April 7. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
9 
HAND-LIGHTS versus LARGE FRENCH BELL- 
GLASSES. 
It is said these latter can be procured in Paris 
for 7£d. Will no glass merchant try to make them, 
and advertise the size and price, at which the bell- 
glasses, strong enough to bear a clink, can be pro¬ 
cured ? An immense sale would take place at double 
the French price, or nearly so. When Mr. Forsyth 
was at Alton Towers he launched his satire against 
hand-lights. They have long been the most expen¬ 
sive, unsuitable, ever-ricketty articles about a garden. 
Just set a few labourers among a score or two, 
and we will give you great credit for equanimity, 
if you do not, like brother Jonathan, feel a choking 
desire to rile a little. Between the tool, and the 
iron-pointed toe of the workman, and these brittle 
ware, there seems to be an uncontrollable attraction. 
If kept at all in their present shape, we would make the 
bottom part of wood or iron. But these large bell-glasses 
are the thing, and once supplied, and there is a demand 
for early productions, see if English gardeners will 
not use them as well as French ones. For protecting 
teuder plants they would be invaluable. R. Fish. 
PELARGONIUMS. 
(Continued from page 502.) 
I have received from Mr. L. T. Fleming, the Honorary 
Secretary to the Eastern Border Horticultural Society, 
the following very excellent descriptive list of Pelar¬ 
goniums, classed in numbers as shown at the exhibition 
mentioned. I think, with my respected friend, the ama¬ 
teur is too often imposed upon by flaming descriptions 
of new florists’ flowers in the catalogues published 
annually ; but it must be borne in mind that there are 
societies in London who give prizes to, and thus give a 
character to, such flowers; and though I do not assert 
that all others that have not had that stamp of merit 
put upon them are valueless, yet the raisers of really 
good varieties should send their productions to such 
societies, and thus have a sterling character given to 
them. Next week I shall finish the list, by adding such 
new varieties as have come under my notice, different 
to those mentioned by Mr. Fleming. T. Appleby. 
A Descriptive List of Pelargoniums exhibited in 
those collections to which either a first or second-class 
prize was awarded at the Horticultural Society’s Shows, 
May 8 and June 12, and at the Royal South London 
Floricultural Society’s Shows, May 20th and June 23 ; 
shewing also the number of winning collections, (dealers 
and amateurs), each particular flower was exhibted in. 
Number of different 
collections exhibited in. 
Rosamond (Beck), rich rosy purple, white centre, 
dark spots . 7 
Constance (Foster), rosy lilac, clear centre, large 
trusser, free bloomer . 7 
Oulielma (Beck), clear blue purple, white centre, 
fine shape, and constant . 7 
Alonzo (Foster), rosy purple, light centre, dark 
blotches . 5 
: Magnificent (Foquet), rich rosy vermillion, dark 
blotches, free bloomer . 5 
Ajax (Hoyle), rosy purple, margined vivid crimson 5 
Roicena (Turner), rosy pink, large crimson spots, 
white centre . 5 
Star (Beck), rich rose, crimson maroon spots, 
white centre, profuse bloomer . 4 
Norah (Foster), dark maroon, upper petals; lower 
petals, purplish ; pink white centre . .3 
Pride of the Isles (Luff), dark, free blooming ... 3 
Salamander (Gaines), scarlet, clouded with violet 3 
Prince of Orange (Hoyle), rich orange scarlet, 
small dark spots. 2 
Mont Blanc (Story), pure white, small pink blotches 2 
Virgin Queen (Arnold), white, rich plum coloured 
upper petals . 2 
Alderman (Bragg), dark scarlet crimson maroon, 
blotched . 2 
Moclianna (Hoyle), lower petals, warm rose, white 
centre ; top petals, dark blotch. 2 
Magnet (Hoyle), scarlet crimson, dark blotches ... 2 
Pulclira (Foster’s), lower petals, salmon rose; large 
dark blotch on upper petals, with margin of rose; 
white centre . 2 
Cuyp (Beck), claret, light margin . 2 
Aspasia (Gaines), upper petals nearly black, with 
rose belt; under petal rose, veined with crimson 2 
Narcissus, rosy crimson . 2 
Pearl, white, spotted . 2 
Rubens (Foster), crimson, and dark maroon blotch 
on top petals . 2 
The following were shown only once in winning col¬ 
lections :— Ganymede, Beatrice, bottom petals mottled 
rose, upper petals black, margin of dark carmine; Bertha, 
Emily, Forget me Not, Orion, Falstaff, Peerless, Electra, 
(Gaines), rose, white centre, rosy purple bottom, large ; 
Ariadne, petals rich dark, top petals margined with rose, 
white centre ; and Little Nell (Turner), rose lilac 
bottom petals, maroon top petals; Enchantress (Foster’s), 
rosy crimson, bottom petals crimson; blotch on top 
petals, witli crimson margin ; Magnet and Ganymede 
have had first-class certificates ; and Enchantress, 
Ariadne, and Rubens, have had certificates of merit 
awarded them by the National Floricultural Society. 
The above list of Pelargoniums shown at four of the 
principal Exhibitions in the neighbourhood of London, 
during the last season, will, I believe, prove interesting 
to the admirers and cultivators of this flower. It 
may also be an assistance to amateurs in the country 
in selecting for the ensuing season. 
It does not follow that those flowers which have been 
shown in many collections are superior to those shown 
in few ; yet it may safely be assumed that they are good 
varieties, and worth the attention of all who have not 
already got them. 
Several of those marked in the above list as having 
been exhibited only in the one collection have scarcely 
passed out of the hands of the raiser, and cannot, 
therefore, be shown by many ; but being considered 
worthy to be shown by such growers as Turner, Dob¬ 
son, Gaines, &c., I think they may safely be depended 
upon. If they have proved themselves to be first-rate, 
they will be oftener shown at the next Exhibitions, 
and then may be more cheaply and more confidently 
purchased by the amateur. It will be interesting to 
observe which of the above are shown at future exhi¬ 
bitions, and which will never be beard of again. 
Year after year, hundreds of seedlings are brought 
forward with fine names and long prices, a great portion 
being no improvement on varieties already out; the 
consequence is, after much care and attention is be¬ 
stowed upon them, they ultimately lead to disappoint¬ 
ment. How disheartening it is for the amateur to be 
so deceived! Take, for instance, the case of an amateur 
seeing somewhere an advertisement of some flower, to 
which such a description is given that he thinks it is 
perfection itself; he strains a point, sends off his money 
and order for it; receives a nice little* plant, attends to 
it diligently, and anxiously watching every leaf as it 
comes out, at last the flower truss begins to be formed; 
now then, thinks ho, for the reward of all my toil; the 
flower opens, but what does he see ? Very probably a 
fac-simile of one he already has, or, perhaps, one he 
would not have wished for as a gift. His labour is 
