Plate 148. 
SHOW PELARGONIUMS. 
Improvement, Censor , and Souvenir . 
We have, in our February number, alluded to the very great 
success which attended the labours of the raisers of seedling 
Pelargoniums last season, and in Plate 134 gave a representa¬ 
tion of two of those which had attracted much attention at the 
various exhibitions: but as several of our subscribers have ex- 
pressed a wish to see correct illustrations of some of the best 
before we enter upon another season, we have selected from 
the portfolio of our artist three, which, in the opinion of 
Mr. Turner, were amongst the best of those exhibited, and to 
which rewards have been accorded by the Floral Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, and by the Royal Botanic 
Society. 
Every season produces flowers which seem at the time to 
attain that perfection for which we are striving; but each 
season also brings some improvements either in size, habit, or 
distinctness of colouring, and hence growers are encouraged to 
go on ; on looking at the very beautiful varieties now figured, 
it may well be asked—can the skill of the hybridizer or the 
freaks of nature go beyond these 1 How often have we heard it 
asserted, that it was impossible to further improve our favourite 
flowers, that there was so much sameness in them that no merit 
could be attained by constantly bringing forward flowers which 
we should never displace the older varieties for; and yet how 
utterly have such ideas been put upon one side. Take last year, 
for instance, never were so many good flowers produced, and 
never since the Floral Committee was established have so many 
certificates been granted; and, although the task seemingly 
