 

 merits of which frequently are, large size, w^ell- trained form, and 

 abundance of bloom. For such specimens a peculiar habit is required, 

 and the absence of this peculiar habit is often the reason why new 

 flowers, and good flowers too, are not shewn in collections ; but it 

 should not be forgotten that the principal requirement for new varie- 

 ties is to improve the collections at home, where such specimens are 

 neither desired nor desirable. 



I cannot think you are quite correct in saying that Mr. C, or 

 Mr. S., or Mr. Anybody, only require a well-rooted small plant in 

 September or October, to make a plant fit to exhibit the following 



