1884.] 
EOYAL NATIONAL TULIP SHOW. 
107 
first sliown, I believe, in 1876, when it was 
certified as first-class, and then for some 
seasons, such was the evil influence of the 
Shefiield air, it hung between life and death. 
Thanks, however, to the skill and care of an¬ 
other good friend and brother, Mr. Douglas, 
it was saved to floriculture, and sent out in 
1882. It is undoubtedly a beautiful variety, 
having a fine petal, a distinct wire-edge of 
brilliant colour, a perfectly pure white ground, 
and good size. Whether as it gets into wider 
cultivation, it may master the beautiful variety 
of Mr. Flowdy’s, Thomas William, remains to 
be determined, but it is beyond question that 
in the light-reds Mrs. Grorton and Thomas 
William are supreme. 
Mrs. Wilson [Felloives). — Heavy-edged. 
A bright, full, distinct variety. Very attrac¬ 
tive on the home stage, but has the bad habit 
of “ saddling ” its petals, and thus it is rarely 
seen of good form, and flowers with such a 
habit can rarely be improved whatever may be 
the skill of the manipulator. Such varieties 
are, however, frequently most effective for 
decorative purposes. 
Peeress {Turner). —Heavy-edged. Has 
the broadest edge of the class. A useful 
variety for the seedling raiser for its breadth 
of colour and good white; also for the home 
stage, but not likely to be used by the exhibitor, 
save where very long numbers are required. 
First bloomed in 1870 ; sent out in 1874. 
Princess of Wales {Fellowes). —Heavy- 
edged. A very fine variety in its day—in the 
hands, that is, of most growers, though in the 
vitiated atmosphere of my garden at Clapham it 
was never equal to some others I have noted ; 
but its day was short, and now for the past year 
or two from all sides I have heard of the diffi¬ 
culty of keeping it in life. First bloomed in 
1870, sent out in 1873, it may be said to 
have accomplished the full life of a Picotee. 
Rev. F. D. Horner {Lord). — Light-edged. 
Raised at Todmorden from self-fertilised seed 
of Mrs. Turner ; light rose edge ; first bloomed 
in 1871; sent out in 1873. This, though for 
the first year after it was in my possession 
was the finest light-edged red I had up to 
that time bloomed, speedily succumbed to the 
pernicious influences assailing it, and I was 
obliged to drop its cultivation. But upon 
the breezy hills of Yorkshire I hear it yet 
flourishes, and it was shown at Manchester 
last year in very finished style. 
Sarah Elizabeth (Rudd). —Light-edged. 
A seedling from Thomas William of the same 
class, but with, as bloomed by me, double the 
number of petals of that grand variety, and, 
what was worse, of a very inferior shape, the 
centre petals especially being narrow and 
angular at the margin—a fault in my eyes of 
the gravest character. The white ground is 
good, and the marginal colour very distinct. 
Thomas William (Flowdy). — Light-edged. 
Raised at Newcastle-on-Tyne by Mr. Thomas 
Flowdy, and supposed, when Mr. Rudd gave 
me a description of it in 1877, to be of un¬ 
known parentage. But Mr. Flowdy has 
since informed me he took the seed from 
Lauretta (Smith), a beautiful variety some 
twenty-five years since. Mr. Rudd described 
it—Thomas William—as “ a grand variety, 
the best light-edged red in my collection, and 
I am almost inclined to think the best I have 
seen.” I can give hearty endorsation to these 
remarks. In its best state, indeed, Thomas 
William leaves little room for improvement. 
It has a fine broad petal, beautifully built up 
to the crown—a pure white ground and a 
bright distinct wire-edged marginal colour ; is 
a good grower, and of good size. 
William Summers (Simonite). — One of the 
earlier varieties of Mr. Simonite’s, grown from 
seed taken from Lauretta (Smith), parent of 
the beautiful variety just described. Sent 
out in 1862. Like all Mr. Simonite’s seed¬ 
lings, William Summers exhibits high quality, 
fine substance, and has a ‘broad, beautifully- 
proportioned petal. The colour, a medium 
feather-edge, is bright and attractive. A full- 
sized, well-formed, and well-crowned flower. 
A good grower, and though showing signs of 
diminishing stamina with increase of years, 
it still deserves and will well repay the addi¬ 
tional attention it requires at the hand of the 
cultivator. Being somewhat late, it should 
have the protection of a frame, or a warm 
corner of the garden, to bring it in with the 
general bloom. 
Violet Douglas (Simonite ).—Another of 
Mr. Simonite’s beautiful productions. Light- 
edged. Petal, large, well formed, and mar¬ 
gined with a very distinct wire of bright red. 
White ground good, and a good grower. 
Unlike William Summers, an early bloomer. 
Winifred Esther (Dodwell). — Medium- 
edge. A seedling from William Summers, 
but with more colour than its parent. First 
bloomed in 1879 ; sent out in 1881.—E. S. 
Dodwell. 
ROYAL NATIONAL TULIP SHOW. 
HE Annual Exhibition of the Royal 
National Tulip Society took place this 
year, as usual, in the gardens of the 
Royal Manchester Botanical and Horti¬ 
cultural Society, on May 31, and formed part 
of the Great National Show held by that body 
during the season of Whitsuntide. The 
flowers, which were accommodated in one of 
the tents, were not so numerous as usual, 
but the blooms shown were on the whole high 
in quality, although most unequal in point of 
