138 
THE FLORIST AND T0M0L0G1ST. 
[June, 
Champneys (Turner), Conqueror of Europe (Waterhouse), Alderman Charles Brown 
(Ileadly), and two fine new Northern flowers, Alexander Meiklejohn (Kay) and 
George Levick (Walker). The Rev. F. D. Horner grows quite enthusiastic in 
his summary of the qualities of the former flower:—“ Nothing surpasses it as I 
have bloomed it; it is new, and if true to its promises, it is indeed a gem. It 
is most like George Lightbody and Conqueror of Europe combined in one grand 
flower. There is the dash and nearly the size of the Conqueror without its coarse¬ 
ness, and the fine form and substance of George Lightbody without its frequent 
want of life in the body-colour and of decision in the broad edge. The plant 
takes after Conqueror,—healthy, but not large; foliage long, narrow, thick, much 
varied, and roughly serrated, green, and more abundant than in Conqueror.” 
“ Walker’s George Levick is a rich silveiy-grey, full of life and brilliancy through- 
out the flower, which will rival George LightbodjA’ Such high praise comes 
from one of the most accomplished and discriminating Auricula-cultivators 
of the day. White-edged flowers had as their leading representatives, 
Regulator (Pott), Smiling Beauty (Heap), Smith’s Ann Smith, Cygnet, Taylor’s 
Glory, Catharina (Summerscales), and Omega (Turner). “But as with the 
noble Green-edges, so with the gentle Whites, the truly great are few.” By 
general consent among the leading Northern growers, Smiling Beauty is placed at 
the head of the flowers in the White section ; and next comes Taylor’s Glory, 
Smith’s Ne Plus Ultra, Ann Smith, and Lightbody’s Countess of Dunmore. Self¬ 
flowers were remarkably well done. At the head of them must be placed 
Polilman’s Ellen Lancaster, an intensely dark flower, of fine outline, and 
rich dark petal ; paste not quite circular, but yet very fine. Charles J. Perry 
(Turner), a lovely blue, the best of them all in breadth, roundness and flatness 
of petal, and richness of colour, which is a very desirable one; in the eyes of 
the Northern connoisseurs of the Auricula, the tube is considered to be too palo, 
but that appears to be a weak point among the blue-edged Self-flowers. The 
Lancashire men term all the Selfs “Edged Self,” as the Rev. Mr. Horner states, 
“ Not inaptly, for the breadth, which in other classes is a belt of green, grey, or 
white, is in the Selfs occupied by the body-colour extending, without change of 
shade, to the petal-edges. Hence the importance in this class of a bright-yellow 
tube and brilliant broad paste, without which the flower has a heavy sleepy look. 
Selfs are not only a lovely class in themselves, but their effect among the others 
at blooming-time is very grateful; their quiet colours afford a rest to the eye 
that is confused by the rich rivalry of unrelieved masses of emerald-greens, and 
pearly greys, and frosted whites.” But I must hasten to complete my list of Selfs, 
and so I go on to instance Netherwood’s Othello, very dark; Campbell’s Pizarro, 
deep brown'; Martin’s Mrs. Sturrock, and Campbell’s Lord of Lome, a very showy, 
bright, deep-red, or crimson Self, of good quality. 
The Southern growers show their Auriculas with the stems of the trusses tied 
securely to sticks, but in the North it is always a regulation that the trusses are 
to be shown free from all artificial packing and support. The Northern cultivators 
