Retrospective Criticism. 445 



MISCELLANEOUS LNTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. Retrospective Criticism. 



Marchioness of Tavistock dahlia — in answer to the Conductor, (p. 

 430.) — Mr. Editor: In your last number of the Magazine of Horticul- 

 ture, under the head of Foreign Notices, pages 429-30, we find the fol- 

 lowins statement: — 



"Metropolitan Society of Florists and Amateurs. — This flourishing 

 Society held its second show at Beulah Spa, on Thursday the 24th of 

 August, 1837. It was one of considerable interest, and a large amount 

 in premiums was awarded. Like all the shows of this Society, the spe- 

 cimens were remarkable both for their rarity and for the skill displayed 

 in their cultivation. Upwards of twenty prizes were awarded for dah- 

 lias, the show of which, as early as this date, was very splendid. The 

 most successful competitor was Mr. Widnall. His stand is stated to 

 have been " truly beautiful," and the only winning one deserving the 

 distinction of giving the names of the flowers. They were exhibited 

 with the names attached, and obtained the gold medal: they were as 

 follows : — 



"Widnall's Lady Dartmouth, Marchioness of Tavistock, Juliet, Em- 

 peror, Paris, Perfection and Sir Walter Scott; Springfield Rival, Glory 

 of the West, Dodds's Marj', Jeffiie's Triumphant, Exemplar, Nimrod, 

 Pothecary's Lord Nelson, Metropolitan Perfection, Conqueror of Eu- 

 rope, Diadem of Flora, Girling's Suffolk Hero and Ruby, Shakspeare, 

 Grant Thorburn, Queen of Trumps, Topaz and Sir H. Fletcher. 



"A greater part of these flowers were exhibited at the annual exhibi- 

 tion of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society this season, and we are 

 glad to notice that Widnall's Marchioness of Tavistock is one of the 

 best, as it has been pronounced by some cultivators, who consider them- 

 selves as judges of the dahlia, as possessing about equal!! beauty with 

 the Beauty oT Cambridge. We blush to record such a decision of so 

 extremely superb a variety; and we envy not the taste of those who 

 think so little of it." 



The last paragraph the subscribers consider as intended for them- 

 selves, from the fact that they had made some remarks, at the solicita- 

 tion of the editor, respecting the dahlia var. Marchioness of Tavistock, 

 a specimen of which was placed on the table of the Massachusetts Hor- 

 ticultural Societ}^, on Saturday the 30th of September, by the Messrs, 

 Hovey. Mr. C. M. Hovey represented the Marchioness of Tavistock 

 as being one of Mr. Widnall's first-rate flowers — that the plant was re- 

 ceived by them, Hovey & Co., late in the season — and that the specimen 

 was not a good one. With these preliminaries we examined the flower, 

 and compared it w'ith the Beauty of Cambridge, to which we thought 

 the specimen had a strong resemblance. We did not give our opinion on 

 the comparative merits of the two varieties, but on the two specimens 

 before us, nor did we say anything about equal beauty !! 



The Marchioness of Tavistock may be, and probably is, a fine vari- 

 ety, but we should like to see a good specimen, before we endorse the 

 declaration of the editor, and call it so " extremely superb a variety," 

 (to which conclusion he has arrived,) because it was one among the 

 many varieties that made up the " truly beautiful" winning stand of 

 Mr. Widnall; and not from any specimen exhibited by himself or by 

 other cultivators. 



