THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



269 



§ 1. Ten-weeks' or German. — Iu this 

 group the plants grow about a foot iu 

 height ; the habit is dwarf, compact, and 

 branching below ; and the infloresceuce con- 

 sists of a longer central spike aud shorter 

 lateral ones. The choicer kinds in the col- 

 lection, falling under this head, belong to 

 two subdivisions, one of which has been 

 called by the seedsmen " large-flowered," in 

 contradistinction to those in which the blos- 

 soms are of the usual or average size. The 

 most desirable of the kind were : — 



(a) Flowers of usual or average size. — 

 Dwarf White (Garter), white ; Red Brown 

 (Carter), dull deep brownish-red or choco- 

 late, Carmine Dwarf (Carter), light rose- 

 colour ; Dark Violet (Carter), deep violet- 

 purple; Chamois (Carter), pale coppery- 

 pink; Flesh-colour Dwarf (Carter), pale 

 blush. 



(b) Flowers above average size. — Dark 

 Blue (Carter), a kind of reddish-purple ; 

 Light Blue (Carter), pale purple or bluish- 

 lilac; Carmine (Carter), light rose-colour; 

 Rose (Carter), deep rosy-pink or peach- 

 blossom ; White (Carter), white, tolerably 

 pure; Crimson (Carter), rather deeper rose 

 than the sort called Carmine. 



§ 2. Dwarf Ten-weeks' . — This group 

 has the habit and characteristics of § 1, but 

 the plants are dwarfer, averaging about nine 

 inches in height, and they are also more 

 branched. The variety sent as Dwarf Crim- 

 son was considered to be one of the finest 

 and most useful varities in the whole col- 

 lection. The best varieties were Dwarf 

 Crimson (Carter), the same as New Dwarf 

 Crimson (Turner), bright rosy-crimson, 

 dwarf and. free-blooming ; Rose hybrid (Car- 

 ter), pale rose blush; White hybrid (Carter), 

 French white ; Light Blue (Carter), pale 

 bluish-lilac ; Flesh-coloured Miniature (Car- 

 ter), pale blush ; Chamois (Carter), pale 

 pinkish-buff.. 



§ 3 Branching or Pyramidal Ten- 

 weeks'. — The plants in the varieties referred 

 to iu this section are taller than those in § 1 ; 

 they attain an average height of a foot aud 

 a half, and they are also more diffusely 

 branched. Among the annual stocks they 

 are at once distinguishable by their height 

 and more loosely-branched appearance. It 

 is to this group that the term " interme- 

 diate," applied to several distinct forms, 

 seems properly to belong. The variety 

 called White Branching proved to be re- 

 markably fine : certainly one of the finest in 

 the collection. The most worthy of notice 

 in this group, of which there is also a " large- 

 flowered subsection, were : — 



(a) Flowers of usual or average size. — 

 Victoria Scarlet (Turner), very high-coloured 



rosy-carmine. It is suggested that the term 

 " scarlet" should be altogether discontinued 

 in describing this class of colours, and the 

 word " crimson" substituted. Bright Crim- 

 son Branching (Carter), bright rosy-crimson ; 

 White Branching (Carter), very pure and 

 fine ; Light Blue (Carter), pale purple or 

 bluish-lilac. 



(b) Floioers above average size. — New 

 Pyramidal Scarlet (Turner), the same as 

 Light Carmine Branching (Carter), light 

 rose-colour. 



§ 4. Bouquet. — The chief characteristic 

 of this group, represented at Chiswick by 

 one variety only, consists in its excessively- 

 branched dwarf-nabit of growth. The plants 

 form a compact flat-topped bush, abont nine 

 inches iu height, everywhere branching re- 

 peatedly, and all the little branchlets showing 

 flower-buds; there is, consequently, a great 

 number of undeveloped flowers, and this, to- 

 gether with a want of brilliancy in the colour, 

 renders the variety much less effective than 

 others of inferior habit. It was called Dwarf 

 Crimson (Turner), very free, the colour a 

 rosy-crimson, somewhat dull, the undeve- 

 loped buds aud centres being greenish. 



§ 5. Miniature. — This section also was 

 represented by one sample only, aud may 

 not prove constant. The plants are very 

 dwarf, not more than six inches high, having 

 a short, dense, uubranched flower-head, seated 

 closely upon the compact tuft of leaves ; 

 Lazuli Blue (Carter), pale lilac or French 

 white. 



§ 6. Spike-flowered. — These were sent 

 as Miniatures along with the variety referred 

 to § 5. They are, however, of a different 

 habit, being taller, growing about a foot 

 high ; the stem is almost simple, the few 

 branches being very short, setting close to 

 the main stem, and producing a spike-like 

 infloresceuce. This, as well as § 5, may be 

 inconstant, and of doubtful character. The 

 best varieties were Dark Blue (Carter), deep 

 reddish-purple ; Carmine (Carter), light 

 with greenish centre, which does not open 

 well. 



§ 7. Wallfloiver-leaved Ten-weeks'. — 

 This group has the characters of § 1, but 

 the leaves are glabrous instead of hoary. 

 There is no other material difference. The 

 following were very handsome varieties; in- 

 deed, that called Dwarf Crimson was one of 

 the earliest, richest-coloured, and most en- 

 during varieties iu the whole collection. 

 Dwarf Crimson (Carter), bright rosy-crim- 

 son; Sulphur (Carter), pale or creamy- 

 yellow, the single-flowered plants being 

 white ; Carmine (Carter), light rose ; Flesh- 

 colour (Carter), pale blush: Poppy-gray 

 (Carter), pale lilac. 



