THE SWEET WILLIAM. 
231 
Perfection displayed, when compared* with 
other dark crimsons ; and the new ones of the 
present season, or rather of the last season, to 
be sold out this spring, possess similar claims 
for their superiority over others of their 
colour. The new ones are all marked for 
some decided advance of quality upon others 
in their class, or for manifest novelty of some 
kind ; and in all cases there is some claim or 
other which their predecessors do not possess. 
To mention the actual novelties that have 
been distinguished by prizes or certificates, 
would much lengthen our account. We begin 
with — Sir Edward Antrobus, the most double 
and symmetrical red in the whole tribe ; 
Princess Radziwill, the most close and double of 
the edged or tipped varieties, and of a rich and 
deep colour, and though reflexing when full 
blown, it retains all the points of form ; Mar- 
chioness of Cornwallis, a flower exhibited 
white, but we suspect by the operation of 
shading, for it indicates an occasional stain — 
this may be accidental, and even uncertain, 
but still many will be content to grow several for 
the chance of such blooms as have been already 
shown ; Marquis of Aylesbury — rosy lilac or 
purple, brighter and better than any other of 
its class ; Queen of Perpetuals, a very beauti- 
ful colour, as near as possible to a lilac ; in this 
the colour gained the prize, even if it were no 
better in form than some less bright; Magician, 
selected for its colour, which is new, between 
a yellow and fawn, and striking ; Lady Stop- 
ford, as much like Admiral Stopford in form 
as it is possible to conceive, and of a rosy 
crimson ; Duke of Cambridge, a beautiful 
form, and a bright, thick, darkish crimson ; 
Prometheus, selected for its extreme double- 
ncss and symmetry, and its rich purple ; New- 
ington Rival, a flower so much like the Stand- 
ard of Perfection, that many considered it the 
same or too much like it for a certificate ; but, 
if it be larger or smaller, or blooms a different 
season, such a flower would be useful, as it 
might be shown when the other could not ; 
all that were shown were certainly better in 
the centre than the average of the standard 
blooms ; Bohemian Girl, approved for its 
novelty ; it is a tipped or rather edged flower, 
with a good deal of colour, of a deep purple 
or mulberry, unlike anything we have ; it 
was shown often without being well up in the 
cciitre ; but it has been shown perfect, and 
then it was a most striking and rich variety. 
All these, therefore, have some claim to the 
distinction put upon them, and most of them 
will he grown by exhibitors, because the old 
varieties, that at all approach them in colour, 
will be found very inferior ; and stands which 
have the advantage of some of these new sorts, 
well-bloomed, will throw others which have 
not got them far behind. The fault in some 
of the old varieties is a want of more petals ; 
some of the new ones have three or four more 
than the old ones, and favourite as the Spring- 
field Rival very deservedly is, even that would 
be better were there a few rows added to it ; 
and it is in this that the great improvement 
is wanted with many others, which only have 
their reign until something in the same way 
beats them ; and when we speak disparaginglv 
of Dahlias long since thrown away, it does 
not follow that they were not, in their day, by 
comparison, good. All the tribes of flowers, 
which are very difficult to improve, retain in 
their show -collections many that have been 
successful for years ; while such flowers as do 
advance rapidly, so completely beat their pre- 
decessors that they get discarded altogether. 
Among Geraniums, Pansys, Cinerarias, Cal- 
ceolarias, Dahlias, and the like, if we look 
to a ten-year-old catalogue we shall hardly 
find half-a-dozen that are now cultivated ; 
whereas, if we take Auriculas, and Poly- 
anthuses, and Carnations, many of the sorts 
now shown, are in catalogues of even twenty 
years old. 
The Dahlia is especially an improving 
flower, and new ones certainly throw old ones 
out of collections. 
THE SWEET WILLIAM. 
There are few subjects more showy than 
this particular section of the Dianthus family, 
for its noble trusses of bloom entitle it to a 
place among the most favourite beauties of the 
border. It has the advantage of great va- 
riety of colours as self's, and very curious and 
uniform markings when variegated. It also 
comes rich as a semi-double flower, and 
it is capable of being propagated to perpetuate 
any particular kind. "Whether it be worth 
cultivating for exhibition or not is a question 
worth entertaining ; because as very much has 
been done with flowers infinitely worse in 
character, and with less to recommend them, 
there can be no doubt that something very con- 
siderable might be achieved by careful selec- 
tions, and discarding the worst. The chief 
fault of the flower is its fimbriated edges ; 
but then pinks are as bad, if not worse, and 
picotecs and carnations were not a jot belter. 
Again, all three of these favourites were like 
a five winged wind-mill, so narrow were the 
petals, that no one who looks upon one of the 
single original flowers can imagine that they 
were the aboriginals of the magnificent 
flowers now in cultivation, as show carnations, 
picotees, and pinks. There is no reason, 
therefore, to doubt but that larger flowers, 
clearer markings, brighter colours, purer 
whites, and thicker petals may be obtained 
in the Sweet William ; and the proper way 
