182 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
Mdlle. Bonnaire, Pierre Notting, &c., still liold their own against all new 
comers, and probably will do so for at least a generation, how many of 
our old favourites present were eclipsed by later acquisitions, and how 
many had totally disappeared ! And while it cannot he gainsaid that there 
are second and third-rate new Boses as v r ell as second and third-rate old 
Boses, it is still undeniable that the pick of the novelties evince a progress 
which is real, solid, and satisfactory. In Abbe Berleze we have an im¬ 
proved Geant des Batailles ; in Madame Victor Verdier an improved General 
Jacqueminot; in Lady Suffield an improved Duchess of Norfolk ; and there 
are other improvements too numerous to mention. We have, also, in 
Alfred Colomb, Antoine Ducher, Charles Verdier, Comtesse de Jaucourt, 
Horace Vernet, Jules Calot, Black Prince, Madame Pulliat, Madelaine 
Nonin, Monsieur Noman, Paul Verdier, Tliorin, and others, new colours and 
styles which only require to he seen to he coveted. It is true that some of 
the last-named did not appear at the exhibitions, or appeared only in doubt¬ 
ful condition, hut I have seen them, both at home, and in the grounds of the 
raisers, in a state of beauty that justifies unqualified commendation. 
Paul's Nurseries, Waltham Cross, N. William Paul. 
NOVELTIES, &c. # AT FLOWER SHOWS. 
At the Meeting of the Floral Committee at South Kensington on June 
18th, some good things were shown. Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laing 
have been singularly fortunate in raising fine varieties of Nosegay Pelar¬ 
goniums. On this occasion they received a second-class certificate for Hon. 
Gathorne Hardy, having large and well-shaped trusses of bright orange 
scarlet flowers, free-blooming, and of excellent habit. They had also 
Floribundum, pale orange scarlet of a clear shade ; and Comet, bright cherry 
crimson, flowers stout and smooth, and good habit; both of these promise 
to make good bedders. Mr. John Mann, of Brentwood, had the following 
Zoned Pelargoniums: — Guardsman, glowing orange scarlet; Startler, clear 
bright orange scarlet; and The Baron, a fine shade of orange crimson. 
These are good in their way, hut as shown could not claim first-class qualities. 
Mr. Wliitehorn showed some plants of one seedling Pelargonium, and 
cut flowers of another, raised from Bollisson’s Unique, and both were great 
improvements in point of colour on the parent plant. The one represented 
by the plants was named Purple King, which Mr. Wliitehorn intends to 
change to Crimson King, as the hue of colour is a deep rosy crimson. The 
variety represented by the cut flowers was named Constellation, and will, 
I think, prove the best; the flowers were larger, the colour more vivid, 
and suffused with violet. Mr. Kimberley’s spotted Pelargonium Grand 
Arab (noticed at page 169), is a showy, free-blooming kind, and will he 
very useful for decorative purposes. 
Bedding Lobelias are getting nicely improved just now. Dwarf habit 
has been sadly wanted, yet something better than the attenuated white¬ 
flowering Miss Murphy, that appears as if it had hardly constitution 
enough to grow, much less flower. Mr. W. Lee’s Dwarf Blue, awarded a 
first-class certificate at this meeting, has a very dwarf yet robust constitu¬ 
tion, and the flow T ers are bright blue with a white centre; it blooms freely, 
and will make a most acceptable bedder. Some varieties of L. Paxtoniana 
or L. marmorata were also produced—viz., Ultramarine, dark blue with 
white centre ; Faum, a variety with pale lilac flowers, but with a loose 
