THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN G-UIDE. 271 



none of the new ones in the same shade of colour can touch them. 

 None of the pink-flowered varieties equal Christine yet, excepting 

 it be a little-known variety named Victoria, the trusses of which are 

 large, the flowers finely shaped, and the colour bright and telling. 



There is nothing new amongst the gold and silver zonals for 

 bedding ; none of the new varieties in the first-named section equal 

 Mrs. Pollock when planted out. I have Sophia Dumaresque, Sophia 

 Cusack, Lady Cullum, and several others contemporary with them, 

 planted side by side ; but all fail in outstripping that good old 

 variety in the splendour of the leafage. No advance has been made 

 this year with the silver zonals, and Italia Unita is still the best 

 bedder, though far from first-rate for that purpose, and inferior to 

 the golden-edged varieties. 



There have been large additions made to the bronze zonal section 

 lately, but a considerable number are comparatively useless for the 

 open ground. Luna, Mrs. John Todd, Countess of Kellie, Mulberry 

 Zone, Beaut i/ of llicrrdale, Duke of Edinburgh, Criterion, and 

 Egyptian, Queen, will be a sufficient number for most gardens. 

 Crystal Palace Gem and Golden Fleece are still the two best bedders 

 with golden variegated leaves, the first-named being the best of the 

 two. Golden Emperor and Gold Leaf are two very fine varieties 

 with plain golden foliage, the second being, in my opinion, the best. 

 Hibberd's Golden Banner is a real gem in its way, the leaves being 

 round and flat, and of a clear lemon yellow, the plant growing 

 freely, and soon covering the ground. 



In addition to the well-known old silver-edged or variegated 

 varieties, the following are first-rate : — Flotver Queen, May Queen 

 (Turner's), Princess Alexandra, Snowdrop (Goode). All have a 

 fine free and compact habit, with broad pure white margins. 

 Queen of Queens is a grand variety, little known, though it has been 

 in commerce for several years now. 



I propagate all the geraniums in the same way. The cuttings 

 are taken off early this month, and dibbled in thickly on a south 

 border, and taken up and potted, three in a three-inch pot, as soon as 

 the roots are about an inch in length. After being potted, they are 

 placed in a frame with the lights drawn off night and day, until the 

 weather gets too cold. They must not be wetted overhead, and only 

 have just sufficient water to prevent the leaves flagging, up to the 

 time of their being potted off singly in March. 



Some people were bold enough to assert that the calceolarias 

 would be superseded by Viola lutea, and its large-flowered variety 

 grandiflora ; but their anticipations have not as yet been realized. 

 The Violas are no use for bedding ; they look very well through the 

 early part of the summer, and then assume a weedy appearance, 

 which is retained during the remaining part of the season. Calceo- 

 laria Aurea floribunda is too uncertain to be of real service, and 

 must give place to either Aurantia, lib-ridge's Gem, or Gibsonii, all 

 of which grow and flower well, where Aurea floribunda will scarcely 

 exist. The three varieties bear such a close resemblance to each other 

 that no more than one is required in the same garden. A cold frame 

 is the best place for striking and wintering calceolarias. Make up 



