September 25.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
401 
possess already. If, then, we venture, at the close of 
the season, to point out the few that may be worth buy¬ 
ing, we may curtail the number of bad ones purchased, 
but we shall add largely to the sale of those worth an 
amateur’s notice. We are daily receiving a number of 
seedlings, and shall make strict notes of all worth send¬ 
ing out; but as those who have any thing really good 
are sending us blooms over and over again, to prove 
constancy, while a vast number of seedlings are only 
now coming into bloom, we reserve positive opinions 
while there is a chance of a flower retrieving (what if we 
decided at once would be) an unfavourable character, we 
will not hastily condemn. But we confess that we shall 
not give size a single point in a seedling, nor shall we 
mention as first-rate a flower that wants an hour’s tor¬ 
turing to open quilled petals, to bend down those on 
the face, to make the eye appear naturally higher. These 
tricks with seedlings are unworthy, simply because they 
disguise a flower and deceive the buyer. If a flower is 
naturally quilled and sunk in the eye, it is comparatively 
worthless. How is it that one man can show a flower 
which hardly anybody else can produce fit to be seen ? 
Simply because he is clever at dressing and distorting. 
We know we shall have respectable cultivators with us 
in resisting and opposing such practices, although just 
now there are too many interested in supporting them. 
We have seen a flower, totally unfit to show, mauled 
about with the tweezers until an open eye has been 
closed, and quilled petals have been, by great patience 
and application, opened. This is not floriculture; it is 
tricking, and most unworthy; for the flower that wants 
it is useless to a gentleman who is deceived into buying it. 
Hollyhocks (W. PMorpeth). —The numbers were 
mismatched, so as to be no guide, but there were three 
distinct colours. The lightest rose-colour, was a noble, 
but rather loose flower, and guard petals stretched out 
too far all round. The other rose, darker, was a better 
flower, and more compact centre, as well as in better 
proportion, and thicker petals. The dark flower the 
best, and has the advantage in thickness and compact¬ 
ness ; all three may ho grown. (A. M., Leeds). —Not 
one of the ten is an acquisition as a show flower; but 
No. 5, being very thick in the guard petals, may be 
seoded, and something good be the produce. ( J. J .).— 
No. 8 is pretty, but too small, if it be a full-sized bloom 
of the plant; but if not, or if the plant bo weak, grow 
it better; the rest are useless. 
Gloxinias (T. W., Middleton). — No. 14, red with 
darker throat, No. 7, blusli-white, with crimson throat, 
arc the most remarkable of the whole number, and on 
comparing with those most in the way of them. The 
rest are pretty in collection, but not sufficiently distinct 
to be propagated. All arc small-sized compared with 
the sorts we possess. 
Judges’ Decision. W. E., of Staines, Asks how it 
could happen that a cottager’s stand of cut flowers, com¬ 
prizing one Stock, two Snapdragons, a few common 
Pinks, some Canterbury Bells, with some Burridge, was 
placed before another which contained Ten-week Stocks, 
flowers from Pelargoniums of sorts sent out by Beck 
and Forster, Perpetual Roses, Verbenas, Ranunculusses, 
and Scarlet Pelargoniums? We cannot tell; perhaps 
because the judges suspected such flowers were not his 
own growing; perhaps because they had travelled a 
long way, and were stale ; but that there was a reason, 
and a good one, we have no doubt, besides which, wo do 
not believe in the statement being a fair one. As wc 
are told that the answer will oblige the writer and many 
more, we have complied with the requst. 
Pansey (J. M .).—'The Pansey is a good self, but ex¬ 
hibits no novelty. Packing in wet moss destroyed three 
blooms out of the four, soaked out the colour, and 
actually stained the moss. Layers of leaves and Pansies 
alternately, will travel a thousand miles. 
Seedling Dahlias at Siiacklewell. Laura Laving- 
ton —A fancy flower of an odd colour, flat in the face, 
solid, but rather sunk eye, full size, moderate outline; 
an acquisition from its novelty. Sir F. Thesiger — 
A dense rose-colour, of rather under average size, well 
rounded on the face, and centre well up, petals of good 
substance, outline good, general form excellent, and 
symmetrically built. Dr. Frampton —Already noticed 
as a model, rather smaller than medium, beautifully 
edged, and very double and symmetrical. Triumphant 
—A red, full-sized; petals narrow, and rather ribbed 
and quilled, noble face, centre high. Nancy — Not 
so good by much. Lizzy — An edged-flower, like 
some we have had, and not better. Miss Matthews — 
Scarlet and white fancy; better than the generality of 
the class, numerous as it is. Miss Ward — Yellow 
and white fancy; apparently a safe one, but no great 
improvement. Wonderful —A carnation-striped flower, 
curious, but like all this class, no improvement to a 
stand. Louisa Glenny —Yellow, pretty, but not an 
advance. Miss Creed —Yellow and white fancy, not 
so good as Mrs. Hansard, nor so fine as we have seen 
Lady Outturn, though she is rather an uncertain lady. 
Many others there were, of which it is hardly fair to 
speak, as we shall have better opportunities of seeing 
them. To the credit of the management, the test of 
seedlings was six blooms, three having been, much to 
the injury of the amateur, the number admitted at the 
Surrey Show. 
Dahlias (F.D., Portman Market). — Louisa, a dark 
ruby or garnet colour, double, symmetrical, and pro¬ 
mising, but low in the centre. We should like to see 
blooms of this again. Constancy, a purple flake or stripe, 
the best in its class, though not all we want. 
Hollyhocks. —So many of these have reached us that 
it requires no little pains to decide which are the best 
of these several classes, because it is clear that not more 
than one of a colour can be pronounced best. Mr. Par¬ 
sons has some very striking, which we shall notice, 
particularly for their novelty and quality. Mr. Bragg 
has been fortunate also ; and, indeed, as many as eight 
or ten cultivators have added something to our rapidly- 
improving collection of this noble border flower. 
Antirrhinums pour in upon us in considerable num¬ 
ber, without giving us one worthy of notice. 
Mimulus Gigantea. ( Smallbone ). — Monstrous flower, 
and as good as any of the family in form. It will suit 
everybody who grows the plant, but a Mimulus must 
not be let out at a dear price. They are rapid increasers, 
and a new one ought not to be more than double the 
price of an old one. In fact none of them give more 
than a few flowers of the full size, they degenerate on 
the lateral branches. 
Petunias (J. B). —No. 7 seems a little thicker than 
usual, and not a bad form; the rest are of no service. 
Verbenas (N. N). —All of the old school, quite use¬ 
less among the improved varieties. Our readers may 
depend on us when we say, that it is labour in vain to 
save from any but the very best; for even then they 
will have ten worse for one as good, or better 
Pansies (M. D). —No. 2 and 4 may come in good 
character, instead of the undefined present state. They 
appear like good things out of condition, as, indeed, all 
are at this time of the year. The others are useless, 
and cannot come good. 
Every body who desires our opinion on Dahlias 
should send specimens without delay; very little has 
been seen yet that a journalist can honestly recommend. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS CULTURE. 
The Pink. —This is generally a great favourite with 
florists, more especially amateur florists, and most de¬ 
servedly so, for it is a beautiful flower, very fragrant, 
