200 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



make it a matter of sheer impossibility to exaggerate the splendour 

 of their leafage. The two best are Queen Victoria and Princess 

 Royal. It is a difficult matter to say which has the brightest colour, 

 but I fancy there is a greater depth in the former. It has one grand 

 point in its favour, and that is, the additional strength of its consti- 

 tution. Plants of Queen Victoria, placed by the side of Princess 

 Royal in a cool house through the past winter, made double the 

 growth, and for that reason I am induced to give it the preference 

 for bedding and other decorative purposes. Both have bright 

 crimson-scarlet leaves, with narrow margin of greenish yellow. 

 DuJce of Edinburgh is also a fine variety in the same way as the 

 preceding. Albert Victor and Baroness Rothschild bear a close 

 resemblance to each other in habit and colour. Both are good, but, 

 of the two, I consider the Baroness to be the best. Princess of 

 Wales has a fine rich colour, which would produce a glorious effect 

 in the flower garden if it will stand ; I am afraid of it. Prince of 

 Wales and Her Majesty are also good, with the bronzy red colour of 

 Verschaffelti. They have good, robust constitutions, and are likely 

 to stand out of doors better than any of the lot, though not so 

 bright in colour. The two pretty varieties, Prince Arthur and 

 Princess Beatrice, have nearly self-coloured golden leaves, are dwarf 

 in habit, and will be valuable for edging ribbons and beds of the 

 other varieties. Whether they will exceed in usefulness or effective- 

 ness, the several beautiful varieties of geraniums we have in the 

 sections of self-coloured and bronze zonals has yet to be proved. 

 They will certainly be useful for sake of variety, but I am doubtful 

 of their superseding for edging purposes such useful golden-leaved 

 geraniums as Gold Leaf, Golden Banner, Golden Pleece, Mulberry 

 Zone, Countess of Kellie, Mrs. Barry, and a few other choice varieties. 



There are two or three sports that deserve a passing notice. 

 Beauty of St. John's Wood, Aurea Marginata, and Carteri, are all 

 sports from Verschaffelti, with golden margins ; the second is a good 

 bedder, not distinguishable at a distance from Verschaffelti ; the other 

 two are pretty, but I know nothing of their bedding capabilities. 

 Telfordi Aurea is a sport from Blumei. During the early part of 

 last year it was full of promise for bedding purpose, but unfortu- 

 nately it has proved a failure everywhere ; it h$s no constitution. 

 Beauty of Widmore is also a sport from Blumei, the margins are 

 pure white with green and pink blotches in the centre ; novel in 

 colour, but delicate. 



Verschaffelti has long been a favourite of mine for table decora- 

 tion. Pretty little plants can be easily grown, and have a beautiful 

 effect on the table in conjunction with the rest of the trappings. 

 These new varieties, however, quite supersede it for this work, as 

 they have foliage better in shape and richer in colour. The three 

 best for the table are, Queen Victoria, Princess Royal, and Baroness 

 Rothschild. The black frilled leafage of Batemanii has also a good 

 effect, and a few plants ought to be grown of it for sake of variety. 

 Berkeleyi and Saundersi also form charming little specimens ; both 

 have the advantage of large richly coloured leaves that look well 

 under gaslight. These all grow so free that no cultural details are 



