SEPTEMBER. 267 



interesting information; and at that time the pages of the Florist 

 were granted me for the purpose. Need I fear the channel will be 

 denied me at the present time ? 



Thus do I avoid both preface and apology, and request to be 

 favoured with the communications of those who may desire to respond 

 not later than the middle of the present month (September), to Wace 

 Cottage, Holloway ; that the same may be prepared, and appear in the 

 October number of the Florist, Fridtist, and Garden Miscellany, 

 a work of which we may all well be proud. 



John Edwards. 



NATIONAL CARNATION AND PICOTEE SOCIETY. 



The fourth annual exhibition of this Society took place at Derby, 

 August 8th, at the Arboretum, in connection with the summer show 

 of the Midland Horticultural Society, which latter is one of the most 

 successful and best managed provincial societies in the country. The 

 day was exceedingly fine, and a large number of visitors availed 

 themselves of the opportunity of witnessing the varied and beautiftd 

 productions. 



The show was originally fixed for the 3d, but, from the lateness of 

 the season, it was found the flowers would not be in good bloom ; it 

 was therefore necessary to postpone it. We must not question the 

 policy of this step, since the exhibition was so successful, there being 

 26 competitors in all, 15 being the largest number at any pre^'ious 

 meeting. It was, however, much against the southern collections ; 

 there might not have been so many blooms staged on the 3d, but their 

 quality would have been better, and they would have been larger. 



We do not recommend the continuance of the plan of showing 

 Carnations and Picotees, stands of each, in connexion, for the principal 

 prizes. We know several good growers who only grow Picotees, and 

 others who only grow Carnations, these are excluded from such com- 

 petition ; besides, there are other objections. Neither do we approve 

 of duphcates being showni in so small a number as twelve blooms. It 

 is not easy for the Judges to decide if the regulations have been com- 

 plied with, nor is there sufficient time to do so. The exhibitor that may 

 show twelve varieties, to gain a point over his opponent by having a 

 better variety, would gain nothing at all, but probably lose, since it 

 must be taken as granted that they are equal on this point, by ha^^ng 

 availed themselves of being allowed to show duplicates, and comphed 

 with the rules by only showing the smallest number of varieties 

 allowed. If a grower has several blooms of one kind, equal perhaps to 

 each other, there are the classes to exhibit them in. 



Having stated what httle we object to, we will now proceed with the 

 more pleasant part of commending that which was praiseworthy. 



The show itself, as well as the number of blooms, was far beyond 

 what we expected, our own collection being so nearly gone. We 

 were agreeably surprised to find so many fine flowers, and will 



