THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 99 



liant scarlet, with lemon eye. Fanny Martin, clear rose. Earl of 

 Radnor, rosy scarlet, with pale lemon eye. The above, with the 

 new varieties, would form a very nice collection for a young begin- 

 ner, and as the price is only a trifle more than charged for the com- 

 monest sorts, there is no valid reason why they should not be grown 

 in preference to varieties that are now, comparatively speaking, 

 worthless. 



With respect to the price and other particulars respecting both 

 the new and old varieties, we must refer our readers to Mr. Keynes. 



NOTES ON VERBENAS. 



BY HENRY ECKFOKD, 



Head Gardener to the Earl of Radnor, Colesliill House, Coleshill, Berks. 



HE principal reason for my devoting special attention to 

 the improvement of the Verbena, was to see what could 

 be done in raising a race strong enough in constitution 

 to carry them through uncongenial weather, whilst at 

 the same time possessing flowers of a large size, fine 

 form, and rich and effective in colour ; but how far my efforts have 

 been successful it is not for me to say. There can, however, be no 

 harm in iny stating, that from the first my aim has been to vindicate 

 the claims of this flower to an important and prominent position 

 in the flower garden, and to prove that with proper management, 

 failures would be exceptional instead of being, as unfortunately 

 they are at present, the rule. 



The causes of failures of verbenas in the open air are not far to 

 seek, and can be easily explained. The most frequent cause is 

 undoubtedly putting out plants that have been starving in small 

 pots several months previous to the planting seasons. It is a most 

 grievous mistake to propagate the stock for bedding early in the 

 season, although it is generally supposed that early propagation is 

 necessary to secure strong healthy plants by planting-time. When 

 struck early, and necessarily kept starving in pots for several months, 

 the constitution becomes impaired so much that they are unable to 

 resist, with any degree of success, the attacks of red spider, thrips, 

 and mildew — three most formidable enemies they have to contend 

 with. Erom close observation extending over many years, I am 

 convinced that the month of April is quite early enough for striking 

 verbenas intended for bedding purposes. The tops of the healthy 

 shoots should be taken off in the early part of the ensuing month, 

 struck in a brisk bottom-heat, and potted into store pots, and care- 

 fully hardened off; these planted out as early in May as the weather 

 will permit, will grow away freely, and the beds in which they are 

 planted will soon become a blaze of colour. The compost in which 

 they are potted should be rich and nourishing, and for that reason 

 nothing suits them better thau a mixture of good turfy loam and 



