374 
FLOWERS OF THE MATIN AND EVEN SONG. 
of success as usually attends the purchase of 
novelties ; and while we recommend these 
varieties because we have seen them, we 
should be sorry to have it inferred that there 
are not others that might be advantageously 
added to the list of the best. For instance, we have 
heard, on pretty good authority, that there have 
been some good flowers shown at Oxford, and 
we should be unwilling to stand in the way 
of any one who raised a good flower by neg- 
lecting to notice it; but it is rather the interest 
of the raiser to see that every good flower is 
submitted to the proper test, and everybody 
has the means of doing it by the press, so 
easily, that it is a most unwise thing to let any 
good flower lose the advantage of a sound 
opinion. There were several very promising 
flowers exhibited at the Central Pink Show, 
but not placed for prizes, simply because they 
were lateral blooms and not half grown nor 
opened. They may be, for ought we know, 
very fine subjects, for they were the best rose- 
edged petals that we have seen a good while. 
To follow up these advantages, Pink growers 
should select half-a-dozen of the best of the 
old ones, and the four best of the new ones, 
and grow them for seed away from their gene- 
ral collection, because we ought not to stop 
where we are. The Pink is in its infancy; 
much as has been done with it, there is abun- 
dant room for improvement, and the best way 
to effect this is to keep very select kinds to- 
gether, away from everything worse, and there 
will be great hope of the result. The exhibi- 
tions of the present year have been wonder- 
fully improved, and the revival of the Metro- 
politan Society has infused a spirit that is sure 
to produce great advances. Of the four flowers 
we have mentioned as absolutely necessary to 
all the best Pink growers, each has been dis- 
tinguished at one or more shows. Mr. Ward's 
Great Britain obtained prizes at the Royal 
Botanic Gardens, and at the Central Pink 
Show at Slough, and was shown, but got no 
prize, at the Surrey Gardens. Mr. Turner's 
Masterpiece obtained prizes at the Royal 
Botanic Gardens, the Central Pink Show at 
Slough, and the Metropolitan Society, the 
most severe test perhaps of all. Mr. Bragg's 
George Glenny obtained a prize at the Metro- 
politan Society, where it was greatly esteemed 
by many first-rate growers, independently of 
the two judges, who were not of the most in- 
dulgent kind. Mr. Hale's Queen of England 
got prizes at the Central Pink Show, and the 
Metropolitan; but the whole four would have 
got prizes anywhere, upon the simple principle 
of their being much better flowers than a 
great majority of those we are growing already, 
and also different. Mr. Henbury's Rubens 
was shown at the Royal Botanic Society's 
Exhibition, and had there been a third prize, 
must have had it, but the excellence of the 
other two placed it in a worse situation than 
it would have been alone. The principal fault 
is there being too much colour in it, and too 
little novelty, though it cannot fail to be use- 
ful. Mr. Neville's Thomas Lutman is a 
novelty, and was a favourite at the Blackheath 
Pink Show, where also Mr. Mead's Susannah 
was exhibited, and obtained a prize. Mr. 
Turner's Beauty was shown at the Royal 
Botanic Gardens, and the same remarks will 
apply to it as we have applied to Henbury's 
Rubens ; the excellence of the best two threw 
it into the back ground, although a flower that 
may be found useful. The Pink Shows of 
next year will be on a far more extensive 
scale than anything that has been seen yet, 
and especially that of the Metropolitan Society, 
of which the prizes will be both numerous and 
good, after the fashion of the Dahlia Show of 
last year. We have, therefore, every right to 
say that the Pink is decidedly on the advance, 
and that the Pink growers are acting wisely 
by giving all subscribers to their societies a 
collection of Pinks to begin with. The Society 
at Blackheath are inviting members to join 
them, and giving them plants of the winning 
flowers ; those, therefore, who wish to com- 
mence growing them have only to send their 
names to the secretary, at the Hand and Billet, 
and they will receive in the autumn a very nice 
choice collection. To these they may add the 
new ones, and be set up for showing well the 
first season. 
FLOWERS OF THE MATIN AND EVEN 
SONG.* 
Among the fruits of the early Horticultural 
Exhibitions, may be reckoned the increase or 
spread of the love of flowers. In 1832, people 
almost smiled at the idea of giving good prizes 
for the best collections of cut flowers, and 
when, in a year or two, a ten-guinea gold medal 
was given monthly for the best basket of cut 
flowers, to be afterwards presented to the 
Queen, half the Sir Fretfuls of the age pro- 
tested against the monstrous folly. Yet what 
has been the effect ? First, the example of 
giving prizes for cut flowers has been followed 
everywhere. Secondly, it has caused thou- 
sands to devote their attention to flowers who 
never devoted an hour to them before. Thirdly, 
it has created a love of flowers which has 
spread all over the community, and rivetted 
the attention of all classes. Flowers always 
supplied the poet with his happiest images: 
writers of all ages found in them a prolific 
source of food for the muses ; but now, in- 
* Flowers of the Matin and Even Song; or Thoughts 
for those who rise early. By Mary Roberts. London : 
Grant and Griffith. 
