advertised that their productions will be judged by the standard laid down by me; and although the Horticultural Society of London, and the Royal Botanical Society, do not publish the standards by which flowers are to be judged, they appoint judges who profess to do it according to mine, and whose only fault is that they every now and then lose sight of a property, or of the absence of a property, in their estimate of the qualities.

The thickness of a petal carries with it other valuable points; they remain in perfection much longer; they are more dense in colour, that is, more opaque; they hold their form better; and these are qualities of great consequence. Smoothness of edge requires no defence; indentations, raggedness, and serrated margins look rough and unfinished or damaged; and cannot well be more condemned than they are, even by persons who pick out a smooth flower, without knowing why. The flatness of the Pansy, the Auricula, and Polyanthus is best adapted to show off their peculiar texture. The spherical face of double flowers, such as the Ranunculus, Dahlia, Carnation, Picotee, Pink, and Rose, is the richest form that can be imagined; and while half a ball is enough for subjects grown or shown on cards, two-thirds is the

handsomest proportion for others that grow out from their foliage, and show their sides as well as fronts. All flowers are less bright at the back of their petals, than they are in front; therefore nothing should cup too much. The Tulip should in perfection show all the inside and its markings at one view: this it cannot do if the sides are upright or turn in; all there is above half must turn in; therefore was it that I, contrary to everybody who had written before, insisted that the perfection would be from a third to a half of a hollow ball; any shade deeper than half is a detriment, because as it turns in it hides beauty. Even Mr. Slater's ridiculous sixteenth added to the half makes it worse, though too trifling to be worth notice; less than a third would detract from the richness, and is losing the character of the flower. The slight cup to the Geranium, Azalea, Rhododendron, &c., heightens the colour of the flowers; and I might go through every point that I have adopted, and show, if necessary, that there was an object for it.

I have, however, said enough for the occasion; the approval of good Florists, and the unintentional evidence of the million who choose a good flower according to my standard without knowing why, show that I am not far out in my judgment; while another kind of evidence, dis

creditable and degrading as it may be to the witnesses, speaks trumpet-tongued in its behalf; I mean, the feverish anxiety of paltry, meanspirited people to adopt my ideas as their own, and pass off their pilferings for original matter.

GEORGE GLENNY, F.H.S.

THE PROPERTIES

OF

FLOWERS AND PLANTS.

THE PROPERTIES OF A FINE ROSE.

The

THERE is no flower more difficult to define than the Rose, and the difficulty arises out of several curious facts. First, the Rose is the only flower that is beautiful in all its stages-from the instant the calyx bursts and shows a streak of the corolla, till it is in full bloom. Secondly, it is the only flower that is really rich in its confusion, or that is not the less elegant for the total absence of all uniformity and order. very fact of its being beautiful from the moment the calyx bursts, makes the single and semidouble Roses, up to a certain stage, as good as the perfectly double ones are; and there is yet another point in the construction of some varieties, which makes them lose their beauty when they are full blown. For instance, the Moss-rose is a magnificent object so long as the calyx is all seen, but so soon as the flower fully expands,

all the distinction between a Moss-rose and a common one has departed, or is concealed. From this one fact we insist that Roses, even for show, must be divided into distinct families, and those qualities for which families are most distinguished, must be exhibited to the best advantage. This brings us at once to an acknowledgment that the grand characteristic of a Moss-rose is its calyx. These properties must never be estimated by full-blown flowers, and therefore all varieties of moss, from the cristata to the moussue presque partout, must be exhibited before they expand enough to hide the calyx. In the present state of Horticulture, we can hardly allow that any other description of Rose should be grown, if semi-double. who are more indulgent, consider that a Climbing-rose, or a Rose of peculiar habit, or indeed any other distinction, should be sufficient to justify semi-double and imperfect flowers. Certainly, if we concede anything, this would be the extent; that a new colour should justify the saving of any Rose, even if it were single. But we are much mistaken if any who have been used to grow the best double Roses, would give much for a semi-double or single variety.

Those

If there be any distinct and valuable feature in a plant, which justifies the growing of a variety, for its beauty as a plant, the bloom is at once out of the question, and we hardly take such a variety to be worth the florist's keeping. There are, however, some properties which apply to all Roses, whatever be their characteristics in other respects, and, therefore, must be taken as