272 THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



a bed six inches in thickness, and cover with a layer of sand, and after 

 pressing it firm, aud giving it a good watering to settle the soil, insert 

 the cuttings two inches apart each way ; water sparingly, and give 

 plenty of air after the cuttings are rooted. Here they remain until 

 March, with sufficient good protection from frost ; and then a bed of 

 good rich soil is made up in another frame, or under a temporary 

 framework, where a mat can be thrown over when necessary, to pro- 

 tect from frost and cold winds. Treated this way, the plants can be 

 lifted and transferred to the beds, and there will not be one quarter 

 the losses which happen to plants turned out of pots. 



Amongst miscellaneous bedders, a batch of Lobelia erinus 

 pumila deserve notice, for they are invaluable for small beds ; all 

 have a fine compact habit, and are wonderfully profuse in flowers. 

 Grandiflora is the best variety with blue flowers. Distinction, rich 

 rosy-red ; Fairy, French white ; aud Model, pure lilac, are all 

 good in their several shades of colour. Lobelia speciosa alba, and 

 L. speciosa Snoivdrift, are the purest white-flowered varieties of the 

 speciosa habit yet introduced to public notice. They are, however, 

 exactly alike, though raised simultaneously by two different firms. 

 To preserve these named varieties true, they must be propagated 

 by cuttings in the usual way. 



There has been a great outcry against verbenas ; but with deep 

 digging, and adding a little manure to the beds in the spring, they 

 do well enough with me. The best bedders are Nemesis, deep 

 scarlet ; Crimson King, scarlet ; Purple King, purple ; King of Bed- 

 ders, reddish crimson ; and La Grand Louie de Neige, white — this 

 is by far the best white for bedding. 



I am disappointed in the new Coleus ; for, so far as my trials go, 

 they are little or no use for bedding. Plants of several of the last 

 batch, that were planted out late in June, began to grow towards 

 the end of July, but a few cold days in the middle of August nipped 

 them up, and they have at this moment the appearance of having 

 been dipped in cold water. In a season like that of 1868 they 

 might perhaps have done well ; but they cannot be depended upon. 



Having lately, by invitation from Mr. Hibberd, had the oppor- 

 tunity of seeing his numerous collections, I am enabled to 

 recommend a few of the new Coleus, which I selected in his 

 experimental garden, where about fifty kinds were planted out and 

 are doing pretty well. Princess of Wales is of a rich deep purplish red 

 colour, very distinct ; Princess Royal, is a fine maroon, with margin 

 of bright yellow ; Queen Victoria is bright maroon, shaded with 

 carmine, the edges pale sulphur; Mefulgens, is black, a remarkably 

 handsome plant ; Verschaffelti, the well known crimson leaved-kind, 

 is invaluable. These five sorts are all I can recommend the amateur 

 to buy with a view to bedding. If I had bought these only, 

 probably my own experiences of them would have been more 

 agreeable, but I happened to select a very bad lot through trust- 

 ing to the puffing in the papers, which appears to have been pro- 

 moted by the Royal Horticultural Society. 



A most beautiful bedding plant I saw in the experimental 

 garden, which every one of our readers should jossess. It is a 



