199 

 COLEUS, OLD AND NEW. 



BY GEORGE GORDON. 



i|T will not be necessary for ine to enter into the treatment 

 of this genus for bedding purposes. The remarks in 

 the January number of the Eloral "World, under the 

 heading of " Notes on Subtropical Gardening," effec- 

 tually dispose of that part of the subject ; besides, it 

 is now too late for this season to talk about the preparation of the 

 plants. I shall, therefore, simply content myself with giving my 

 opinion upon the merits of the best of the varieties for the several 

 uses to which they are adapted, and offer a few remarks upon their 

 culture in pots. 



It would take up too much valuable space to discuss the merits 

 of all that have been brought forward within the past twelve 

 months, and a sketch of the characters of the best will be just as 

 serviceable, perhaps more so. The colouring of all the new'varieties 

 is quite distinct from that of Yerschaffelti, which still holds its own 

 in the depth and warmth of its rich colour. Taking the batch let 

 out in the early part of last summer, we have Bcrkeleyi. This has 

 been condemned by one or two writers as too dingy for bedding 

 purposes, whereas, I am convinced that it is the best of the lot. 

 The colour is a rich chocolate-purple, with scarcely a trace of green. 

 The leaves in shape are in way of Veitchii, but larger, and brighter 

 in colour. Under glass the colouring is particularly rich, but out of 

 doors it has more of a brownish shade than Verschaifelti, and can be 

 used for a different style of colouring than that good old species. 

 Bausei is good for pots only ; the green crenatures which add so 

 much to its beauty as a pot plant curl up too much out of doors, 

 and become objectionable. In colour, Batemanii and Iiucleeri are 

 as much alike as two peas, but with different shaped leafage — that of 

 the former is frilled, whilst the latter is flat and regular. Both have 

 been highly lauded as bedders, rather too much so. They are very 

 well adapted for the second row of a ribbon border, or a very small 

 bed, as they grow slowly. The colouring becomes dull outside, and, 

 notwithstanding its intensity, it scarcely equals in richness the 

 Perilla, which has the advantage of a free habit, and requiring no 

 room through the winter. The only advantage in using the Coleus 

 is the ease with which the plants can be kept down to the required 

 level. Hendersoni is a few shades darker than Berkeley!, and well 

 adapted for back rows or centres of large beds, as it has a very .strong 

 habit. Marsltalli is exactly like Hendersoni in freedom of growth 

 and in colour, but the leaf-stalks are so objectionably long as to 

 leave it an open question whether it would not be advantageous to 

 quash the name at once. Another of the varieties let out by Mr. 

 Bull, named Gem, also gave great promise as a bedder, the growth 

 being free and compact, with a clear, rich colour. 



The last batch of Chiswick Coleus are perfectly distinct from the 

 first, and the colouring of the best varieties is so gorgeous as to 



