OCTOBER. 
311 
securing the services of Mr. Eyles, have given a great stimulus to 
floriculture ; and as now there are three grand series of flower- 
shows every year, the Crystal Palace, Royal Botanic Society, and 
Kensington, I do hope it will bring many new competitors into the 
field. One does not like to see the old stagers ” running off with 
all the prizes, and the infusion of new blood will tell favourably in 
every respect. 
The Gladioluses were perhaps the most attractive feature of the 
Show, and although they were a leetle better at Sydenham, yet 
Mr. Standish’s collection was again the object of general attention, 
—the variety of tints, the purity of some, and the gorgeousness of 
others, were exceedingly interesting. What could be more lovely 
than Lady Caroline Legge, with its pure snowy petals, and its bril¬ 
liant feather of purplish-crimson ? what, again, more brilliant than 
Achille ? Then, how novel the colour in Egerie, and how delicate 
the markings in Mrs. Hole, for which see Mr. Andrews’ admirable 
figure in this number. Look again at the deep vivid crimson of 
Ketterii, and the delicate primrose of Goldfinch. Miss Graham and 
Susan Ingram, snowy and pure, fit to be the bridesmaids of a Queen ; 
and J. W. Lane, and Rev. Joshua Dix, brilliant, and worthy of the 
names they bear. Amongst others, there were Colonel Hood (deep 
scarlet), Madame Leselbe (white, with purplish-crimson or plum- 
coloured feather), Colleen Bawn (striped carmine), Tippoo Saib 
(orange), Rose of England (bright cerise), Mr. Rucker (beautiful deep 
cerise, white throat, and cerise feather). In fact, there seems to be 
no end to the variety which this flower is capable of running into, and 
as it seeds so freely, and hybridizes well, we may expect every year 
still further novelties ; and as decidedly it has become iho, fashionable 
flower, those who have, like Mr. Standish, hit upon a good strain, 
will have every encouragement to proceed with their hybridizing. 
My own experience with it has been that it does not require a poor 
soil, but that any light soil will answer for it; that in my own 
garden is good, but light and friable, and they seem to thrive won¬ 
derfully well in it. 
Having thus touched on some of the more salient points of the 
Exhibition, one ca^nnot close it without testifying to the admirable 
manner in which the whole arrangements were carried out under 
Mr. Eyles’ superintendence. Every attention was paid to exhi¬ 
bitors, and there was as little confusion as could well be on such 
an occasion. There were of course, as usual, some complaints as 
to the judging, and in one or two instances, perhaps, well founded. 
Class S.—a box of six dahlias obtained one of the prizes in that 
class, although it had two yellows in it ; a want of variety which 
ought to have condemned it. But these things will always happen, 
—the only pity is when people lay it to the charge of unfairness or 
incompetence, as was done in a notable case this year, and when 
gardening publications allow their columns to be made the vehicle 
of attack on a set of men whose task is never an enviable, and often 
a most difficult one. 
Dealy Sept. 2Qth. 
X 4 
H. 
