THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 119 



and did not appear again until the plants had attained a considerable 

 size and become pot-bound. In the case of TIw Shah, the leaves 

 retain their peculiarity of marking throughout the season, and when 

 the plants are in a small state and in full growth, neatly grown 

 plants have a very beautiful appearance in the conservatory. It is 

 one of the most remarkable introductions of the 3'ear, and as it is 

 very cheap we can strongly recommend it as well deserving the 

 attention of our readers. The following are the best varieties of 

 coleus in cultivation, namely, The Shah, Golden Gem, Brilliant, 

 Favourite, Croivn Jewel, Verschaffeiti Improved. 



MULTIPLICATION OF TRICOLOR GERANIUMS. 



jHE tricolor mania has not yet reached its height, so the 

 trade are safe with their enormous stocks, and amateurs 

 are rowing with the stream in all their labours of 

 raising and multiplying. Dr. Denny's formula? for 

 breeding, and Mr. Grieve's capital book on the treat- 

 ment of tricolors ia general, will serve as stroke and helm to guide 

 the boat to its proper destination. But the subject is not yet ex- 

 hausted ; like the conjuror's bottle, we may get a wee drop of some- 

 thing good out of it after it has gone all round ; and this time I 

 shall say something about propagating, which the devotees may 

 read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest, to the possible increase of 

 their tricolored favourites. We use the term " tricolor " conven- 

 tionally ; for all scientific purposes in this connection it is abolished. 

 It is useful because universally understood— a common merit, by the 

 way, of inexact language. I have just been reading an account of 

 the English oak-galls {Cj/nips Kollari), and the author has informed 

 me that these galls are " monotholasmous," which, after a brief but 

 sharp mental agony, resulting in the resurrection in my mind of 

 some ancient scraps of philology that have long been forgotten, I 

 discovered to mean that in each gall there is only one insect. It I 

 find a man can spell and pronounce and define offhand the word 

 ■"pusillanimity," I take off my hat and promise him the first pro- 

 motion to a high scholastic sinecure that falls in ray way, such as 

 Professor of Jaw-breaking in the University of Nonsense. For 

 scientific purposes we have done with the word " tricolor," but it is 

 as good as ever for the use of continental nationalities, whether 

 represented by our organ-grinders, or the nobility of Leicester 

 Square. For the present purpose it is as good as ever, and we shall 

 go on defying the proprieties of terminology and all other proprieties 

 that are in the way of a direct blow at the thing to be struck. 



The subject which concerns ten thousand amateurs much more 

 than the name or the origin of a tricolor, is the multiplication of it 

 ad lib. and ad inf. The practice that prevails is bad, for it is founded 

 on the supposition that these plants may be treated as their dark- 

 xoned and green-leaved brethren, the " cabbages " of the class ; but 

 iis they want more time, it is better to begin in spring than in autumn, 



April. 



