THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 117 



size and freely produced. Peabodij and Purple Prince, two varieties 

 also sent out by Mr. Caunell, are both exceedingly good and in every 

 way desirable. The lovely blue tint of the flowers is brought out 

 more prominently during the autumn season, when they are of 

 special value for decorative purposes and supplying cut flowers for 

 vases indoors ; to have them in perfection from the end of September 

 to the end of I^ovember, when there are but few flowers to brighten 

 up the conservatory, is not by any means difficult. Autumn-struck 

 plants of moderate strength should be selected in the second or 

 third week in May and shifted into five-inch pots, and placed upon 

 a bed of coal-ashes in an open position out of doors ; by the end of 

 July they will have filled the pots nicely with roots, and should then 

 be shifted into others one or two sizes larger ; the best course is to 

 put the strongest plants into eight-inch and the others into six-inch 

 pots ; let them be well drained, and use a compost consisting of 

 turfy loam, leaf-mould, and sand ; frequent stoppings will be neces- 

 sary, the last stopping being done a fortnight or so before the final 

 shift. The flower-buds must be removed until the second or third 

 week in September, for if the plants are allowed to exhaust them- 

 selves with flowering in the summer they will not bloom satisfac- 

 torily during the autumn ; they must be liberally supplied with 

 water when growing freely, but proper caution must be exercised 

 when they are newly potted, and, as autumn approaches, to guard 

 against their being overwatered. Remove them indoors after the 

 second week in September, and maintain a temperature of 50°, and 

 a rather dry atmosphere ; towards the end of the summer keep a 

 sharp look out for caterpillars, for it is then they are most trouble- 

 some ; if any of the leaves are eaten, examine without delay the 

 underside of all the leaves on the plant until the depredator has 

 been caught and destroyed. 



Those to whom the cost of the plants is a matter of considerable 

 consequence may do very well by purchasing rooted cuttings, which 

 are very much cheaper than the established plants, are quite as 

 suitable for the present purpose if procured early ; moreover, as 

 they can be sent by post for a few pence per dozen, the cost 

 of carriage, which is frequently more than the value of the plants, 

 is practically saved. There are only a few nurserymen who supply 

 rooted cuttings in the manner here described, and one of the most 

 important of these is Mr. Canuell, who sends out immense quan- 

 tities of plants in this way every year, many of them going to 

 America, Australia, and other distant parts of the world. 



COLETJS, THE SHAH. 



fjNE of the most beautiful coleus in cultivation, and re- 

 markable for its exceedingly rich and distinct style 

 of colouring. The leaves, instead of being veined or 

 margined, as in the case of those with which we are 

 well acquainted, have one half of the blade deep 

 crimson, and the other bright golden yellow, ia the manner shown 



April. 



