THE METROPOLITAN FLORAL EXHIBITIONS. 245 



(Sporry), a magnificent bloom; Springfield Rival (Inwood); Au- 

 rantia (Sporry) ; Gloria Mundi (Headley) ; President of the West 

 (Whale) ; Cleopatra (Attwell) ; Raphael (Brown) ; Ophir (Edward) ; 

 Standard of Perfection (Keynes) ; Essex Triumph (Turville), a 

 beautifully shaded bloom ; Mrs. Shelley (Mitchell) ; Bermondsey 

 Bee (Proctor) ; Mrs. James Richardson (Edward) ; Pickwick, 

 (Cormack) ; and Nonpareil (Proctor). Mr. Widnall, of Gran- 

 chester, obtained the second prize; Mr. Brown, of Slough, third ; 

 and Mr. Girling, of Stowmarket, fourth : there were also five other 

 exhibitors. A prominent fault with many of the stands was, that 

 they contained such a number of low and imperfect centered flowers. 

 We regret the prevailing appearance of this imperfection because it 

 is a great one, and exhibitors, in selecting the blooms for their stands, 

 ought always to give especial consideration to the importance of a 

 good centre, as from it, all the arrangements of the flower proceeds, 

 and unless it is sufficiently elevated above all other parts, such 

 flower is bad in the first point, and however regular its disposition 

 may otherwise be, it is not fit for show. 



In the seedling class a number of candidates were presented for 

 approbation. Of those raised in 1844, which are to be offered for 

 sale in the ensuing season, the following were selected for first-class 

 prizes by the judges, viz. : — 



Sir Edmund Antrobus. — Mr. Keynes, Salisbury: a flower of 

 medium size and of a deep rich red colour; the flower is full, the 

 petals being rather small, but very symmetrically arranged ; outline, 

 perfect ; centre, somewhat too flat. 



Not named. — Mr. Gaines, Battersea : white laced with deep 

 purple, but fading to the outside ; a good shaped flower, with the 

 centre tolerably high. 



Queen of Per pctuals. — Mr. Girling, Stowmarket: deep pencilled 

 silvery lilac; and, although in one or two of the flowers there was a 

 thinness around the eye, we have no doubt it is a very desirable 

 flower. 



Lady Stopford. — Mr. Trentfield : crimson-red colour; not above 

 medium size; well and regularly cupped; outline perfect; centre 

 not well up. 



N( winy ton Rival. — Mr. Smith : deep crimson ; the arrange- 

 ment pretty good, but the flower appears to want depth. 



