56 THE FLORIST, 



PROPERTIES OF THE CALCEOLARIA. 



Having frequently heard conflicting oi)inions respecting the proper- 

 ties of the Calceolaria, and my own opinion having heen often soli- 

 cited in the matter, I venture to lay it before the public through the 

 medium of the Florist. An opinion has long been entertained that 

 this flower, to be perfect, ought to assume a globular form, even to 

 the roundness of a cherry. Now this I think a decided error ; for 

 even were such a form attainable, in order to carry out a correspond- 

 ing uniformity it would seem to require more than one orifice, and 

 similar markings all round the flower, which could not be character- 

 istic, inasmuch as the markings would not be fully displayed ; and 

 certainly the clouded and belted varieties would be much deteriorated, 

 as truth and beauty could not be so boldly and clearly developed in 

 flowers of so crippled or contracted a surface as those of a globular 

 form would present. Before I proceed to describe the properties of 

 the flower, it may not be improper first to mention that the Calceo- 

 laria ought ever to be of a shrubby or half-shrubby character, with 

 broad willow-like or neat ovate leaves, diflfering as much as may 

 be in foliage from the coarse broad leaves of the herbaceous kinds. 

 From this criterion we have all more or less diverged, and ought now 

 to retrace our steps till we have regained a habit similar to one I first 

 raised, and sent out under the name of " Majoriana," whose habit 

 was freer, and whose leaves were larger, than Ilugosa. It is doubt- 

 ful, were we to fall back upon real hard-wooded varieties like Ru- 

 gosa, whether we should not be deficient in magnitude of flower. 

 However, I hardly need say it is certain that magnificent blooms can 

 be obtained without being obliged to cultivate the cabbage-like her- 

 baceous kinds which I have at all times made a point of discarding. 

 I may here state that the plants should be free and healthy in growth, 

 exhibiting their blossoms loosely and freely on strong footstalks, suf- 

 ficiently long to allow their blossoms to hang elegantly, shewing the 

 face of the flower as much as possible. 



With regard to the properties of the Calceolaria : 1 . Its outline 

 ought to be a perfect circle ; but in varieties such as this, breadth in 

 form being preferred to length. 2. The flowers must be thick and 

 firm in texture, and well inflated, shewing a swell both back and 

 front, and the upper or front surface must be especially bold, swelling 

 gradually from the edge or outline of the flower to the centre, and 

 well filled about the orifice or throat, which should be perfectly smooth 

 and round, and not too large. 3. The outline of the flower must be 

 even and without notches, and the surface smooth, without ribs or 

 furrows. 4. The lip or cap ought to be round and even, and not 

 larger than what might seem to form a proper lid for the orifice ; 

 and not too long in the neck, so as to fall back, but rather low or 

 squat, so as to seem to hang over the orifice, and not to disfigure the 

 circular outline of the flower. 5. (This head will be best illustrated 

 by referring to the flowers figured in the Florist for December 1850.) 

 When the flower is marked or spotted equally all over the surface, as 



