200 THE PROGRESS OP THE PELARGONIUM. 



Fancy Flowers ; and the once celebrated Jewess, raised by Mr. Foster, 

 and sent out at three guineas. This was considered a splendid acqui- 

 sition, and the demand was greater than the supply of plants ; every 

 body wanted it, and a good sum of money must have been realized. 

 Mr. Foster also raised his Discount, sent out at one guinea ; Glow- 

 worm, Prima Donna, Splendidum, Sunbeam, Vesta, and Vivid, 

 all advertised at two guineas each, but none of them worthy of any 

 remark now, except that Vivid was the parent of many bright flowers, 

 to be alluded to hereafter. Mr. Garth's principal flower this year was 

 Joan of Arc, priced at four guineas each. This was a fine flower, 

 and long continued popular, from its being a good market variety, with 

 stiff" petals and stout habit. His other flowers were Fanny Garth, 

 two guineas ; Magna Charta, three guineas ; Una, three guineas, a 

 nice clear light flower, and one which also became an excellent selling 

 variety; Perfection, sent out at one guinea. To the above may be 

 appended Beatrice, three guineas, a good dark crimson ; Gauntlet 

 (Gaines'), three guineas ; Ladt Carlisle, one guinea, a high coloured 

 variety ; Lady E. Boulteel, two guineas, a good stage variety ; and 

 Madonna, at one guinea. It would be superfluous at the present time 

 to describe every individual flower ; therefore, giving the names only 

 of the principal, but short-lived, novelties, the descriptions will be con- 

 fined to those which made the most stir in their time. 



The year 1840 saw some flowers the first time, which, indeed, caused 

 a sensation. Mention Conservative, Coronation, Erectum, Grand 

 Duke, Victory, and Sylph to any old enthusiastic cultivator, and he 

 will say, " Ah ! those flowers tempted me to lay out my money lavishly 

 indeed ;" and it is not surprising, for they were valuable gems in their 

 day. Perhaps no single year saw such a step in advance before or 

 since ; and the fame they and their raisers acquired stimulated others 

 in every part of England to enter the lists, and in 1842 we shall find 

 that raisers of flowers and exhibitors became much more numerous, and 

 a greater struggle for pre-eminence ensued. The " flower of the 

 year " was undoubtedly Conservative, raised by Mr. Garth, and 

 priced at five guineas ; it was of a peculiar and (then novel) rich purple 

 tint, and became the precursor of many other celebrated purple flowers, 

 as Sir Robert Peel, Mercury, &c. The chief fault it had, for all 

 flowers have their faults, was an unconquerable propensity to curl the 

 petals backwards ; otherwise for the period it ranked as a first-rate 

 variety. The same celebrated grower's Coronation, sent out at three 

 guineas, was a valuable addition ; it was about the colour of the Flying 

 Dutchman of our day, but with a fine habit, producing generally from 

 ten to twelve fine flowers on one truss, a quality few of the present 

 popular varieties possess. Bijou, Clarissa, Corinne, Riexzi, Rosea- 

 elegans, and Victory, all raised by Mr. Garth, and all advertised at 

 two guineas each, were considered " stars " in their day, but do not 

 call for any particular distinction, except that the last proved to be one 

 of the useful selling varieties, possessing a good habit, with stiff well 

 thrown-up flowers. It may be mentioned en passant, that Conser- 

 vative was the cause of more money being turned over than any other 

 variety raised before or since. The writer remembers one gentleman 



