( 
164 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f June 12. 
shown and did not. Loch tier's Surprise Cineraria again 
obtained a certificate. It is the cupping of this flower 
that wins favour, the edge is too deeply scolloped for 
us, and, moreover, it is a self, which cannot bear a price, 
because of the great number we have. A new Verbena 
appeared in Mr. Smith’s stand, called Rival Purple, 
singular and striking in colour, which is quite new, it 
forms a bold truss. It is not a first-rate form, but does 
not discredit a stand on which variety is an object. 
It was not shown as a seedling, but as one in twelve 
varieties. A number of Calceolarias were shown by Mr. 
Gaines, none of which had certificates. There was one, 
however, which was an advance, and which he may let 
i out without discredit, Miss Charteris; a rich cream 
colour, with a crimson blotch, and more than usually in¬ 
flated—that is to say, a better approach to a round. 
As to the general show, it was rich in plants. Tulips were 
shown in great numbers. Pansies abounded, and, perhaps, 
considering there were so many, a list of the best that we 
could pick out from all the stands may be useful to be¬ 
ginners. Addison, Hooper’s Wonderful, Duchess of Rutland, 
Lord Walsingham, Almanzor, Example, Mrs. Beck, Caro¬ 
line, Aurora, Caesar, Duke of Perth, Bertha, Thisbe, Ophir, 
Sir J. Franklin, Viceroy, Sir R. Peel, Sylvia, Moor of Venice, 
Duke of Norfolk, Miss Hamilton, Bellona, Androcles, Con¬ 
stellation, Master Lacon, Masterpiece. Many others that 
we know to be occasionally good were shown, but, in Su¬ 
preme, for instance, Mr. Beck, and some others, the eye broke 
through to the border. Those we have named were shown 
in an unexceptionable state. 
Many packets of flowers have come to hand, and, 
strange as it may appear, a vast majority beneath notice. 
Were it not for the expense, I should almost fancy 
people wished to hoax me; and it may be at once con¬ 
cluded, that if I omit to notice any thing it is because 
there is nothing to say in its favour. If I might give a 
little advice to florists, for the purpose of saving them 
trouble, I should recommend them to bear in mind that 
unless a Ranunculus, an Anemone, a Tulip, Pansey, 
Dahlia, Cineraria, Calceolaria, or, indeed, anything else, 
be better than those we already possess, or is new in 
colour, it is a waste of money to send it,—not that I care 
about the trouble, but that there must be a degree of dis¬ 
appointment to the parties. Of Cinerarias, Calceolarias, 
and Pansies I have in three or four days received hun¬ 
dreds. The general fault in Cinerarias has been the 
edge too much scalloped, the petals individually full of 
ribs, and notched at the ends, besides which, the vast 
majority have been seifs, or shaded seifs, presenting no 
novelty in colour. The most prevailing faults in the 
Calceolaria have been flatness on the surface, or those 
melon-like indentures, otherwise there has been great 
variety of colour; and where colour alone is the recom¬ 
mendation, I would recommend the grower to select a 
few of the most striking, to grow until they can get into 
a better character for form. A Calceolaria should be as 
round as a cherry; of course, then, the more nearly 
they approach, by inflation, a hollow ball, the better. 
The most common faults in the Pansies have been the 
smallness of the white or yellow field, and the eye 
breaking into the border, thinness of the petal, crumply 
form, and roughness of the edges; and where any of 
these faults are conspicuous, they hardly need be sent 
for a second opinion. I have noticed a few things, with 
their qualities; but were I to notice all, it would occupy 
space without interesting anybody. 
We have received a box of Calceolaria blooms of 
every conceivable variety of colour, many very striking 
and beautiful, from “ An Amateur.” We object to give 
opinions upon things sent anonymously, but when they 
have recovered, we will select a dozen of the best. With 
all their beauty, however, there is that flatness of face, 
and melon-like indentation, which renders them value- 
j less, with the exception of two or three; and so it always 
; seems to happen, the best forms have the worst colour, i 
Three Pansies. —Something has completely baffled 1 
our judgment on two of the three flowers, enclosed in a J 
round tin box. One exhibits the most extraordinary 
shades of bright green in the field that we ever witnessed, 
so much so, that we have been obliged to conclude that 
the moss has stained it; a second, though nearly a self, 
has a tinge of the same colour. Let us know whether 
this green is natural to the flower, or has been acquired 
from the moss. 
Pansies (J. G. B.). —No. 4 is the only one worth trying; 
if the field enlarges or the eye recedes, so as not to break 
into the margin, it may prove an acquisition. ( TV. T., Mor¬ 
peth).—King of the Whites has form and distinctness of 
character, and many worse are shown; hut it is thin, and 
transparent, which tell against it as a first-class flower. 
(7. B. Stroud). — Ion, too much like Old Eclipse to be of 
any use. The small yellow one should be well grown; it 
has colour, form, and texture, and may attain size. ( T. J.). 
—Only one of the eleven likely to be useful; I think it has 
not bloomed to character. The first bloom cannot be de¬ 
pended on, and many have only a short season of true 
flowering. 
Calceolarias {Mrs. M .).—None are good enough to 
rank among first-class flowers. The best are Nos. 4, 1, and 
32 ; they are more round than the rest—that is to say, more 
inflated ; but they are far behind some we already possess. 
Verbenas {“James," Bedford). —No. 2 not half so good 
as Exquisite, and No. 5 very inferior to Shylock. {N. N.). — 
The petals all too narrow; the slate-coloured variety has 
too small a truss, but if it improve in that respect the colour 
is new. 
Cinerarias ( W.).—Little Wonder is pretty, but very 
small; it is of a good habit too. It may be a favourite if 
shown well, but it is evidently badly grown. ( W. W .).—We 
have better whites already. The tipped one is so like Lady 
Hume Campbell that they could not be shown together. 
Pelargoniums {Thomas —, Wall sail ).—It is impossible to 
give a positive decision without seeing the plant. There 
have been five blooms on the truss, but were they all in 
flower at once ? Many bloom not more than one or two 
flowers at a time, and before the last one of the truss is 
open the first has dropped. The flowers are above average, 
but not new. {O. B., Essex). —None really good. B 4 is 
the best, but only three pips to the truss: there should not 
be less than five. 
Ranunculuses ( T. JR., Maidstone). —The only promising 
variety is A 7, and that is anything but A 1. It is a bad 
Admiral Napier. (I. G. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS CULTURE. 
The Pink is now fast approaching to the blooming 
state. To bring it to the highest perfection several 
manipulations are now necessary. The first is a mulch¬ 
ing of short, well-decomposed, hotbed manure spread 
thinly all over the bed. The advantages of this appli¬ 
cation are—a protection to the roots from drought, and 
whenever water is applied, either from the watering-pot 
or from the clouds, the stimulating and enriching powers 
of the manure are canned down to the roots, enabling the 
plants to produce finer flowers and healthy shoots, from 
which the pipings are to be taken. By thus promoting 
a high state of vigour, the plants are not so subject to 
the attacks of insects, it being well known that if a 
plant is in bad health, insects are sure to appear more 
numerously, and cause a still more weak state. The next 
point to attend to at this season, is to secure the flower- 
stems from being broken, and to preserve the flowers 
from being dashed with earth or mud. The means 
to be used are sticks just strong enough to support the 
stems in an upright position, and preserve the flowers 
from being spoiled. The best sticks are made of split 
deal laths, and if they have a coat of lead-coloured paint. 
