162 TIIE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



to be met with in the catalogues, I will offer a few remarks upon 

 the properties that are to be looked for in a single variety. It will 

 also serve as a guide to amateurs engaged in raising new varieties. 

 Mind I do not presume to teach the great body of professional 

 gardeners that resort to the Floral Would every month for 

 guidance and help in their calling. I hope, however, that the latter 

 class will not he offended if I tell them that in many instauces 

 there is room for improvement amongst them in this respect. I 

 have several good gardeners amongst my friends, and calling upou 

 one the other day I was shown several pans of seedlings that were 

 expected to produce something good in the " tricolor " way. Out of 

 about two hundred not more than ten exhibited a trace of variega- 

 tion on the seed leaf. When I condoled with him upon the poor 

 prospect from such a limited number, he did not attach the slightest 

 importance to the variegation on the seed leaf; he thought they 

 would nearly all " break " if they had time. As a proof of the 

 correctness of this, I was shown a lot of seedlings three years old 

 that never had shown a trace of variegation, but were expected to 

 "break" iu the coming summer. I just mention this to show that 

 there is yet plenty of room for learning amongst those who are 

 looked up to as teachers, aud also to clear myself from what may 

 appear an act of presumption on my part, for touching this part of 

 the subject. 



Suppose we begin with the individual flowers. The petals of the 

 large flowering varieties should be broad and overlapping, so that 

 the flowers may present au even constant outline, like those of 

 Richard Headli/ figured in this number. The common defects of 

 nearly the whole of the large flowering kinds, are top petals smaller 

 than the lower three, and separating, from insufficiency of breadth, 

 from the lower ones. Now that we have size and colour in such a 

 wonderful degree, the enlargement of the top petals must be one of 

 the principal objects for the breeder to aim at. In addition to the 

 magnificent variety figured above, Dr. Lindley, Thomas Moore, and 

 Andrew Marvel, are good examples in which the difference in the 

 size of the top and the bottom petals is almost imperceptible. 

 Flatness and smoothness are also important qualities. In the case 

 of a nosegay, the petals should be all of the same size, and placed 

 regularly round the axis. The colour is a matter of taste so long as 

 it is bright and pure, and the substance of the petals must be stout 

 and velvety. The trusses should be compact and globular, and look 

 as if all the flowers had opened on one day, not like Stella, show a 

 mass of dead petals in the centre before half the pips are expanded. 

 Eclat, Richard Eeadly, Fire King, and Le Grand are perhaps tne four 

 best trussers we have amongst the really superior kinds. The leaf 

 should be of medium size, round, with obscure lobes and slightly 

 convex ; the colour a dark shade of green, with distinct, well defined 

 zone. The habit must be compact, and the wood short jointed. 

 With circular flowers and overlapping petals we shall have many 

 with robust habits, for the long stamens enlarge the petals and give 

 vigour to the plants. In bedding varieties it is essential to have a 

 very dwarf habit, but with pot plants it is different. Pot culture 



