Mil. T. MOOltE ON JUDGING NEW PLANTS. 



105 



avoid the sameness of aspect which must prevail, if distinctness 

 of character is not made a sine quel non. 



6. Pleasing and Well-marked Colour. — The leaf, that is to say, 

 should, if green, be of a good pleasant healthy-looking greeu, and 

 if of any other colour, it should be of some decided and agreeable 

 tint or tone. 



7. Well-defined Colours or Markings. — This is an essential part 

 of beauty in the case of variegated leaves, and variegation is a 

 condition commonly presented by what are called ornamental 

 foliage plants. A cloudy intermixture of colours in leaves (indeed 

 in flowers) is seldom or never effective. 



8. Novelty of Character. — Though only to be valued as the 

 stepping stone to the production of new races, as in the case of 

 flowering plants, yet when combined with other elements of 

 beauty, or as indicating features which may be improved upon 

 and worked up to greater perfection, this is a property much to 

 be desired. These several features may be formulated thus, as 

 regards their highest degree of development : — 



Points. 



1. Freeness of habit 15 



2. Healthiness of leaf-development 15 



3. Gracefulness or nobility of aspect 15 



4. Endurance of foliage 15 



5. Distinctness of character 15 



6. Agreeableness of colouring 10 



7. Definition in markings 10 



8. Novelty 5 



As glaring defects which may occur in this class of plants, may be 

 mentioned the following pecularities, each of which should reduce 

 the award by 10 : — 



Straggling habit. 



Flimsy, tender, rapidly-perishing leaves. 

 Indistinct or fleeting colours or markings. 



III. Florist's Flowees. 

 Though various in character these admit of more ready and 

 exact comparison than the two preceding classes ; for the number 

 of organs to be adjudicated on are fewer, and hence the requisite 

 features admit of more exact comparison and definition. This 

 definition has been worked out, and on the whole well worked out, 

 in the little book already referred to ; but this does not adopt the 



