151 
THE FLORIST, 
what has caused the Dahlia fancy to flag in interest but the fact that 
scores of new Dahlias were annually sent out at IO 5 . 6d. each, with 
fine descriptions as to form, colour, &c.; and I would ask, on the 
following season, where are they ? what has become of them ? why, 
it is an ascertained fact that two-thirds of them are never grown 
again. Again, what has caused depression in the Geranium fancy, 
hut the fact of so many new flowers being annually sold out at two 
and three guineas each, one half of which are either not sufficiently 
distinct y or not better than the older varieties ? The same may be 
said of Fuchsias, &c.; indeed of all flowers which admit of easy hy¬ 
bridisation. From these facts it must be apparent that some guide 
was wanted for the grower of florists’ flowers; such a guide I trust 
The Florist will be. 
Secondly, the raiser of seedling florists’ flowers required some 
impartial and unbiassed body of florists to whom he could submit his 
productions, and then some medium through which notice would be 
given to the public of their merits or demerits. No raiser is so good 
a judge of his own seedlings as a stranger; besides, parties to whom 
subjects are daily submitted can compare one man’s seedlings with 
those of another, and judge of the comparative merits and distinctness 
of each. Let all raisers of flowers agree to submit their seedlings to 
such a test, and let the judgment be unbiassed and correct, and the 
effect must be, that a plant which can and has passed such an ordeal 
will be far more valuable than double or treble the number of doubt¬ 
ful and unseen novelties now are or ever can be. Hence the raiser 
goes to the seller with a character relative to his plant which justly 
enables the latter to give a higher price for it. In this, then, lies the 
benefit of The Florist to the raiser of seedling flowers. 
f And now let us see what benefits arise from such a system to 
sellers. The advantage' of it may not be apparent at first sight; but 
I believe the plan will eventually be found to be of inestimable be¬ 
nefit to them. It would do away with all the doubt and misrepre¬ 
sentations which exist in letting out new varieties. If a man has 
exhibited any new variety of plant on all reasonable and convenient 
occasions, and if purchasers and the public generally have had fair 
and proper opportunities of judging for themselves ; if, in addition 
to this, the plant has been submitted to the managers of The Florist, 
or any other competent body, and they approve of it; why then pur¬ 
chasers buy from their own opinion and from that of the public. 
The effect of all this would be the removal of responsibility from 
the seller, who then offers an article fully exhibited, fully tested, 
and fully approved; he has then only to go home, propagate, propa¬ 
gate, propagate, sell, sell, sell. No disappointment follows, no dis¬ 
satisfaction—all is right, all is pleasant. Let me ask, will this not 
raise the seller in the eyes of the world ? will this not raise and 
increase the sale and growth of florists’ flowers? Yes; it would, I 
feel assured, increase the growers of all plants so tested one hundred¬ 
fold. 
When abo)'-, I was ^florist; circumstances have since led me into 
other branches of the trade; I have dabbled largely, and I trust sue- 
