282 



THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GrAEDEN GUIDE. 



case, the hues from the centre meet those on the 

 edge. The regularity and tone of these mark- 

 ings frequently makes all the difference in value 

 between twenty pounds and twenty pence : 

 Charles Williams sells at £20, but by an un- 

 practised eye, would be thought no better than 

 manv that may be bought for two or three 

 shillings each. 

 Seeds wanted for New Zealand. — A respected 

 correspondent solicits the aid of readers of the 

 " Floral World," in the collection of seeds 

 of trees and shrubs for transmission to Canter- 

 bury, New Zealand. Seeds not easily procurable 

 will be most acceptable, but seeds of any of our 

 favourite forest trees, evergreens, &c, will be 

 gladly received. " I need scarcely remark," he 

 says, " that everything that grows in this 

 country will grow also in New Zealand, though 

 much faster, and with more luxuriance. I con- 

 sider it a pleasing task to retain in the colonies 

 the memory of Old England and all its dear 

 s ssociations, and I think no apology will be ne- 

 cessary in asking your readers to assist me in 

 helping to clothe the Britain of the South with 

 the foliage of the mother country. The Canter- 

 bury plains are very destitute of trees, which 

 are much required to protect the emigrant's 

 home from the violent winds which prevail there, 

 and pines, spruces, firs, &c, would be especially 

 acceptable." We shall njoice if our readers 

 will render us the medium of assisting our cor- 

 respondent in making up his parcel of seeds, 

 and we will receive for him any packets that 

 may be sent prepaid to our publishers, addressed 

 in "the usual way, and with the superscription, 

 "Cantab." 

 Chrysanthemums from Seed. — Amateur. — Sow at 

 end of January, in pans or pots filled with fine 

 soil, and cover the seed with silver sand. 

 Water with a fine rose, and lay a square of 

 glass over each pot, to obviate the need of any 

 more watering till the seedlings appear. They 

 must be started in a gentle heat, and as soon as 

 they have three or four leaves a piece, pricked 

 out round the sides of the pots, in little batchos 

 so as to break the roots as little as possible, and 

 he kept in a temperature of 50° to GO". When 

 they begin to crowd each other, pot them singly 

 into sixties, and the most forward may be planted 

 out in May and June, and the majority will 

 flower the same year. Growers of seedlings ot 

 whatever kind, should remember that plants 

 flower sooner in pots than in the open ground, 

 and it is better in most cases, to flower seedlings 

 in pots without stopping or attempting to make 

 specimens, until they prove themselves worthy 

 of further culture, for seedlings will generally 

 give more bad flowers than good ones, but it is 

 to get the good ones that we take the trouble. 

 Chrysanthemum seed is regularly imported from 

 France and Italy. 

 Heliotropes, etc., in Winter.— Lilian must not 

 trust so tender a plant as the Heliotrope in a 

 frame all the winter, for it is one of the very 

 first of greenhouse plants to feel the effects of 

 frost. If Lilian has no greenhouse, she must 

 keep her plants in a warm room, having first 

 pruned them to moderate dimensions. They 

 should never be allowed to get very dry, and 

 now and then should have a sprinkle of tepid 

 water from a fine rose of a water-pot, to wash 

 off dust and keep them in health. If they can- 

 not be accommodated with a place where the 

 temperature rarely falls below 35° or 40°, then 

 we would advise her to throw them away, and 

 save all the bother, because young plants can be 

 had from the nurseries in spring for a mere 

 trifle, two or three shillings a dozen Salvia 

 patens ought to do in a frame if protected in 

 severe weather, and would be sure to prosper 



in a window, if taken care of. Most of the good 

 greenhouse salvias are nearly as hardy as 

 fuchsias, and so long as they do not get quite 

 dry and dusty, rarely perish if kept just out of 

 reach of severe frosts. 



Geraniums, etc., it* a Copboard. — Novice, — Your 

 query about putting plants in a cupboard escaped 

 us last month. Every plant which has leaves 

 on it during the winter, must be preserved in 

 full daylight, and even when geraniums are 

 stripped of their leaves and hung up, they 

 require light to keep their green stems in health. 

 We hope you have no intention of tying up any 

 but scarlet geraniums, because they are the only 

 bedders that will live on such a plan. If hung 

 up in the light, in a dry place, and examined 

 every week, they will keep moderately plump till 

 February or March, and must then have their 

 roots thinned close, potted in very small pots, 

 with three parts silver sand, and one part fine 

 loam, very slightly moistened and put in a warm 

 place to begin their growth for the season. 

 Much water would kill them outright, until they 

 have began to shoot, alter which, prune them, 

 and let them grow as fast as they like with 

 greenhouse temperature, and shift whenever 

 they fill their pots with roots, using, after the 

 first potting, loam three parts, and sand one 

 part. 



Dealers and Pcrchasers. — We have lately 

 received a number of applications for the names 

 of dealers to supply various plants and seeds. 

 We could, of course, name the best men for tho 

 several kinds of goods required, but it would 

 be absolutely wrong to do so, and, however 

 honestly the task might be performed, it would 

 be open to suspicion of favouritism and jobbery. 

 Suppose we recommended Mr. A or B, might it 

 not occur to some of our readers that we had an 

 interest in Mr. A. or Mr. B's. trade, and were 

 doing the gentle office of puffing him ? We are 

 independent of every trade interest, and not 

 only wish to continue so, but also to appear so 

 on the face of things in our communications 

 with our readers. When we do name trades- 

 men, there are special and obvious reasons for 

 doing so, as when a novelty is brought out, the 

 name of the inventor or producer, [with the 

 price of the article, are necessary items .of its 

 history. 



Melons and Cucumbers for Show.— H P.— 

 Melons : Beechwood, Bromham Hall, Windsor 

 Prize, Snow's Greeu Flesh, Russian Water. — 

 Cucumbers: Norfolk Hero, Essex Rival, Car- 

 ter's Champion, Ipswich Standard, Latter's 

 Victory, Highland Mary. A new white spined 

 cucumber from India, which grows to extraor- 

 dinary dimensions, and which has not yet been 

 named, maybe had of Mr. Clark, of 25. Bishops- 

 gate-street, London, where a ripe fruit may be 

 inspected. It is of excellent shape, small neck, 

 and the proportions very symmetrical. As far 

 as size is concerned, it leaves all the old varie- 

 ties far behind. Your plan of pitting bedding- 

 plants over dung in a pit, though with a bottom 

 of tiles and dry sawdust, is one we cannot re- 

 commend to our readers. We do not say you 

 will not succeed, indeed, we have no doubt you 

 will, but to recommend such a plan would bo 

 likely to lead many into error. 

 Destruction of Green-fly.—" I find bitter 

 aloes a certain remedy for green-fly, and far 

 preferable to the use of tobacco smoke. Dis- 

 solve half a pound of aloes in half a pint of 

 boiling water, and add the mixture to four 

 gallons of water, and either dip the infested 

 plants into it, or syringe them freely. It kills 

 the fly, and renders the foliage so bitter, that, 

 if the fly appears again, it is only on the young 



