THE ELOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



125 



thai there had been a magic hand in order 

 to lead to such results. The verbena has 

 become a very popular flower for bedding 

 out, and tends to add to the beauty of gar- 

 dens. It blooms all the year, until the 

 severe frosts of autumn, and displays its 

 various beauties much longer than most of 

 our bedding-out plants. Mr. Stanton, 

 who has had considerable experience in 

 the cultivation of the verbena, kindly gave 

 the following article for publication to the 

 author of this work. He writes as fol- 

 lows: — "If the desire is to grow them in 

 pots for exhibition or decorative purposes, 

 select those of the most shrubby habit. As 

 soon a3 you obtain your plant, which I 

 will suppose fairly rooted, you must pinch 

 out the top, so a3 to leave three or four 

 eyes ; or, if it be in early spring, for 

 instance, the end of February, or from 

 that to March, take off the top, and strike 

 it for your own plant. As soon as it is 

 rooted, which will be in ten or fourteen 

 days in a brisk heat, say in a hot-bed 

 frame, pinch out the centre eye. This will 

 induce side-shoots, which may be regulated 

 as required. If any of these side-shoots 

 grow too vigorous, and get out of limits, 

 they will require checking, and continue 

 to check the forwardest, until you get the 

 p'ant both the form and size wished for. 

 You may then permit the ends to go on 

 and flower, and the plant will be covered 

 with bloom, whereas, if, in the early stage 

 of growth you allow your plants to flower, 

 it spoils the rest of the plant ; consequently 

 you can do nothing with it until it has 

 been cut back, and an entirely new growth 

 made. The pots should be frequently 

 examined as the plants progi-ess, and, 

 when filled with roots, they must be re- 

 moved into larger sizes. Thus the growth 

 is excited continuously so long as it is 

 wished to increase the size, because, by 

 pinching out the tops as fast as they ap- 

 pear, the growth is promoted, and the re- 

 sult is the whole of the plant expands its 

 lovely flowers at one time, which, for 

 showing in pots or greenhouse decoration, 

 is highly desirable, and just what ought to 

 be attended to. It will be necessary to 

 discontinue stopping or pinching about 

 five or six weeks before the plants are re 

 quired to be in flower. I use rbh, mel- 

 low, turfy loam, with pretty much of well- 

 rotted horse or cow-dung, passed through 

 a sieve, with a sufficiency of gritty sand to 

 keep the whole porous. You may also 

 add a little leaf-mould if plentiful. I grow 

 my plants in a cold-frame or a similar 

 place, until they are just beginning to 

 come into flower, when they are placed 



where wanted. Should mildew attack 

 them, dust with a little flowers of sulphur, 

 which, if applied in time, will soon destroy 

 it." 



I will now give a few brief hints on 

 the verbena as a bedding plant, for it nrast 

 be admitted that it is pre-eminently 

 adapted for that purpose, as it embraces 

 an endless variety of beautiful and lively 

 colours, and continuing as it does to enliven 

 the flower garden with a profusion of bloom 

 for months— in fact, until destroyed by 

 frost. I strike in the commencement of 

 August, for stock to stand the winter ; 

 and, therefore, get my plants well esta- 

 blished, and the growth well matured, 

 which is the most essential point gained for 

 keeping them through the winter. I find 

 that the best method of preserving them 

 through the winter is to place them near 

 the glass, on a shelf or other contrivance, 

 and if furnished with a little heat so much 

 the better. I prefer keeping them in this 

 way to frames, where invariably great 

 numbers are lost from damp and other 

 contingencies. I think spring-struck 

 plants preferable to autumn-struck ones, 

 as they produce stronger and better plants 

 and finer flowers. I take cuttings about 

 the middle of March rather than earlier, 

 for I deem strong cuttings very important 

 when good strong plants are desired. I 

 insert from twelve to twenty cuttings in a 

 pot, according to the size of the pot, and 

 use sand aud peat in equal proportions, 

 taking care to use plenty of drainage. 

 They are then placed in a close brisk heat, 

 where they will be well rooted in a fort- 

 night. As soon as they are well rooted, 

 pinch out the centre eye, as recommended 

 for pot growing, and when they push again 

 pot them off into the size pots known as 

 forties, one in a pot, when they should be 

 placed in a close frame for a few days; 

 afterwards air may be given freely, but do 

 not forget to get them good strong plants 

 previous to turning out. I defer planting 

 until the end of May, as I think that time 

 quite early enough in this part of the 

 country. They ought to be planted a foot 

 apart, and about the same distance from 

 the edge of the bed, the whole of the 

 branches or shoots of the plants nearest 

 the edge directed towards the edge, and 

 the next row directed towards the 

 first, and so on. So soon as any of the 

 shoots reach their destination, pinch off 

 the ends, and they will soon put forth side 

 shoots, which must be trained where most 

 wanted to fill up. There will be no diffi- 

 culty in getting them to fill up their 

 allotted space, and when they reach the 



