THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
193 
June 26 .} 
not a very striking colour, it deserved tlie honour more 
than any thing else; but Caliban, Miranda, and Gypsy 
Queen, had certificates also, which ought not to have 
been awarded, at any rate till more had been seen of 
them. They will not bear comparison with Advancer. 
Beauty of St. Johns Wood was commended for colour; 
but they might have added for form also ; a frilled edge, 
although a fault, is only one fault, and that by no means 
fatal in a faucy variety. Queen of the Fancies was com 
mended for general promising appearance and form; 
j but, in truth, it wanted novelty and brilliance. There 
i were many other seedlings of Pansies, Calceolarias, Gera- 
| niums, &c., some promising, but badly grown, or out of 
condition. The principal fault we find with the judges 
! at the National is, that they have not courage to condemn 
I if they can find any redeeming point which they can 
notice. Thus we have a shilly-shally policy adopted, 
which is to be regretted. Whether it be the fear of offend¬ 
ing, or the natural timidity of persons who have not con¬ 
fidence in their own judgment, we know not; but we have 
constantly such awards and opinions as “ commended ” 
for “ colour,” or for “ habit,” or “general form,” or “ we 
should like to see it again,” or some other single point 
insufficient to redeem it, when the production ought not 
to be mentioned. We happened to meet one of the 
censors on the ground at Chiswick, and he informed us 
he had been summoned to act, but that he had offended 
his customers, and lost them, by judging one season, 
and he should not act. This is far better than acting 
and shrinking the responsibilities by half awards. There 
is nothing so important as decision; and we never wish 
to see a thing a second time unless it is out of condition, 
and has every appearance of a really good variety. Now 
many of the subjects half commended at some of these 
Societies have really no pretensions to favourable notice, 
because they never can be useful, and multiplying the 
subjects brought before the public only perplexes the 
amateur. 
We have seen some of the flowers that were shown at 
the Botanical Gardens in the Regent's Park, but which 
it was almost impossible to see among the crowd. 
Pelargoniums. Flying Dutchman (Turner), which was 
a good deal noticed on account of its dark colour, has a 
bad lower petal. Ariadne, which obtained a certificate 
of some kind, was tolerable. Optima was a beautiful 
colour. Scarlet Eclipse has nothing but its colour to 
recommend it. Purple Standard was awarded a second 
prize; and, as it deserved some notice, perhaps it was a 
proper distinction. As it will occur very frequently that 
we come across the same flower several times, we wish 
it to be perfectly understood that we describe everything 
as it appears. If, therefore, any one shows a thing one 
day in bad condition, he may find us condemning it, 
and another day in good condition, our opinions may 
not match ; but in a summary, at the end of the season, 
we shall give the claims of all according to the way in 
which each maintains its character or otherwise. 
Calceolarias ( A Lady, Leatherhead). — No. 1 is cer¬ 
tainly a Goliah, but too flat for exhibition purposes, 
though very showy. Nos. 2, 3, and 4, are pretty in 
colour, but we have hundreds of better form. They will 
make pretty ornaments in a greenhouse, but we cannot 
recommend them to be named, except for distinction at 
home. They were well-packed, and arrived in good 
! condition. (C. P. Burnley). —Very pretty; but we have 
! daily many too much like it, and some better. (D. D., 
| Stafford). —Avery nice variety; but if it be not Lady 
1 Anne Chatteris, it is too much like it to be useful. By 
, the way, never use cotton lint for packing flowers, moss 
I or leaves always. 
| Pansies. — From Mr. Salter, of the Versailles Nursery, 
we have a dozen varieties of fancy Pansies, richly 
striped in all colours, presenting a most extraordinary 
new family, as unlike the general run of Pansies as can 
well be imagined, to maintain something like fhe form. 
They are not, strictly speaking, show flowers, and yet 
two or three in a stand would be striking. Send us the 
whole collection of blooms, with figures or names, and 
they shall be distinctly noticed, with a hint as to which 
are the best. 
Petunias (TF. D., Suffolk). —Very large, but miserably 
thin; even the size is no novelty, for the French va¬ 
rieties of this season are monstrous, and that is the only 
feature to notice. (M. M., Uxbridge). — Only No. 4 
worth trying again, and that only for its colour. The 
others have no saving feature. 
Verbenas (R. T,). —If the variety sent for opinion 
was sold for a seedling, it is neither more nor less than a 
deception. It is the old Marchioness of Ailsa, and not 
a seedling at all, though better than half the seedlings 
that come to us. 
Fuchsias (A. B). —No. 2 too much like Fulgens, and 
not so good a colour; all the seedlings that take after 
Fulgens, are worse in colour. No. 1 is no better. 
Beauty of Montpelier geranium. We have blooms of 
this just now, and it looks well among an ordinary col¬ 
lection ; it is bright, rich, and showy, with a white centre. 
The divisions or indentures between the petals are, in 
our specimens, too conspicuous. 
Roses. — P. M. has been imposed upon. G. B. is not 
Geant dcs battailes, nor the white rose a new one. The 
former is Brenhus; the latter, White globe hip. The 
seedling, which “ is to beat everything,” has been out 
these many years; we grew it in 1832, under the name 
of La Tuturella —named because of its dying off a dove 
colour. 
E. W.— Little Wonder Cineraria has certainly good 
properties. The notch is scarcely perceptible in the 
worst flowers ; while in the majority it is not perceptible 
at all. The flower, moreover, is close and circular; but 
it is too small for a show flower. The colour is not new : 
white, prettily tipped witli crimson; the seifs and shaded 
varieties are, at most, pretty border flowers. G. Glenny. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS CULTURE. 
The Dahlia. —The plants of this fine autumnal 
flower, at least the older kinds, will now be all planted 
in the places where they are to flower. The kinds that 
have been sent out in May, or probably June, will re¬ 
quire a certain preparation previously to planting out, 
and that, as they generally come from the dealers in 
small pots, is to give them at least two pottings pre¬ 
viously to placing them in the situation where they are 
to bloom. Pot them first into pots four inches wide, 
place them under a cold frame, kept pretty close for a 
few days, and then give plenty of air as they begin to 
grow; in three weeks they will have filled these pots 
with roots, give then a second shift into six-inch pots, 
and replace them in the frame, shading from the sun for 
a few days, then give air and water abundantly for three 
weeks longer. They will be then fine, strong plants, fit 
to be planted out with every prospect of a good bloom 
early in the season. Without this preparation they will 
stand still a long time, and probably not flower satis¬ 
factorily this season. Prepare the ground for them in 
the same manner as we have described, frequently, in 
former pages of The Cottage Gardener. Dig deep, 
and give plenty of well decomposed manure. A wheel¬ 
barrowful to each plant is a good rule. 
Stakes, if not already placed to each plant, should 
now without delay be applied. The best are the thin¬ 
nings of larch plantation, when they can be had. These 
last longer than any other. The next best is made of 
well-seasoned deal, cut to the proper length, planed, and 
well painted. For tall growers, they should be at least 
six feet long, one foot to be driven into the ground. For 
more dwarf kinds, five feet will be sufficient. Place them 
