THE PROGRESS OF THE PELARGONIUM. 247 



old way, described at page 149; this was purchasing the raiser's best 

 seedlings, and advertising them immediately after the termination of 

 the exhibition season, with prices moderate in comparison with those of 

 previous years ; and this plan was found to answer so well, that very 

 soon it became general, and it remained only for Mr. Beck to show 

 that one guinea was a sufficient sum for any variety, unless it possessed 

 a peculiar and novel character, and then one guinea anda-halfvras his 

 outside limit. Mr. Lyne, of Cornwall, made a very successful begin- 

 ning in 1843, by raising (or first advertising) his justly celebrated 

 Duke of Cornwall, priced at three guineas, which very speedily 

 became the " flower of the day." It is a noble flower, with a fine large 

 trussing habit, and, in my opinion, only now gives place to the same 

 grower's Forget ne not, a flower of after-years' production. *Lord 

 Ebrington and *Princess Royal, each at two guineas, and Sunrise 

 at three guineas, all contributed to prove that Mr. Lyne had realized 

 great success, though in the first year only of his " coming out." Mr. 

 Foster's star this year was *Sir Robert Peel, a nice stout flower, in 

 colour similar to Conservative, but perhaps not so deep. Favorite 

 was a light pink variety, much given to "sporting ;" these two were 

 each priced at three guineas, and the following of Mr. Foster's raising 

 were each two guineas : Luna, *Nestor (a large flower), Rosetta 

 superba, and Sapphire. Mr. Garth's best flowers were, Unit, 

 Queen Piiilippa, each two guineas ; Wizard and *Constellation 

 at three guineas. None of these call for any particular notice. Mr. 

 Gaines had *Amulet, Duchess of Sutherland, and Orange Per- 

 fection, each at three guineas ; Lady Sale, Prince of Wales, and 

 Princess Royal, at two guineas. A good white variety, Lumsden's 

 Sarah, also appeared ; but this, like all the whites hitherto out, pos- 

 sessed the invariable plum-coloured veins. Bassett's Glory of the 

 AVest, sent out at two guineas, was much admired, as was Blackford's 

 Thunderer at the same price ; the latter was a large coarse-veined 

 pink flower. Queen of Bourbons, a novel pink flower, long thrown 

 out, with Belle of Ware, Comte d'Orsay, Imperialis, and some 

 others, each at two guineas, were, perhaps, worthy of notice in their 

 day, but must be passed over in the present hasty glance. Though a 

 few good flowers appeared, this was by no means a successful season 

 compared with some others, and, therefore, let another year's produc- 

 tions be reviewed. Eighteen hundred and forty-four saw the first batch 

 of Mr. Beck's flowers, and his productions from the first assumed that 

 importance they have so long and greatly deserved. The names were 

 Black Prince, British Queen, *Cleopatra, *Leonora, *Evening 

 Stab, Meteor, *Susanna, and others, all sent out by Messrs. Lucombe 

 and Pince, of Exeter, at moderate prices, varying from seven shillings 

 and sixpence to one guinea: they were mostly dark flowers, of quite a 

 different vein to any that had previously appeared. The same nursery- 

 men also sent out a flower of some notoriety, Pluto (raised by Mr. 

 Thurtell), also at one guinea. This most likely was the parent of all 

 the dark flowers hereafter raised with such velvety blotches as shown in 

 Mount Etna, Crusader, &c, and was then a good acquisition, in 

 point of colour chiefly. Three large coarse flowers, all very similar, 



