58 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 27. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
(Continued from page 08.) 
NEW VARIETIES OF THE DAHLIA. 
Due de Brabant ; scarlet; a finely formed flower, 
well up in the centre ; colour fine ; size large, a constant 
show flower of unrivalled beauty. 
Glory; dark red; a distinct variety of excellent 
properties. 
Godefroy de Bouillon; salmon self; very large; 
full in the centre; petals broad, and well filled in; a 
fine show flower. 
King of the Yellows; this is a great improvement 
on any of that colour; form excellent. 
Magnet ; a large flower of a ruby-crimson colour, 
and the finest form. 
Oriflame ; golden-bufi', full size, clear colour, fine 
form ; an excellent show flower. 
Rachael Rawlins; a delicate peach-blossom, or pink 
colour, form good, full in the centre, and a good show 
flower. 
NEW FANCY VARIETIES. 
Admiration ; a red ground, tipped with white; very 
distinct. 
Butterfly ; sulphur ground, striped with rose and 
red ; a curious distinct variety. 
Dante; light cinnamon, striped with red; a good 
show flower, and very distinct. 
Topsy; lilac-rose, tipped with white; fine form, and 
distinct. 
A FEW GOOD OLDER DAHLIAS. 
Brilliant ; a bright scarlet flower, full, and constant. 
Exquisite ; clear peach colour,; fine form, and very 
beautiful; requires the shoots thinning freely. 
Grand Duke ; the best lilac. 
John Franklin; a clear buff, with every good 
property. 
Queen Victoria; yellow, edged with red; a large, 
magnificent, very striking flower. 
OLDER FANCY VARIETIES. 
Claudia ; violet-purple, deeply tipped with white; a 
distinct, handsome variety. 
Duchess of Kent; yellow ground, tipped with white; 
very beautifully distinct. 
Harlequin ; maroon ground, curiously striped with 
pink and white. 
Mrs. James; dark buff, tipped with white, distinct, 
and very full. 
Unanimity; scarlet, with distinct yellow stripes; good 
form. 
Wonderful; pink, striped with white; a showy 
variety. 
The following also are good and constant:— Barmaid, 
white; British Queen, white, tipt with purple; Dr. 
Brampton, white mottled ; Duke of Wellington, orange ; 
Fearless, lilac; Mrs. Seldon, yellow; Queen' of White, 
very pure. 
HOLLYHOCKS. 
This fine autumn flower has been greatly improved. 
The flowers are larger, better shaped, and more densely 
placed on the stem. There are also many varieties that 
do not grow so inconveniently tall as they did formerly. 
Old plants, in heavy soil, have suffered greatly during 
the past severe winter, hence there is a great demand 
for plants this spring. A stock of young plants should 
always be kept in a cold frame through winter. 
NEW VARIETIES. 
Charles Lidyard ; a large, well-shaped flower, of a 
pale salmon colour. 
Crocea; buff and yellow; very distinct. 
Cream of the Valley; a creamy-white, of the finest 
form. 
Crimson King; very fine, superior to Comet. 
Magnificent; fine rosy-pink; form excellent. 
National; fine bright crimson; very full. 
Oriiik Improved; a clear sulphur colour, of good 
show quality. 
Pourpre de Tyre ; the first purple, of first-rate 
quality. 
Swansdown ; paper-white,very clear, and very double; 
fine show variety. 
Yellow Model; first-rate in form; bright in colour; 
full, and constant. 
GOOD OLD VARIETIES. 
Black Prince ; very dark, and of a good form. 
Chari.es Turner; bright rosy-crimson. 
Dido; salmon-rose; large flower, and constant. 
Emperor ; dark crimson ; a fine variety. 
Golden Prince ; bright full yellow. 
Jenny Lind; pure white; fine. 
Magnum Bonum ; fine dark maroon ; good. 
Mrs. Charles Baron ; improved salmon-pink; one 
of the best Hollyhocks. 
Orange Boven ; mottled red and orange. 
Pandora ; buff-orange. 
Purity ; pure white ; excellent. 
Sir David Wedderburn; dark crimson; a good 
useful variety. 
Triumphant ; yellow, large and full, and of the 
brightest colour. 
Walden Gem; bright rosy-crimson; one of the best 
of that colour. 
PETUNIAS.—NEW VARIETIES. 
Admirabilis; rose, edged with green border and 
velvet throat 
Marie Rendatler ; rosy-blush, with lilac throat 
and pencilled carmine centre. 
Marquet ; a bluish ground, tipped with green; an 
excellent variety. 
Napoleon III.; purple, shaded with indigo ; a rich 
flower. 
Furst Van Schranburg ; rosy-blush, edged with 
green, and violet throat; fine. T. Appleby: 
{To be continued.) 
WORK FOR A DRY SEASON. 
It is a common observation, and repeated every day, 
that any little peculiarity of the weather, or other 
circumstance, is either better or worse, finer or wetter, 
or, in some way or other, approaches more to an extreme 
than anything of the kind that ever preceded it. In the 
present instance, how often are we told that such dry, 
fine weather as the whole of March and early part of 
April “ was never known before;” while some indi¬ 
viduals, whose memory is doubtless at fault, are now 
and then dunning us with the remark of what a fine, 
mild winter it has been; forgetting, that at Christmas, as 
well as before and after, we had a taste of what they 
called, “an old-fashioned'winter!” However, putting 
all jesting aside, the spring has certainly been a very 
dry one, and probably may be followed, or rather merge 
into, a summer equally dry. This, however, has to be 
proved yet; but those who assume the position of 
“weather prophets” tell us that it is very likely to be a 
dry one. Now, as dry summers and wet ones differ 
essentially in the influence they exercise over vegetation 
in their different positions, there is no doubt but a dry 
one will be hailed by one party, while it is dreaded by 
another; or it may be carried further, and the benefits 
it confers on certain productions counteracts its evil 
