FLORICULTURE OF THE MONTH. 
270 
white, with a remarkable dark spot, and well 
grown would he splendid. As the May shows 
are merely initiatory for Geraniums and 
many other subjects, and we are likely to see 
the same plants or varieties in better order, 
we shall not go through them all. Of the 
orchideous plants, the most remarkable were 
the Vandas, of which several varieties were 
exhibited in splendid condition. Of fruit 
there was but little, but that little was good. 
The arrangements were very complete, the 
tents triumphing completely over the heaviest 
rain and hail-storm we ever witnessed, and 
standing three hours of the rain without a 
dampness being felt inside. The conservatory 
is very full, and we may say, crowded, the 
plants having been (perhaps out of delicacy 
towards those who presented them) allowed to 
grow as they please; we seriously recommend 
the very free use of the knife. Many of the 
plants may be made noble specimens in form 
as well as size, if pruned well before they 
make their next growth. A specimen of the 
Brugmansia (Datura) sangninea, in full bloom, 
was a most striking object ; but the plants 
have not sufficient room ; and be it remem- 
bered, that very many flowering plants wiil 
bear spurring as well as a fruit-tree. 
FLORICULTURE OF THE MONTH, 
BT GEOKGE GLENN Y. 
The month of May is generally rich in sub- 
jects of floral interest, and notwithstanding 
the unfavourable weather, which has pre- 
vented many from venturing forth with their 
best specimens, the shows have far exceeded 
in splendour and specimens of skill every- 
thing that had been seen before. The Chis- 
wick show was first on the list, and rich 
in azaleas, roses, orchideous plants, heaths, 
and stove and greenhouse plants. The Royal 
Botanic Society's show in the Regent's Park 
was much the same up to a given point, but there 
Were many additional showers. The Surrey 
Zoological Gardens produced an exhibition of 
such extent and excellence among the plants, 
as the picking of the whole season any year 
previous would not have equalled. There has 
been nothing very novel in seedlings, except 
in Cinerarias, and the chief of these have 
been Henderson's, I very treading rather close 
on his heels, but by no means equal. Perhaps 
Porperina, with a sky-blue edging, and white 
centre, takes the lead, its habit being as rich 
as its colour. We have seen Ivery's Ivery- 
ana Azalea well exhibited ; it is pretty, but 
not equal to his Beauty of Reigate, which is 
a fine white, with carnation stripes very well 
defined, and worthy of a place in every col- 
lection. The Verbena, Wyness' Princess 
Alice, has been shown badly, and it gives us 
occasion to recommend all growers of verbenas 
to abstain from showing early ; they do not 
come to their proper colour early in the sea- 
son, and they will not stand the least artificial 
heat. If Princess Alice were not already out, 
it would not have gained half-a-dozen cus- 
tomers from the specimen exhibited this 
month — the beautiful pure white of autumn 
is a stained affair in spring ; those, therefore, 
who have seen it during May, can form no no- 
tion — no accurate notion — of its real qualities. 
Mr. Beck has some new Geraniums, which 
have been noticed at the Surrey Gardens but 
passed over at the Royal Botanic Gardens. 
Considering the great rubbish which have 
obtained certificates in the Regent's Park, we 
cannot understand the passing over of such 
flowers as Emily and Pontiff; we quite 
approve of refusing certificates to flowers 
that are not first-rate ; but Emily, Agatha, 
Cuyp, Dowager, and Pontiff, if taken for 
comparison to the side of many of the present 
leading sorts, would make them look poor ; 
the new ones have their faults, but the colour 
and size should save Pontiff, and the general 
qualities are fair in Emily; we repeat, that 
we should like to see the standard kept high, 
and certificates refused to such flowers as 
Emily and Pontiff, if the consistency were 
preserved ; but to see scores of worse things 
obtain them, and such as they passed 
over, is not exactly the thing. Turner's 
Pansies have been magnificent this season, 
improving at each show. It would be en- 
couraging if the grower would enlighten the 
amateur by a paper on their culture: we know 
he has done this in the Florist, but no one 
who has seen the cuts, or portraits of flowers 
in that work, can have any faith in its con- 
tents; whether they are misrepresented by 
design or for want of talent, we cannot say, 
but justice to those who might be misled by 
the representations there, compels us to say, 
that in most instances it would be impossible 
to recognise the flowers by any of the por- 
traits ; the Beauty of Hastings dahlia has 
not a solitary feature that represents the 
original ; and the tulip Rose 3Iagwficent, al- 
