THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 79 



BEDDERS AND BEDDING.— No. II. 



BY A HEAD GARDENER. 

 SELECT BEDDERS FOE ALL PURPOSES. 



'IRECTTONS were given last month for the preparation 



of the propagating pit, etc., etc., and provided they 



were acted upon, everything will now be in readiness 



for commencing the propagation of the stock in earnest. 



There is now no time to lose, and I will proceed at once 



to indicate a few of the best and most distinct in their respective 



classes for gardens of limited dimensions. 



We will commence with 



FLOWERING PLANTS. 



Ageratums. — The three best are Tom Thumb, Imperial Dwarf, 

 and Prince Alfred, the heights of which average four, eight, and 

 fifteen inches respectively, and are very neat in growth. The flowers 

 are all of the same delicate lavender-blue hue. They can be either 

 raised from seeds or cuttings, but the seed must be sown immediately. 



Calceolarias. — The most valuable of all the yellow varieties 

 is Golden Gem. Gaines's Yellow and Yellow Prince of Orange are 

 both good, but inferior to it. The best of the brown sorts is Brown 

 Prince, but it is not effective enough for bedding purposes. Very little 

 can be done in propagating calceolarias in the spring, unless a few 

 plants were taken up and potted in the autumn, as the young stock 

 cannot be placed in heat and forced into growth for the purpose of 

 supplying cuttings in the same way as verbenas and petunias. 



Deliotropiums. — The best of these are Etoile de Marseilles, 

 Jersey Beauty, and Miss Nightingale, all of which have very dark 

 flowers, combined with a compact habit. 



Lobelias. — The best of the strong-growing varieties of L. erinus, 

 of which the well-known Speciosa may be taken as a type, are 

 Blue King, blue ; Indigo Blue, deep blue ; Speciosa spectabilis, very 

 dark blue ; and Trentham Blue, bright blue, with white eye. Pumila 

 grandijtora, azure blue, is the best of that section ; it is very 

 compact in growth, and a most profuse bloomer. All the above can 

 be raised from seed, which can be obtained from any of the leading 

 seedsmen. The seedlings will not, however, be so regular in growth 

 as those from cuttings, and the flowers will also vary slightly in hue. 



Pelargoniums, Zonal.— A vast improvement has been effected 

 in these useful bedders within the last three or four years, yet many 

 flower gardeners still propagate and grow Tom Thumb and Trentham 

 Scarlet just the same as if there were no better sorts in cultivation. 

 The following are the best of those obtainable at a cheap rate, 

 namely, Scarlet, Thomas Moore, Jean Sisley, Vesuvius, Omega; and 

 for large beds, William Undenvood and Warrior. Light Scarlet, 

 Excellent and Lucius ; and for very small beds, and for edging pur- 

 poses Tristram Shandy. Rosy. Scarlet, Hector and Emily Morland, 

 both of which are good. White, Purity and White Wonder. Pink, 



