250 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ November, 
have a reserve of some kind of something green to fill the vacant beds in "winter; 
and when we see in the best gardens some thousands of small evergreen bushes, 
without a single flower occupying the summer flower-beds, it seems only a shade 
better than the honest black earth, raked once a week, as in the olden time. I 
might count on my ten Angers all the sorts of plants used in some smart places 
for bedding, and where it is so, all the beauty and effect is seen at one view, so 
that there is no reserve, nothing behind the scenes, all hope and all curiosities 
are gone, and for half the year the garden may be set down as fallow. But it 
would not be so if hardy herbaceous plants and alpines had their share in the 
bedding arrangements. I could give no better examples or illustrations of what I 
am trying to advocate than the Violas already alluded to, for they have no un¬ 
sightly foliage to hide, and many handsome flowers to exhibit, and that more 
or less for more than half the year.— Alex. Forsyth, Salford. 
THE LEADING NEW DAHLIAS OF THE YEAR. 
S HE year 1877 will be famous in floricultural annals for the number of 
remarkably fine Dahlias produced at the various horticultural meetings. 
f That veteran florist, Mr. John Keynes, of Salisbury, has been eminently 
successful, producing a number of new varieties generally characterised by 
the finest quality, great novelty, and splendid development, and he has been well 
supported by Mr. 0. Turner, Messrs. Eawlings Brothers, and others. 
The seedling Dahlia season may be said to open with the exhibition of the 
Trowbridge Horticultural Society, which is generally held the last week in August. 
Prizes are offered for the best seedling Dahlia of the past and present years, and 
Mr. Keynes, Mr. George Wheeler, Warminster, and others are found competing. 
At the exhibition of the present year, the best seedling Dahlia of 1876 was 
Eclipse (Keynes), pale primrose, heavily tipped with orange-brown, a finely formed 
full flower, of excellent quality. This variety is so early, that Mr. Keynes 
was unable to exhibit one at the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
First-class Certificates were also awarded to Louisa Neate.^ George Barnes., Henry 
Bond., and Cleopatra., show varieties ; and the following fancies— Charles Wyatt 
and Maid of Athens. 
At the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on September 4, Mr. 
Keynes staged a collection of sixteen varieties, all of which had bloomed for the 
first time in 1876, and were again tried during the past summer. First-class 
Certificates were awarded to Henry Bond., bright lilac shading to violet-cerise, 
with the greatest depth of colour in the centre of the flower, very fine petal and 
outline and full high centre ; Louisa Neate., creamy sulphur ground edged with pale 
apple-blossom, a delicate and beautiful flower, of extra fine quality; Bessie Ford., 
very soft lilac, deepening to pinkish lilac on the edges, fine outline and centre, 
distinct and very attractive; and Countess., pale ground tipped with bright 
purple, good petal, centre, and substance, but flat and coarse as shown. The same 
award was made to the following fancy flowers:— Charles Wyatt., a splendid- 
