144 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



combination of a mottling, or band, 

 or lines of cream or amber, upon a 

 green ground, or the centre of the 

 leaf is green and the margin white. 

 In any caae there is a certain pro- 

 portion of green in the leaf, which 

 may not be perceptible when the 

 plants are in large masse?, because of 

 the superior attractiveness of the 

 white ; nevertheless it is there, and 

 the example is one of strict variega- 

 tion, the result of a sport from a 

 variety wholly green and without 

 variegation at all. Take, on the other 

 hand, a plant of Cineraria maritima, 

 otherwise called the " Powdered 

 Beau" and "Dusty Bob ;" or if you 

 do not know that, take Cerastium 

 tomentosum ; or, better known still, 

 take the Bose Campion of the bor- 

 ders. In each of these cases the 

 leaves have none of the ordinary 

 green hue common to vegetation ; 

 the Cineraria maritima is covered 

 with a grey dust, as if Hour had been 

 sprinkled upon it; the leaves of the 

 Cerastium are covered with grey 

 hairs, and have a woolly appearance 

 when viewed under a Jens, and glisten 

 like silver when placed beside blue 

 lobelia in full bloom; the leaves of 

 the Campion are aUo woolly ; and in 

 all these three cases the silvery ap- 

 pearance is natural to the plant, not 

 the consequence of a sport, and, 

 strictly speaking, they are not varie- 

 gated. Now, this distinction is of 

 importance as a matter of art and as 

 a matter of culture. In the first con- 

 sideration, the effect of plants with 

 leaves naturally silvered is generally 

 more decisive. But on that point 

 differences of opinion, as well as of 

 fact may arise ; for though Lady Ply- 

 mouth, Dandy, Flower of the Day, 

 and Alma geraniums are strictly 

 variegated plants, and have a certain 

 proportion of green in their compo- 

 sition, nothing can surpass them for 

 beauty when used appropriately in 

 combination with other plants. Still 

 the radical distinction remains that 

 these have originated out of varieties 

 that were not variegated, whereas 

 the other class are what they are by 

 virtueof their original constitution, and 

 have been silvery, woolly, dusty, etc., 

 etc, from the beginning of the world. 



As a matter of culture, the dis- 

 tinction is of immense importance. 

 Plants that are naturally of a silvery 

 or golden hue cannot be altered in 

 their character, though they may be 

 spoiled or killed by bad management ; 

 whereas true variegated plants may 

 be changed to their original green 

 colour, and the variegation destroyed 

 by improper management. This is a 

 matter that practical gardeners — 

 though they know all about it — do 

 not always bear in mind as they 

 should, and hence in one garden the 

 same variety of variegated plant will 

 be seen in greater perfection than in 

 another. With plants naturally of a 

 silvery hue, all that is necessary is to 

 provide them with a soil suited to 

 their constitution ; with variegated 

 plants the soil should generally be a 

 trifle poorer than for the green-leaved 

 types of the variegated varieties. We 

 have proved by experiment that 

 Dandy, one of the loveliest of the 

 minimum variegated geraniums, be- 

 comes as green as grass when planted 

 out in a soil heavily manured, and 

 that the same plants, removed into a 

 poor soil, recovered their variegation, 

 and had the same beautiful effect as 

 originally. Look at any border con- 

 taining a row of the common varie- 

 gated mint, and it will be a great 

 chance if you do not see amongst the 

 plants many strong shoots wholly 

 green, the plant reverting back to its 

 original condition through being well 

 fed in a rich soil. So with the pretty 

 variegated Arabis ; one of the best 

 of plants for a close edging of yel- 

 lovush-grey, it will every year pro- 

 duce a few green shoots ; and if those 

 are not removed, they soon take the 

 whole strength of the roots to them- 

 selves, aud, overpowering the varie- 

 gated shoots, in course of time restore 

 the plant to the condition of the 

 common green- leaved Arabis of the 

 borders. 



The lesson is obvious, that varie- 

 gated plants should not be too well 

 fed ; aud yet it is possible to grow 

 themvigorously withoutdanger. Pure 

 yellow loam with plenty of turf in it 

 is a most nourishing staple for any 

 plant that likes loam, and most varie- 

 gated plants will thrive in it, and 



