6 
THE FLORIST. 
SEEDLING PELARGONIUMS. 
Permit a lover of flowers, and particularly of the Pelargonium, to 
wish success to The Florist: long may it flourish and maintain itself 
in favour with every friend of floriculture, and lend a fostering 
and guiding hand to all engaged in it. I say, I am in particular 
a lover of the Pelargonium, and a raiser of seedlings; therefore, 
every thing bearing upon its improvement interests me. I have 
read with surprise the opinion that has been lately broached, that 
Pelargoniums have reached perfection, and that no improvement 
could be expected in the race at present in cultivation. My own 
judgment is very different from this : I think there is still a wide 
field for improvement, though the progress may be less rapid than 
in years gone by. I allow that the improvements will not always 
be so palpable to the eye of the novice as to that of the experienced 
cultivator. If anything can be done to get increased brilliancy of 
colour from crossing with the wild species, and especially with the 
yellow, it would be a point gained, even at a little loss in form and 
size, which might be recovered in subsequent crossings: and in 
such an attempt, every encouragement is due to those who make 
the trial. I think every improvement should be duly rewarded; and 
I look with confidence to The Florist as a sure guide for the cha¬ 
racter of all seedling florists’ flowers, giving to all their just merits 
and demerits. I believe many valuable flowers have been thrown 
away because of some deficiency, whilst they were, in some points, 
decidedly in advance. I regret the loss of some of my own flowers, 
that have been consigned to the rubbish-heap through the sentence 
perhaps of a friend, “But it’s too small” or some such extinguisher, 
whilst their good points were overlooked. I have often thought 
that it would be useful to raisers of seedlings if w r e could agree upon 
a standard of excellence by which to compare and judge our flowers. 
At present, much is wnitten upon form, and more about colour; 
and the relative value of points of excellence nowhere attempted, 
that I know of. Could you not assist in providing this desideratum ? 
I doubt not many of your friends would give their help; and, as a 
commencement, and more with the view of eliciting the opinion of 
others than of setting up my own standard, I would beg leave to 
suggest, that the first point of excellence in a Pelargonium is abun¬ 
dance of bloom. Of w 7 hat use to an exhibitor is any variety that 
will not carry a good “ head of bloom ?” None. 
2. Form, including outline, and regular standing of the petals. 
I have seen many round-petalled flowers useless, from the absence of 
the latter quality; and some, from the possession of it, decidedly 
useful, though they were faulty in their outline. 
3. Colour. Not one colour before another, nor yet depth of co¬ 
lour ; but clearness and brilliancy, like colours in silk compared with 
the same shades in cotton. 
4. Smoothness of petal. 
5. Smoothness of edge. 
