562 
GENERAL REVIEW OF THE STATE OP FLORICULTURE. 
a chance of a bloom, than to see it worked to 
death by people who do not understand, or 
have not the convenience for the business, 
and see poor weakly things sent forth that 
scarcely establish themselves before they are 
cut off by frost. Mr. Legge's Premier and 
Beauty Supreme are still in the raiser's 
hands, although there has been some attempt 
at negotiation for the two. The former is the 
purple flower, shown so well at the Surrey 
Gardens, and not so well at Shacklewell. It 
was a fair first-class variety at the Surrey, 
but shaky and frosted at Shacklewell, where 
it was placed as a second-class flower ; being, 
however, well up in the centre, it will, no 
doubt, be a constant flower. Beauty Su- 
preme is an extraordinary cupped flower, 
after the form of a good Standard of Perfec- 
tion, but actually closer. At Shacklewell it 
was under an average size, and was placed 
second chiefly on that account. It is a claret- 
rose, and may, with country growth, be 
greatly improved. Mr. Legge talks of letting 
out both himself, unless he can get his price 
for them. Gossip is busy about a light flower 
that is to beat all others, but has not been seen 
much, and on that account the raiser fancies 
he will keep it in a year. This is a dangerous 
experiment ; a flower may be at the head of 
its class one season, and beaten completely 
the next. It has been the case with many 
flowers to reign but for one season supreme. 
The Pansy Society at Hammersmith, of some 
years' standing, .had been declining a long 
time for want of-, that energy in the officers 
which can alone secure permanent success. 
A complete renovation has been determined 
on, and John ■ Edwards, Esq., of Holloway, 
has been unanimously requested to take the 
lead. At a sort of inauguration dinner, at 
which some of the leading cultivators were 
present, it was unanimously decided that the 
grand annual show should, be held on the 
first of May, at the usual place of meeting. — 
the Thatched House Tavern, Albion-road ; 
and, from the earnestness with which the 
business commenced, there can be no doubt of 
a rapid advancement in the popularity of the 
Heartsease, which has been almost neglected, 
and in which but little novelty has been pro- 
duced for some time. Fortunately, those who 
set about it in earnest may raise seedlings, 
and show them in May next : indeed, if 
we could get a bit of choice seed worth the 
trouble, we should not hesitate to sow in heat, 
and pot with all the care of a greenhouse- 
plant, so as to obtain the result almost before 
the showing time ; but those who merely sow 
in a cold frame will be able to produce flowers 
in the open air, upon strong plants, quite soon 
enough to throw away all the bad ones, and 
retain the best for propagation before the au- 
tumn. The Pansy may be very well got 
large enough to plant out by May, and they 
will soon bloom when the roots lay hold of 
the fresh ground. Those societies which con- 
fine their objects to the improvement of one 
flower, unquestionably do more real service 
than more general associations ; for so much 
more attention is paid to the mere effect of a 
show than to the influence it has upon the 
improvement of any, that if Floriculture de- 
pended on general shows, it would be sadly 
behindhand. The Horticultural Society of 
London have for some time encouraged florists' 
flowers but little, probably for the very reason 
which the growers adduce as a recommenda- 
tion. The florists say these flowers are more 
attractive than any of the subjects that grace 
the tables, as may be seen by the crowds that 
hang about them all day. The Council, per- 
haps, say florists' flowers are quite out of 
place at a great show, for they completely 
stop up the way, and prevent the company 
from passing on. Both of these are right. 
The only way in which a general society 
could promote the advancement of florists' 
flowers, would be to give them up a tent for 
nothing but florists' flowers, and let them 
have their own judges, pay their own judges, 
and make their own rules for that particular 
tent; and it may be worth while, some day, 
to consider about this. The great Central 
Dahlia Show is appointed for the 19th Septem- 
ber, but the place not yet named. Applica- 
tion has been made to the Executive, by tlie 
proprietors of several establishments, offering 
various terms, but nothing has been decided. 
Tuesday, 10th September, is appointed for the 
Shacklewell show, and none other of import- 
ance is yet settled. 
GENERAL REVIEW OF THE STATE OF 
FLORICULTURE. 
Floriculture forms no small portion of 
the business of nurserymen ; and florists' 
flowers, so called, and which means those 
which have been improved by the addition of 
new varieties and new forms, and grown in 
collection, lead the way in floriculture, be- 
cause some one or other of the families are 
within the means of thousands who cannot 
attempt a general collection of plants, and 
who depend at the best upon a common frame 
and garden light in addition to the open 
ground. Florists' flowers have been lightly 
treated by the first houses in the trade because 
of the trouble which they cause, and the 
attention they require ; and they have been 
neglected in large private establishments 
partly for the same cause, and partly because 
gentlemen's gardeners for a long period 
thought them beneath notice; and it need 
