12 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ JANUARY, 
culture, at tlie beginning of the season, declared: 
—“ Florists’ flowers were hopelessly at a dis¬ 
count in the South !” Even whilst this gentle¬ 
man was giving proof of his own strange sim¬ 
plicity, a demand never before exceeded was 
exhausting the enormous stocks of the Eoyal 
Nursery, and highly-respectable firms, unable 
to obtain supplies from the usual trade quarters, 
were appealing to me for introductions to artisan 
cultivators or others who might be able to ap¬ 
pease, though in a small degree, the appetite 
existing. 
But though I thus remark on the relative 
absence of the grand old varieties in Carnations 
at the Boyal Nursery, it must not be assumed 
they were not there. In presence indeed they 
were, and in many cases in grand character, but 
most noticeable were a large number of seed¬ 
ling Picotees from the celebrated raisers, the 
Eev. A. Matthews, Eev. C. Fellowes, and Dr. 
Abercrombie. Some other varieties also—nota¬ 
bly Her Majesty , medium purple, of the largest 
size, and Leah , heavy purple, originated by Mr. 
Addis, of Gospel End by Dudley—attracted my 
attention, and pleased my taste. One variety 
of Mr. Matthews’s, as yet unnamed, much 
interested me, being a picotee with a bizarred 
edge, bright purple and rose, on a white ground 
of exceeding purity. Whether florists may 
approve this style I cannot pretend to say, 
though I know no reason why they should not. 
It is merely enlarging the variety we already 
rejoice to possess, and offends no canon of flori¬ 
culture known to me. 
Travelling into Lancashire, and thence into 
Yorkshire, I found the season, unpropitious 
beyond living memory, had mitigated nothing 
of its vigour. Heavy rains had fallen through¬ 
out July, but in August it was a continuous 
downpour. Yet, and notwithstanding such 
dampers to his energy, the florist worked, as 
only enthusiastic devoted florists can work, to 
develope and preserve their flowers, and well 
were they rewarded ! Late as were the days of 
show, they were too early in each case for the 
localities concerned, and it was palpable that 
Mr. Simonite, of Sheffield, the most Southern 
of the contributors, had reached the height of 
his bloom only on the day selected for the 
later situations—August 22—whilst gentlemen 
like Mr. Lord, of Todmorden, located on the 
breezy liill-sides of Yorkshire, though produc¬ 
ing individual flowers of the brightest colours 
and highest merit, were unable to make a col¬ 
lection in Carnations requiring even so limited 
a number as nine dissimilar varieties. 
And now, to avoid repetition, I will as 
briefly as possible describe in their several 
classes the flowers, both new and old, that 
came under my notice, and which I either 
grow myself, or desire to grow so soon as they 
are accessible. 
First, in Scarlet Bizarres, Admiral Curzon, 
sometimes called Dreadnought, was everywhere 
good, and Mars, Mercury, Sir Joseph Paxton, 
and True Briton should be in every collection. 
Of new Scarlet Bizarres, two varieties shown 
by Mr. Simonite, one at Manchester on August 
1 6 , called Joseph , and the other at Bradford, 
on the 22nd, called Samuel Cooper, are most 
promising, the latter especially so ; and if only 
constant, certain to occupy a foremost place, if 
not the very first place, in the class. 
In Crimson Bizarres, Albion’s Pride was 
scarcely so good as in the previous year, 
showing a slight roughness on the edge, pro¬ 
bably due to the abnormal conditions of the 
season ; but in this class there is a grand galaxy 
of well-established beauties, in which may be 
enumerated Blade Diamond, Captain Stott, 
Colonel North , Eccentric Jade, Earl Zetland , 
Graceless Tom, Gem, J. D. Hextall, Jenny 
Lind, John Simonite , Lord Milton, L,orcl Belg¬ 
ian, Marshal Ney, Rifleman , and Warrior. Of 
newer varieties, John liar land and William 
Murray, two varieties originated by Mr. Adams, 
of Newcastle-on-Tyne, are very desirable, very 
opposite in their respective styles, but very 
beautiful. The Rep. George Rudride (Eeeves) 
is also good, with the rich, deep colours of 
Warrior, on a better-formed petal, though un¬ 
fortunately, like Warrior, it is late in its period 
of bloom ; and Unexpected (Turner) proved to 
be quite a gem, winning the first place at the 
Aquarium Show against a fine specimen of J. D. 
Hextall. Of varieties not yet in commerce, Mr. 
Buttram, of Burgh Mills, Woodbridge, showed 
a fine specimen of a variety he has named 
Rainbow, a rosy-crimson, with plenty of bizarre, 
very bright and promising; and Mr. Simonite 
had several, some yearlings, and others of 
longer standing, which his fellow-florists will 
be glad to add to their collections when they 
are attainable. Unfortunately, the wet, sun¬ 
less season, conjoined with the murderous in¬ 
fluences of a Sheffield atmosphere, made it 
impossible for Mr. Simonite to send any out 
this season. 
Pink and Purple Bizarres are a limited class, 
but very lovely. Here Sarah Payne, Falcon- 
bridge, James Taylor, and Satisfaction (Bower), 
were especially good; and Purity (Wood), though 
not new, a variety I noted at the Eoyal 
Nursery, deserves a place in every collection.— 
E. S. Dodwell. 
(To be continued.') 
