OCTOBER. 307 



to prove itself the safeguard and the powerful protector of the profes- 

 sional gardener and the amateur florist. The promoters of the Society- 

 are not far from the truth when they say that thousands have been 

 completely victimised by this system of knavery, having to pay monstrous 

 prices for their new plants, whilst, in the majority of cases, the 

 purchasers have the mortification of finding them of the most con- 

 temptible character, illustrating, in their miserable development, the 

 baseness of those who palmed them upon the public." 



We are aware that the greater portion of our readers has not met 

 with some obscure publications in which a writer, smarting under the 

 severity of disappointed ambition, aiming, as he always has, at absolute 

 dictatorship, and finding that honest men will not act with him, has 

 libelled and abused the National Floricultural Society for no other reason 

 than that the society will not admit him as a member. All that he has 

 said has been felt to be harmless ; but when a society boldly adopts such 

 visionary ideas — eveyi to the words themselves — and becomes a willing 

 participator in the libel, we gladly assure that society that ah its 

 fears are groundless, and that it need not consider the National Flori- 

 cultural Society such a monster of iniquity. We rather pride ourselves 

 upon our integrity and good name, and would not on any account peril 

 them by aiding any project or object not based on honourable principles ; 

 and so long as the National Floricultural Society continues to exercise 

 its functions in the same honourable manner it has hitherto done, so 

 long shall we support it. If our northern fi'iends doubt the truth of 

 our assertion, let them come to the society's meetings and judge for 

 themselves. 



BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX FLORICULTURAL AND HORTI- 

 CULTURAL SOCIETY, SEPT. 13 and 14. 

 The last show of the season, and the fourth since the establishment of 

 this Society, took place as above, and was in every respect worthy of 

 its predecessors. In addition to its being the finest autumn exhibition 

 of plants, fruits, &c.. we have ever seen, it was unquestionably the 

 Dahlia show of the season, with which we will commence our report. 



The principal prize for DahUas was a handsome Silver Cup, given 

 by the Brighton Railway Company, for the best twenty-four Dahlias, 

 to be competed for by private growers only. This was awarded to the 

 Rev. C. Fellowes, Shottisham, Norwich, for one of the finest stands of 

 flowers we ever remember to have seen exhibited by an amateur 

 grower. They consisted of the following varieties : — J\Iiss Caroline, 

 Duchess of Kent, Rachel Rawlings, Pre-eminent, Robert Bruce, I\Irs. 

 Seldon, Glenlyon, Sir R. Whittington, Queen Victoria, Diadem, ]\Ir. 

 Seldon, Duke of Wellington, Bishop of Hereford, Golden Eagle, Amazon, 

 Malvina, Ringleader, Queen of Beauties, Lilac King, Harbinger, The 

 NifTger, Annie Salter, Queen of Whites, Cossack. The second pi ize of five 

 pounds was awarded to G. Holines, Esq., Brook Lodge, near Norwich, 

 for twenty-four finely grown flowers, only second to the first collection 



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