444 Poreign Notices. — England. 



splendid flower, and to our readers generally, a synopsis of the varieties 

 which have been the most successful in taking the prizes. It is from a 

 comparison of the names of the winning blooms, that we can learn which 

 are most to be relied upon as show flow.ers, and which in reality are the 

 most worthy of extensive cultivation. 



Since the estal)lishmentof the new standard of judgment by the London 

 Floricultural Society last season, as given at the close of our last volume 

 (VIII., p. 411,) very few new seedlings have been brought forward for 

 premium. It is rare to find one to come up in all its parts to the true 

 standard of a first class bloom. The Society, in adopting such a course, 

 has done much to prevent the sale of the innumerable seedlings which are 

 yearly produced, and which in many instances are not near so good as 

 many of the older kinds. If the Floricultural Society pronounce a dahlia, 

 after having been frequently shown in stands of 6 blooms, that being one 

 of the conditions, 1st class or 2d class, that is sufficient to give it a repu- 

 tation among all growers of the dahlia. But the mere fact that a seedling 

 dahlia took a prize at this or that provincial Society, even though it may 

 accidentally be a fine variety, does not give it a character sufficient to' 

 warrant any amateur in purchasing it. 



Of the ten Seedlings which gained prizes either as 1st or 2d class flow- 

 ers, last season, the stands will show how correct the society was in its 

 judgment. The most successful appear to be, first, Essex Triumph ; 

 the next, Perpetual Ground ; the third, Sir R. Sale ; the fourth, Virgil ; 

 the fifth. Beauty of Sussex ; sixth. Antagonist, which with Miranda and 

 Great Mogul, are nearly equal ; ninth and tenth. Empress of the Whites, 

 and Hero of Stonhenge. The latter are in but a small number of stands, 

 Essex Triumph is in nearly every first prize stand. 



Mrs. Shelley, x^shmodeus, and Mrs. J. Richardson, three new dahlias, 

 of last year, but which did not take either first or second class prizes, 

 have proved to be first rate sorts ; Mrs. Shelley, in particular, being in 

 nearly every prize stand. 



The Societies referred to are among the most popular in the kingdom. 



Rot/al South London FloricuUural Society — Exhibition at the Surry 

 Zoological Gardens, Sept. 19th. The dahlias it is stated were not so 

 good as usual nor the contest so severe. 



Nurserymen's Class. Best twenty-four blooms. — Mrs. J. Richard- 

 son, Cattleugh's Eclipse, Perpetual Grand, Virgil, Beauty of Sussex, Lady 

 Cooper, Beauty of the Plain, Blue Bonnet, Vivid, Springfield Rival, 

 "Widnall's Eclipse, Mrs. Shelley, Hudson's Princess Royal, Admiral Slop- 

 ford, Dodd"s Prince of Wales, Springfield Purple, Cattleugh's Tourna- 

 ment, Duchess of Richmond, Penelope, Bedford Surprise, Widnall's 

 Queen, Paul Pry, IMiranda, Pickwick. — To Mr. Bragg, of Slough. 



Salt Hill Grand Dahlia .SAou;.— Exhibition at Salt Hill, September 22d. 



Nurserymen's Class. Best twenty-four blooms. — Lady Cooper, 

 Competitor, Admiral Stopford, Springfield Rival Ashmodeus, Mrs. J. 

 Richardson, Springfield Purple, Mrs. Shelley, Hudson's Princess Royal, 

 Great Mogul, Queen, Sir R. Sale, A^ivid, Pickwick, Phenomenon, Candi- 

 date, Cattleugh's Eclipse, Le Grand Baudine, Beauty of the Plain, Essex 

 Triumph, Marchioness of Exeter, Andrew Hofer, Bedford Surprise. — To 

 Mr. Brown, of Slough. 



Nottingham Floral and Horticultural Society. — Exhibition Sept. 20th. 

 The shows of this Society are very large and superior. 



