20 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ February, 
suburban cultivator. For, as my own experi¬ 
ence testifies, they will not merely grow, but 
flourish, and reward the cultivator with flowers 
of exquisite beauty, where other tribes die or 
dwindle; but it must not be supposed the same 
delicacy of colour or purity of ground can be 
attained in the dry and dusty, if not grimy 
and smoky, atmosphere of a great city, which 
will be, of course, in the pure, sweet air of 
the open country. This was a matter well 
understood by our florist fathers, who invari¬ 
ably in their competitions provided a special 
class for their less favoured fellow-cultivators. 
In Picotees, Ked-edged, of old varieties, the 
following were especially good :— Countess of 
Wilton , J. B. Bryant, John Smith, Miss Small, 
Mrs. Boiver, Mrs. Dodwell (this latter so 
grand at Bradford, that it was only by one 
vote Zerlina won the premier place), Peeress, 
Princess of Wales, Rev. F. D. Horner, Robert 
Scott , and Wm. Summers. Of flowers new to 
me, Thomas William (Flowdy), light-edge, was 
everything that a light-edged Picotee should 
be, and will worthily compare with the grand 
trio of Mr. Simonite’s in this class—unfor¬ 
tunately, such is the depleting influence of the 
Sheffleld atmosphere, not yet accessible to his 
brother florists. In the heavy-edged class, Mrs. 
Fuller (the origin of which is unknown, but 
which has been brought into special prominence 
by its fine growth in the collection of Rickard 
Gorton, Esq.), was very fine; and a variety 
of the late Mr. Norman’s, called Master 
Norman , a very broad-edged heavy of a 
peculiar tint of colour, a repeat in the red 
edges of John Delaforce , by the same raiser, in 
the heavy-edged purple class, is a grand break, 
not merely to be valued for itself, but for that 
it may be expected to produce. Unfortunately, 
it appears to be a very shy rooter. To these, in 
my own collection I have added Morna and 
Miss Froivd, both productions of the Rev. C. 
Fellowes. 
Purple Picotees are a large and varied class, 
and amongst these I saw everywhere fine 
flowers of Alliance (heavy), Ann Lord (light), 
Alice, Chanticleer, Cynthia, Jessie, Mary, Mrs. 
Summers, Mrs. Niven, Minnie, Mrs. Douglas, 
Norfolk Beauty, Nymph, Prima Donna, Picco, 
Silvia, and Zerlina, the latter especially superb, 
fully warranting the expression of its raiser, 
when offering it to his brother florists, that 
it was the best Picotee extant. Of varieties 
not yet distributed, or being now offered, I 
may enumerate Mrs. Slack (Simonite), a 
narrow-edged heavy, a grand variety, having 
a broader petal and a stouter substance even 
than Mrs. Summers, with the depth of colour 
and unsurpassable white ground of the famed 
Sheffield varieties; Fanny (Lord), medium edge, 
a worthy addition to the magnificent trio, Alice, 
Minnie, and Zerlina, distributed by Mr. Lord 
last year, now being sent out by Mr, Jonathan 
Booth, of Fails worth ; Her Majesty (medium), 
and Leah (heavy), two varieties already referred 
to as originated by Mr. Addis ; and Isabella 
and Novelty, heavy edges, the productions of 
the Rev. A. Matthews. To these I must add 
John Delaforce, already referred to in my notice 
of the Red-edges, of which I am informed my 
stock, the produce of a solitary plant, alone 
remains to the cultivator, but which I trust, 
with care and patience, I may preserve for 
myself and brother florists, as I anticipate 
great things from its very marked character. 
Rose-edges—loveliest of the tribe where all 
are queens—come last, and here indeed is 
beauty. Edith Dombrain, Ethel, Fanny Helen, 
Juliana, Mrs. Allcroft, Mrs. Nicoll, Mrs. Lord, 
Miss Lee, Miss Wood, old Obacliah, and Regina , 
were witchingly lovely; and of competitors 
newer to favour. Miss Horner ipust have a first 
place; and Mrs. A dams (Adams) and Lady 
Louisa (Abercrombie) will be welcomed wherever 
beauty is recognised and Picotees are grown. 
David Motley (Adams) I must see again before 
I can speak confidently of its character, but 
Teresa (Simonite), a bright light-edged scarlet, 
is a most beautiful sort; and Fairy Queen 
(Hartley) will find a high place, even in this 
highly esteemed class. 
Here I finish my notes of the beautiful 
flowers it has been my privilege to see in the 
season now past; and here, perhaps, I should 
write “ finis ” to my remarks, and to my work 
amongst my friends and fellow-florists.* In¬ 
creasing years, waning powers, and infirmities, 
intensified by a long life of commercial activi¬ 
ties, from which even yet I cannot seek relief, 
painfully remind me that labours once so plea¬ 
sant are no longer possible. But though I may 
no longer do what once, I think I may presume 
to say, I did—step out into the front and say 
to my brother-florists, “ Come on ”—I am sure 
they will not deny to me the privilege of grey 
hairs and matured years, but will follow my 
advice, and “ go on.” 
In the face of many difficulties and of a 
season unpropitious beyond all remembrance, 
the cultivators of these flowers have produced 
a succession of shows worthy of high commenda¬ 
tion, and obtained large favour in the eyes of 
the public. From all I yet know, the con¬ 
ditions of 1878, so far as the action of the 
larger Societies in the South is concerned, pro¬ 
mise to repeat the conditions of 1877 ; and my 
advice to my fellow-florists, therefore, is that, 
as in 1877, so in 1878, they shall be “ up and 
doing.”—E. S. Dodwell. 
Erratum, p. 12, 16 lines from foot of col. a, for ‘ vigour,’ 
read ‘ rigour.’ 
[* Mr. Dodwell’s services in this department cannot be 
spared; and for the very sufficient reasons he points out, it 
behoves all true florists to support, by every means in their 
power, his efforts for the advancement of Floriculture, not, 
be it observed, in the spirit of opposition to the progress of 
general horticulture, but as helping forward the whole science, 
by specially promoting one of its branches.—E d.J 
