108 THR FLORIST. 



can be discerned, I thin them, leaving one bud on each stem. I pre- 

 fer leaving the centre bud if it be round and perfect ; but if at any- 

 time afterwards the buds shew signs of being deformed, I remove them 

 at once. At this stage of the plant's growth the earwig will com- 

 mence the work of destruction by eating the buds. My traps con- 

 sist of bean-stalks placed among the branches ; they creep into these 

 at night, and in the morning I blow them into a bottle of warm 

 water, which kills them, and replace the stalk. As the blooming 

 season draws near, I remove the plants into the greenhouse. My 

 object being to obtain large flowers, they are not checked in their 

 growth by stopping ; they are therefore tall, and, to some, might ap- 

 pear unsightly ; but to remedy this defect I intermix Camellias with 

 them, the beautiful leaves of which afford an agreeable screen to 

 their tall stems. By having the flowers on a level with the tops of 

 the Camellias, a pleasing contrast is created, which is very efi'ectual. 

 I have cut some of my finest blooms from plants grown under a 

 south wall, where they were treated exactly as under pot-culture ; 

 as soon as the blooms begin to expand, they must be protected from 

 wind, rain, and all kinds of inclement weather. Some of the varie- 

 ties which flower early require shading from the sun ; the later flowers 

 should have a glass fixed over them, in order to enable them to fully 

 develope themselves by the time fixed for exhibition. I need not say- 

 that a little attention should be paid to tilting the glasses, so as to 

 allow the condensed moisture in them to escape, or it will destroy 

 the under petals before the upper ones are in perfection. 



The following list contains the varieties which I consider most 

 suitable for cut blooms. I have divided them into the two classes 

 of cupped (or curved) and reflexed flowers. 



CUPPED. 



King. 



Queen of England. 



Princess Marie. 



Duke. 



Goliath. 



Two-coloured Incurved. 



Dupont de PEure. 



Vesta. 



Beauty. 



Campestroni. 



Defiance. 



Pilot. 



Warden. 



Sydenham. 



Lucidum. 



Formosum. 



Golden Clustered. 



REFLEXED. 



Salter's Annie. 

 Jenny Lind. 

 Phidias (new). 

 Rabelais. 

 Rebecca. 

 Cloth of Gold. 



In regard to the properties which constitute a perfect bloom, I 

 consider that each petal should be broad, thick, smooth at the end, 

 and a little cupped or curved, but not so as to shew the under part 

 too much ; the centre should be good, the whole flower forming little 

 more than half a ball. Vesta, in my* opinion, nearest approaches 

 these properties. As we cannot do without reflexed flowers at pre- 

 sent, they should have broad thick smooth petals lying regularly- 

 one over the other, and the centre of the flower should be good, as, 

 for example, Salter's Annie ; all loose flowers, and those that have 

 notched petals, should be disqualified, as, for instance, such varieties 

 as Zoe, General Marceau, Perfection, &c. The Anemone, or Aster- 

 flowering varieties, should either be distinctly classed at exhibitions, 

 or entirely discarded." 



