ON THE TREATMENT OF THE SALVIA PATENS. 109 



the principal proceeds of Floricultural Societies arise from the influx 

 of visitors, we ought in return for their shillings to show them consi- 

 derable respect-* 



And now a word or two upon the subject of awards; and I beg to 

 say that what I write is entirely disinterested, as I grow solely for 

 the enjoyment and instruction it affords me, and not for exhibition. 

 It would add much to the respectability of Floricultural Societies if 

 judges were more impartial in their decisions; and all committees 

 should avoid as much as possible inviting persons as censors who have 

 a previous knowledge of the things placed for award. Indeed, I think 

 in no case should a judge know to whom the things belong, that 

 his judgment may be unbiased and guided solely by the merit of the 

 production before him. I have known first prizes given to produc- 

 tions of inferior merit, solely because known to the judges, and the 

 other stands, far superior, happened to belong to persons who were 

 rival growers of the same plants ; these things ought not to be, these 

 things must not be allowed, or Floricultural Committees may soon 

 give up the days of exhibition. 



ARTICLE VIII. 



ON THE TREATMENT OF THE SALVIA PATENS. 



BY A SOUTH BRITON, ISLE OF WIGHT. 



As the Salvia patens has now become a universal favourite both in 

 the greenhouse and for flowering in the beds and borders of the 

 flower-garden, perhaps a few observations on the preservation of the 

 plants during winter, and propagation the following spring, may be 

 both interesting aud useful. 



Although the Salvia patens is perfectly hardy, yet it is greatly pre- 

 ferable to treat it as a greenhouse plant, for I find that plants which 

 are left out during the winter are about six weeks later in coming into 

 bloom than those which are raised in the spring and turned out. 



At the end of October, or early in November, the routs should be 

 carefully taken up and left in a shed a few days to dry them a little, 

 after which they must be placed in a dry situation where they are 



* The above remarks were penned before I had read the paper in one of the 

 late Numbers by Florista, and I am happy to find there are some of your readers 

 that enteitain the same opinion as myself on the subject, 



