30 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[April 17. 
We have purposely abstained from making any comment 
upon The National Fhricultural Society until their first 
exhibition day had passed, so that we might judge of the 
society by its acts rather than by mere anticipation and 
calculation of probabilities. We shall conclude our 
notice with a report of that day’s exhibition, and, judg¬ 
ing by the results, we consider the society has begun 
with a demonstration of good judgment in the award of 
certificates, and of care not to bestow them rashly. 
This is the only way in which the society can be ren¬ 
dered, as it is capable of being rendered, an instrument 
of great protection to the purchasers of flowers; but we 
shall watch over it with great jealousy ; for in proportion 
as public confidence reposes on it, so will be its power to 
sanction a vast measure of imposition. Its very commence¬ 
ment was certainly wrong; for of the sixteen censors 
first appointed, eleven are dealers in florists’ flowers, 
and some of them, if we are correctly informed, have 
sent out, as first-rate, flowers which intimate, looking at 
the mistakes in the most favourable light, that they are 
not very competent for a censorship. Now, we think, 
since the censors, or judges of merit, are, beyond all 
controversy, the most important officials of the society, 
they should not have been appointed, until a general 
and fully attended meeting of the committee had been 
held to decide upon their eligibility. However, as we 
commenced by saying, so we repeat, we will judge them 
by their acts, warning the society at the same time, that 
although each member may be strong in his conscious¬ 
ness of a determination to do right, yet that nothing 
must be done to shake the public confidence by giving 
a cause for even suspicion. The majority of the mem¬ 
bers are florists, nor could it be otherwise, nor should 
we wish it to be otherwise if it could; for we know of no 
other body of men either so deeply interested in the 
prosperity of floriculture, or so capable of forming a cor¬ 
rect judgment on the merits of flowers. It will be in 
their power to sustain that prosperity, by pointing out 
with a finger of light which flowers are most worthy of 
purchase ; because we can tell all florists that there is a 
growing disinclination for buying novelties. Purchasers 
have been too often deceived for them to have confidence 
even in the assurance given by respectable dealers; and 
the reason is told in one sentence of a letter now before 
us: “A man’s judgment is unconsciously biased to over¬ 
look defects in that which is his own bantling.” To 
avoid even suspicion, we hope never to see Mr. Appleby 
one of the censors when it comes in question whether a 
flower of Messrs. Henderson is entitled to a certificate ; 
for though neither would these gentlemen wish for a 
prejudiced decision, nor do we think Mr. Appleby capable 
of giving one, yet we would have the society free from 
any ground for suspicion. 
The National Floricnltural Society held its first meeting 
for the exhibition of seedling florist’s flowers at their rooms, 
21, Regent’s-street, London, on Thursday, the 3rd instant, 
Mr. James A eitch, of Lxeter, in the chair. There was a 
respectable number of florists and amateurs present. The 
tables were well filled with collections sent to ornament the 
exhibition, Cinerarias being the most prevalent. The prin¬ 
cipal contributors were Mr. E. G. Henderson, of the Wel¬ 
lington Nursery; Messrs. Henderson, of Pine Apple Place ; 
Mr. Dobson, gardener to E. Beck, Esq.; Mr. Ayres, of 
Blackheath; Mr. Robinson, of Thames Bank; Mr. Keynes, 
of Salisbury; Mr. Salter, of Hammersmith; Mr. Ivery, of 
Peckham ; and Mr. Gaines, of Battersea. These collections 
were generally of the best old favourite varieties, and in 
respectable condition. 
Mr. Turner, of Slough, had a very good pan of Pansies, 
and a collection of Auriculas, well bloomed. 
Mr. Bragg, of Slough, sent a pan of Pansies. 
Messrs. Henderson, of Pine Apple Place, sent a truly fine 
collection of the best kinds of Hyacinths, all legibly named; 
also a collection of Epacris, amongst which was that fine 
variety named Epacris liyacinthifiora candidissima; also a 
nice selection of new Narcissus tazetta, better known as the 
Polyanthus Narcissus. There were also small collections of 
Polyanthuses, Gloxinias, &c. etc. 
These plants, in full bloom, and generally well grown, 
were very creditable to the different exhibitors. The grand 
object of the meeting was the seedlings. In Cinerarias, the 
numbers were considerable ; we wish we could say the merit 
of them was equally so. Very few were placed by the cen¬ 
sors. 
Mr. Ayres sent a seedling of great merit, named Orpheus ; 
form first-rate, habit good, petals of good substance, colour 
a deep rosy lilac, disc rather small. This obtained, and 
deservedly, a certificate. 
Mr. Smith, of Tollington Nursery, sent, also, a seedling of 
great merit; pure white with a blue disc, size medium, form 
good, petals well-shaped but rather thin. A certificate was 
given to it. 
Mr. E. G. Henderson, with several others, sent one named 
Lovliness; white ground, reddish-purple tip, dark disc. 
This variety has first-rate properties, but some of the petals 
of part of the blooms was defective. The censors wished it 
to be exhibited again, and only passed a favourable opinion 
upon it. 
The same gentleman sent another desirable variety, 
named Christubelle, which was not sufficiently expanded, but 
promises to be a good variety. This, also, was desired by 
the censors to be sent again when in better condition. 
Mr. Rogers, of Uttoxeter, sent two seedling cinerarias, 
which, when better grown, the censors thought would be 
desirable varieties. They were Field Marshall, white ground 
delicately tipt with sky blue, good form and substance ; and 
the other, Lady of the Lake. This was a well formed flower 
of good substance, ground colour white, with pale rose tips, j 
The censors desired these two, also, to be sent again. 
Mr. Turner sent some seedling Pansies, one of which 
attracted attention. It was named National; creamy white 
ground, purple margin, fine yellow eye, good form, but 1 
rather rough at the edges, probably owing to the cold wet 
season. The censors desired this to be sent again. 
Mr. E. G. Henderson obtained a certificate for a seedling 
Rhododendron. Trusses large, flowers well-shaped, bluish 
white, the top petal richly dotted with dark crimson spots. 
It was named R. superbissimum album. 
Messrs. Standish and Noble sent an Azalea Tndica, named 
Vittata. The merits of which were novelty in colour, being 
of a creamy white with purple stripes. 
The above were all the seedlings the censors thought 
worthy of notice. And this is as it ought to be. Unless 
seedling flowers are decidedly superior to the older varieties, 
it is an imposition upon the public to send them out as new 
and improved varieties. The censors at this meeting were 
determined not to notice any inferior varieties merely be¬ 
cause they were new, and this principle, we hope, will be 
carried out to the fullest extent. 
Messrs. Veiteh, of Exeter, sent a fine cut sample of their 
Fuschia spectabilis; also a cut specimen of Rhododendron 
jasminiflora; a tolerable seedling Camellia, named Storeyii, 
its fault being having the petals too much pointed. 
Upon the whole this is a fair beginning of this society, 
and we trust it will act up to its professed principles, and 
thus become a vehicle for proclaiming to the public really 
good seedling flowers. 
The Censors were Mr. Appleby, of Pine Apple Place ; Mr. 
Cole, gardener to J. Witmore, Esq., Birmingham; Mr. 
Neville, Peckham Rye; Mr. Hamp, Brixton; Mr. Lidgard, 
Hammersmith; and Mr. Parsons, Enfield. 
