JUNE. 
119 
paste, pips stout, of good size and outline, but a little rough as shown, 
owing to being somewhat out of condition—it is nevertheless a flower pos¬ 
sessing fine properties ; and Crown Prince, ground colour rosy mulberry, 
changing with age to dark crimson, pips large, bold, smooth, and of fine 
form, truss and habit good. John Penn , raised by Mr. Butcher, has a rosy 
crimson ground colour dashed with violet, the pips stout and smooth, but the 
paste hardly large enough according to the recognised scale of properties. 
Much more numerous have been the accessions to the Alpine class, which 
has become greatly improved during the last few years in the hands of 
Mr. Turner and others. Both in the size and in the colour of the flowers is 
the improvement noticeable, and the latter evidences new and beautiful 
shades that bid fair to earn for this flower a high popularity. The plants 
are strong and lusty in habit, and they will bear a considerable amount of 
exposure to wet and cold. It was generally observable in these Alpine 
varieties that the ground colour proper formed but a small proportion of the 
margin surrounding the paste. The marginal colour to the somewhat 
indistinct ground colour prevailed so much, that in giving a popular descrip¬ 
tion of these new flowers they shall be classed in accordance with the pre¬ 
sence of the prevailing hue. These showy marginal colours were either 
bright crimson, purple or violet, or buff, the latter invariably distinguishing 
those flowers which possessed least quality. 
Of the crimson hues the following were selected for awards :— Lustre 
(Turner), bright yellow paste, surrounded by a glossy dark ring of ground 
colour, margined with bright claret crimson, flowers large and smooth, a 
striking variety; Constellation (Turner), in the way of Lustre, but a larger 
flower, both paste and ground colour being of greater dimensions, the latter 
being also darker and the margin brighter, pips large, a bold and showy 
variety. These two were awarded first-class certificates at the Boyal Botanic 
Show. Defiance (Turner), rich claret crimson ground colour diffused through¬ 
out the margin, bright yellow paste, pips large and stout, a bold and strik¬ 
ing flower, though a little rough; Vivid (Turner), dark ground colour, each 
segment of the pip broadly margined with lively rosy crimson, flowers large 
and smooth, truss dense and erect, being, as was remarked at the time, a true 
Auricula truss; these were awarded second-class certificates at the Royal Bo¬ 
tanic Show. Emma (Pilcher), has a ground colour of rosy crimson suffused 
with purple, sulphur paste, good pip, and smooth; awarded a second-class 
certificate at the Royal Horticultural Society, and afterwards a first-class cer¬ 
tificate at the South Metropolitan Show. Rifleman (Butcher), glowing dark 
crimson ground colour margined with a narrow edge of a paler hue, clear 
yellow paste, pips large and bold, a novel and striking flower; and Jane Web¬ 
ster (Butcher), ground colour intense dark crimson margined with a lighter 
hue, pips stout smooth and fine; these were awarded first-class certificates 
at the South Metropolitan Show. Wonderful (Turner), is a flower of extra 
size, the ground colour formed of dark velvety blotches at the base of the 
segments, which are showily margined with bright rosy crimson, clean and 
smooth bright yellow paste. Landseer (Turner), has a bright claret crimson 
ground colour, with pale yellow paste, producing large and showy trusses of 
flowers. President (Turner), dark crimson ground colour with margin of 
fiery claret crimson, a very striking variety. Sparkler (Turner), is in the 
way of President, but the ground colour is not of so dark a shade, truss fine, 
bold and striking. 
Shades of violet purple and lilac were seen in the following flowers :— 
Echo (Turner), velvety crimson ground colour margined with rosy violet, 
