DECEMBER. 283 



constant variey, much the best of the striped class, and well main- 

 tained its position. Kossuth has been much more constant this sea- 

 son, and has turned out to be the best red and white. Flora Mc Ivor 

 has proved to be all we said of it. 



Now that we are writing of the Fancies, we will enumerate those 

 that were sent out last spring which we think worthy of retaining. 

 It is not perhaps generally known, that from fifty to sixty varieties 

 of Fancies find their way from the Continent to England annually, 

 when about half a dozen only are found to suit the English taste. 

 They are generally showy, but deficient in form and character. Com- 

 mencing with flowers of foreign origin, we have a remarkably fine 

 variety for the head of the list, viz. 



Reine des Fleurs. Soft rosy- purple tipped with white ; petal 

 smooth, stout, and well rounded ; average size, general form fine. 

 A first-class flower; requires good growth. 



Josephine. Purple, occasionally tipped with white. This is a 

 fair shaped flower, but not to be depended on. 



Prospero. Purple and white ; second-rate only. 



Jonas. This is a very promising variety. These, with a few 

 others, of which we have not seen enough to be able to describe 

 them, make up the good foreign kinds of last season. 



A list of those we have discarded would be too long for our 

 pages. We have not a long list of English Fancies that are good 

 to recommend ; yet one of them is not only the best of its class, but 

 the finest and most chaste Fancy out. Mrs. Cullum, Mrs. Hansard, 

 and Miss Ward are all considerably beaten by the 



Duchess of Kent (Knight). This is a full-sized flower, very deep, 

 good outline and general form. The delicacy of the yellow and 

 purity of the white, with its beautiful shape, places this variety at 

 the head of the class, and makes it a good companion for Reine des 

 Fleurs. Two such varieties are not often sent out in one season. 

 The Duchess also produces a number of self yellow flowers : we ex- 

 hibited it at the Surrey Show in both stands, fancies and selfs. 



Claudia (Lochner). Purple tipped with white, a large back-row 

 flower, also very showy for the border. It should not be grown 

 strong, and disbudded but sparingly. 



Attraction (Jeffrey). White down the centre of each petal, with 

 a stripe of rich crimson carmine down the sides of the petals. A neat 

 showy flower, full, and of average form ; it should have good growth 

 and be thinned freely. 



Wonderful (Keynes). Creamy yellow at the base of the petal, 

 mottled with pink and white ; a curious flower of good shape, but 

 uncertain in the centre. 



Unanimity (Edwards). A large striped variety, yellow and red; 

 good outline, rather flat. Plants of this variety should be got out 

 early, and allowed to carry nearly all its blooms ; hard thinnings and 

 disbudding make it coarse. 



English fancy varieties, sent out last season, that we grew and 

 discarded are, Zebra, Motley, Mrs. James, Miss Matthews, Miss 

 Fanny Moriers, Harlequin, and Gipsy. 



