THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



177 



keeping it dry and cool for a season, and 

 then starting it into growth again in the 

 spring, in a good moist growing atmo- 

 sphere. It is said that in France and the 

 south of Europe it blooms freely every 

 year. True ; but then they have not the 

 cloudy sky and moist atmosphere which 

 characterize our climate, and which, we 

 must never be so ungrateful as to forget, 

 enables us to grow a great many things to 

 perfection, if it does render the cultivation 

 of a few others difficult. The most suit- 

 able place in which to try the Bougain- 

 villaea would be the front of a moderate 

 stove, where it could be trained up like a 

 vine just under the glass, so that it could 

 enjoy all the light we can obtain. Do not 

 be disheartened if keeping it so dry at the 

 root during winter causes it to lose al- 

 most all its foliage; this may, indeed, be 

 looked upon as a favourable symptom. 



In the "Florist" for July, a letter 

 from Rome contains this sentence : — "A 

 Brazilian plant, Bougainvillaea spectabilis, 

 is in full flower, and exceeding anything I 

 ever saw. Like the Wistaria, the flowers 

 come before the green leaves. The corolla 

 [bracts] is so delicate, that it is quite 

 transparent, and of that tint called mauve; 

 and by the dictum of Napoleon's Empress, 

 the only colour favoured by the caprice of 

 fashion." 



Let us conclude this notice by an ex- 



tract from the letter of a friend residing 

 near Calcutta, which will convey some 

 slight notion of its appearance where it is 

 in all its glory. He says — " I am writing 

 this half an hour after daybreak, the 

 pleasantest part of the day out here. I 

 heartily wish you could take a seat beside 

 me under the shade of this verandah ; the 

 sight that is now before me would well 

 repay the visit. Not twenty yards from 

 where I write is an old tree of BoHgain- 

 villaea spectabilis ; it is about twenty feet 

 high, and its long, pendant branches trail 

 to the ground — not a green leaf to be seen 

 ton it ; it is one mass of bright rosy piuk 

 flowers. With the dew-drops glistening 

 on every petal, it is a sight which no pen 

 could describe, and the artist who could 

 give even a faint idea of it would be clever 

 indeed. Nothing but the ruby cou-ld vie 

 with it in brilliance ; as the morning breeze 

 just makes the branches sway a little, it 

 looks like a -gigantic piece of jewellery. I 

 enclose a few of its petals ; they will most 

 likely lose part of their colour, but may 

 serve to remind you of a far-away friend. 

 We always cut a few bouquets of it before 

 it goes out of flower, and these, like 

 ' Everlastings,' look gay for a long time." 



The " petals " sent were, of course, 

 the large bracts, which, to any but a bo- 

 tanist, would be looked upon as parts of 

 the corolla. 



DIANTHUS CHLNENSIS HEDDEWKH, AND OAZANIA 

 SPLENDENT. 



These are, undoubtedly, two of the most 

 valuable additions to our gardens within 

 the last few years. The coloured drawings 

 sent out early in the spring, of the new 

 Dianthus, were most attractive, and, no 

 doubt, tempted many to indulge in a few 

 packets of seeds, although dealt out so 

 sparingly by our seedsmen. But beautiful 

 as were the illustrations, they could scarcely 

 convey any idea of the richness and bril- 

 liancy of the flowers, or their endless va- 

 riety. As a general rule, the drawings 

 issued by nurserymen are such exaggera- 

 tions of the reality, that, with few excep- 

 tions, disappointment is the result ; and it 

 is a marvel to us and many others who 

 have been beguiled by them, that people 

 should paint such untruth, with this fact 

 before them, that, in a few months hence, 

 the plants will spring up and bloom " in 

 judgment against them." In the cas9 of 

 the Dianthus Hedclewigi, however, the 

 painter himself would be puzzled to excel 



it in colour, although he may, and perhaps 

 has, exceeded it a little in size ; neverthe- 

 less, it is such a charming flower that all 

 who wish for beauty and novelty combined 

 should possess it. It was raised by Mr. 

 Heddewig, of St. Petersburg, to whom 

 -was awarded a prize medal by the Horti- 

 cultural Society of that city. That such 

 high compliment was most deserving will 

 be at once acknowledged by all who have 

 seen a bed of such flowers in bloom. 



The Gazania splendens — a great im- 

 provement on Gazania rigens — is another 

 addition to our bedding stock, it3 bright 

 orange blossoms expanding each morning 

 as the sun gains strength ; the petals ra- 

 diating from the centre, and forming a 

 star-shaped bloom. Each petal is dotted 

 near the bottom with a dark brown velvety 

 spot, on which stands, in great relief, a 

 white one, the whole forming a handsome 

 circle in the centre, and arranged with 

 such mathematical precision that the flower 

 I 2 



