13'J 



The Country Gentleman's Magazine 



not so dark; and the most famous Continental 

 strains, though having many fine quahties, 

 are also deficient in that depth of 

 colour that so entirely characterizes our 

 Cockney Wallflowers. Yellow Wallflowers 

 even of the purest colour, are ruthlessly 

 ignored as cut flowers, and in market gardens 

 are not in any case to be met with. 



As to market price, I found on inquiring 

 that, just at the beginning of the month^ 

 bunches were selling at 5s. per dozen — 

 a goodly price that is not long main- 

 tained. A bunch is a good handful tied by 

 a withe ; but these are, of course, con- 

 siderably manipulated before they come into 

 the hands of the retail purchaser. It is 

 without doubt a fact that a good-sized basket- 



ful of cut Wallflowers has, during the immense 

 abundance of green-stuft' in the spring, 

 brought home more " grist to the grower's 

 mills " than a whole cartload of greens. 

 The exigencies of my occupation compel me 

 to grow both yellow and dark Wallflowers to 

 seed for bedding strains, and I find that, 

 though sown together, the dark-coloured 

 kinds open into flower a fortnight earlier than 

 the yellow ; this is no doubt due to the per- 

 sistent saving of seed from the earliest-bloom- 

 ing plants. We must endeavour to improve 

 the Tom Thumb Yellow in the same way, 

 whilst in the matter of habit it is far from 

 being so even as could be wished. Howevei', 

 perseverance will meet with its reward. — 

 Gardetier's Maz. 



NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 



^CHMEA MARI/E REGINE. 



OF all the Bromeliaceous plants we have 

 seen, this is the " crowner." It takes 

 rank for growth, for length of flower stem, 

 for numerous tiers of flowers, and for the 

 superbness of the colouring of its bracts. 

 We understand that it is one of Mr Wend- 

 land's introductions from Costa Rica, that has 

 found its way into the hands of Mr B. S. 

 Williams of the Victoria Nursery, HoUoway. 

 Well may the holder of the stock rejoice, 

 among the many novelties that are continually 

 being ushered into public notice, that he has 

 one of a stamp that will challenge the most 

 severe criticism. The floral bracts are large, 

 numerous, and of exactly that beautiful 

 colour which has found so much favour with 

 orchidophilists last season, and this season, 

 pourtrayed in Masdevallia Lindenii. And 

 who that loves flowers does not love such a 

 colour. For the tiniest morsel of such a 

 colour in the Orchid family, represented by a 

 very few flowers, so much as 30 guineas has 

 been paid for it ; and what shall we say of this 

 that has yards of such cloth for inches of the 

 one to which it is compared, and to be had at 



a price — a reasonable price ! The one you 

 see is an Orchid, the other is not. " Oh ! for 

 an Orchid " says a salesman of our acquaint- 

 ance, " with the flowers ofEucharis amazonica 

 upon it ; and how much would it be worth ? 

 True indeed ! " ^ 



Well, let us see what this Queen Mary 

 ^chmea is like, and how it grows. It grows 

 certainly stronger than any of its fellows, 

 having broad serrated leaves, about from 12 

 to 1 8 inches in length growing as ^echmeas 

 grow and flowering as yEechmeas do, but only 

 much more beautiful. Let us see what Mr 

 Williams says about it : — 



"This is undoubtedly one of the most 

 superb Bromeliaceous plants ever introduced, 

 to the gardens of Europe, and during the 

 past season was awarded a First-class Certi- 

 ficate at the Regent's Park Exhibition, and 

 a First-class Certificate at the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society's Exhibition, when a special 

 silver medal was awarded it in addition to 

 the Certificate, for its great beauty and supe- 

 rior excellence. It is a beautiful stove pe- 

 rennial of robust habit, the leaves are 

 arranged in a vase-like manner, recurved to- 



