278 
THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
on the lower division—a remarkable and showy variety; 
President Lincoln , an exceedingly showy variety, spike 
very long and correspondingly strong, flowers large and 
well arranged, blush white ground with the edges of the 
petals suffused with bright rose, the lower division 
heavily blotched and finely lined with crimson. 
“Henderson’s Twelve Selected Seedlings” embraced 
striking and well-defined colors of every shade, from pure 
white to dark crimson and clear yellow, with clear and 
distinct markings. 
These annual exhibitions are very useful, as they en¬ 
able those unacquainted with the different varieties to 
make such selections as are most desirable, or at least the 
most pleasing to their tastes. 
* 
* ^ 
We cut the following obituary notice from the Gar¬ 
dener’s Magazine of August. Mr. Chater was person¬ 
ally known to many of our older florists, and his name 
was familiar to all who have made the hollyhock a 
specialty: 
“ The death of William Chater—a king among holly¬ 
hock raisers and cultivators—which took place at the 
Grove Nurseries, Saffron Walden, on July 21, at the ripe 
age of eighty-four years, is one of those events in the 
annals of floriculture that cannot be allowed to be passed 
over without adequate notice. To the last almost he took 
a deep interest in the flowers he loved so well. A failing 
memory, naturally enough, characterized the few last 
years of his life ; but it sometimes flashed up with quick¬ 
ened powers, and when he was able to talk, his floricul- 
tural reminiscences were of a very interesting character. 
He was ever a kind, hearty, straightforward, genial man 
—one that you could fully trust; there was about him a 
simplicity that charmed, and a shrewdness that compelled 
admiration. He lived an honest, manly life, and died 
amid many regrets.” 
* 
* * 
Gladiolus for 1885 .—The season just drawing to a 
close has not, as a whole, been a favorable one for the 
gladiolus. The excessive drought and exceedingly hot 
weather of July and the first half of August was very 
trying to them, for the first flowers appeared in the very 
hottest weather. These were smaller than-usual, and the 
flower stalks were mostly crooked and not well furnished 
with flowers, not more than half the usual number ap¬ 
pearing at one time, making, indeed, very poor spikes. 
The hot weather hastened the larger bulbs into bloom 
and dried up the smaller ones, which usually give us the 
finest flowers. The loss has partly been made up by the 
remarkably fine flowers we are now having (September 
6 ),the weather being cool and partially cloudy ; these two 
conditions, together with plenty of moisture, being essen¬ 
tial to the perfect development of the gladiolus. 
The new varieties that have for the first time flowered 
this season are numerous, although but few have points 
of excellence not already possessed by others. That 
there are not more really good sorts is probably due to 
the unfavorable season, which has not allowed them to 
fully develop. In Messrs. C. L. Allen & Co.’s nursery we 
noticed several which give very fair promise, and which 
have been set aside for further test and to be awarded 
variety names should they merit it. They are at present 
under numbers only. 
“ A ” is a plant of great promise ; flower spike very long 
and vigorous, flowers well arranged, of good shape and 
remarkable for their great substance This is a seedling of 
Shakespeare, and partakes very much of the character of 
its parent, only the flower is much larger and the blotch 
on the lower division more nearly round and of a deeper 
color. 
“ B ” is a fine yellow, deep rich canary, with the well- 
defined crimson blotches on the lower divisions that are 
so conspicuous in Bayard Taylor , and which gives that 
flower such an attractive appearance. The spike is long, 
flowers of good size and well arranged. 
“C” is another good crimson-scarlet a seedling from 
Meyerbeer, and has all the good properties of that justly 
popular variety, and the addition of being a stronger 
grower, with a longer spike, and the flowers bordering 
more on the light instead of crimson scarlet. 
In this nursery there are nearly 100,000 seedlings flow¬ 
ering for the first time this season, many of which are 
remarkably fine, and but few of which would doubtless 
have created a sensation a few years ago. 
At Hallock & Thorpe's we noticed some seedlings of 
the Lemoine section that are decidedly pleasing. We do 
not particularly admire the form of these flowers; in fact, 
it is objectionable, but their rare colors class them with 
same of the strange orchids whose colors are so re¬ 
markable. They have also a new class of seedlings 
which originated with Max Leitchlin, of Germany, which 
for size and shape of flowers, together with length of 
spike, have no equals. It will be a number of years be¬ 
fore this class will have increased in numbers sufficiently 
large to warrant their offering it for sale. But when that 
time comes the lovers of the gladiolus may expect such a 
treat as their eyes have never feasted upon. 
* 
* * 
Before the Linnean Society, of London, Mr. A. Taylor 
has sought to prove that plants have a dim sort of intel¬ 
ligence, and are able, at least, to exert as voluntary power 
as certain lowly organized animals. One proof of this, 
he claims, is the plant’s avoidance of obstacles—placed 
artificially in their way—by bending aside before touch¬ 
ing. 
Books, &c., Received. 
Chapters on Plant Life. By Mrs. S. B. Herrick. Illustrated. 
206 pages. Cloth, $1. 
This interesting book is a recent addition to “ Harper’s 
Young People Series,” but will not fail to prove instruc¬ 
tive to older readers, as a variety of plants, from the sim¬ 
plest fungi to the wonderful orchid, are pleasantly and 
clearly described. If the question, “ What is the differ¬ 
ence between a plant and an animal ” were asked, a great 
many grown persons would be likely to pause a few min¬ 
utes before giving an intelligent answer, for in some cases 
the two kingdoms are so nearly allied that a careful study 
