UNCERTAIN CHARACTER OP FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 31 



Topaz, Ruby, Yellow Perfection, Doctor Halley, Rival Sussex, 

 Whales's Royal Standard, Suffolk Hero, Victory, Addison, Tri- 

 umphant, Sarah; Widnall's Perfection, Marquis of Lothian, Eva, 

 Essex Rival, Shakspeare, Sir Walter Scott, Duke of Sussex, 

 AnselPs Unique, Lilac Perfection, Metropolitan Perfection, Blan- 

 dina, and perhaps many more that I have not seen, have borne the 

 burden and heat of the day, and have maintained their rank and 

 superior character among a host of new and highly praised flowers, 

 which have sunk into forgetfulness to be remembered no more. 

 But these stand the test yet ; with these in a garden we may always 

 cut a tolerable stand of flowers ; and those who are about to form a 

 collection, I would advise to purchase these good old sorts. And 

 now for those that have proved good for nothing. Widnall's 

 Apollo was represented as being of the shape of Springfield Rival. 

 I purchased a plant of Mr. Widnall himself, and every flower came 

 with an open eye and very small ; Granta was only an every other 

 year flower ; and Lady Dartmouth has never brought me one good 

 flower these last two seasons ; Jones's Sulphurea elegans was eulo- 

 gised very highly when it came out. I have grown it three seasons 

 without producing three flowers fit to show. Dodd's Mrs. Glenny 

 has never bloomed a double flower with me ; and his Duke of Wel- 

 lington has been very little better these last two years, every flower 

 being semi-double, and the inner petals curled in all directions. 

 However, if I live, as I like its colour, I will try it another season ; 

 I will grow it in peat and road-scrapings, in very poor loam, and in 

 sand and lime rubbish, and if it then fail, farewell to his Grace. 

 Berkshire Champion was represented as a first-rate flower; the 

 first bloom of it had six petals, aud every other was open-eyed and 

 very small. Rival scarlet and Nulli secundus are both very small, 

 and very uncertain; Beauty of the West Riding is very bad ; Rosea 

 Elegans is uncertain, but when right it makes up for all ; Star of 

 Buckland is a real impostor, the colour is bad, the tip is bad, and 

 every flower is completely single ; Kingcote Rival is really good for 

 nothing, and Salmon's Perfection quite as bad; Allen's Flora is 

 pretty when perfect, but that is not twice in a season; Warrick's 

 King of the Tips is a very poor, small] thing, not worth a straw; 

 Purple Perfection is good in colour, but not one flower in a score is 

 anything like perfect; then there is Sir Robert Peel and Brown's 



