Plate 200 . 
CINERARIAS, FLOWER OF THE DAY, 
REMBRANDT, AND ELIZA. 
The opinion was expressed to us some time ago by one of 
the most successful raisers of Cinerarias, that we had reached 
the Ultima Thule in their growth ; that neither in form, size, 
nor colour was it possible to exceed those already in growth. 
From this opinion we dissented, and when, at the exhibition of 
the Royal Botanic Society on April 30th, we with him stopped 
opposite to one exhibited by the Messrs. F. and A. Smith, of 
Dulwich, figured in our present Plate ( Rembrandt ), and saw a 
first-class certificate appended to it, he, too, retracted his deci¬ 
sion, and said that it richly deserved it for its novelty and dis¬ 
tinctness. 
There is, in truth, no possibility of placing a limit thus, and 
saying that further improvement is impossible. We remember 
the same being said years ago of the Pelargonium, and figures 
of flowers then published were confidently appealed to in proof 
of this, but if we take these figures now and compare them with 
the flowers of the present day, or with the drawings now pub¬ 
lished, we do not wonder that the names even of those flowers 
have gone from our lists, so superior are those which have been 
raised of late years in every point which the florist deems of 
importance; and so in the same way with the Cineraria and 
other flowers. When a certain point has been reached, the 
improvement of necessity must be slow; but if we compare 
those of the present day with flowers of a year or two back, we 
see at once that progress has been made, and there is so great 
a tendency to sport that we can never know when some fresh 
strain may be obtained. While this is the case, however, we 
do feel that, as far as regards the plants set up for exhibition, 
