122 THE FLORIST. 



BEGONIA SPLENDIDA. 



In one of your numbers last summer, it was stated that this had not 

 up to that time been bloomed in the United Kingdom. Now, does this 

 Begonia still remain unbloomed in England, or, I should rather say, 

 Great Britain ? Perhaps some of your readers may be able to say ; my 

 reason for making the inquiry is the fact of my having a good plant 

 of splendida, with one fine panicle of bloom half expanded on it, and 

 a second panicle just developing itself. The petals are about the size 

 of those of picta Griffithi, but of a pinkish white colour, slightly 

 margined with a rosy tint. Some of the leaves are in extreme 

 length nine inches, and in width seven inches. And, although I have 

 heard many complaints in this neighbourhood of the difficulty 

 experienced in keeping the leaves on this plant, I must say that I have 

 not found any — and that my plant, with its noble and striking foliage, 

 rich crimson when young, and reddish green when matured, forms, in 

 all respects, a most healthy looking specimen. 



7, Sidney Avenue, Blackrock, Dublin. L. G. W. 



FORSYTHIA VIRIDISSIMA. 



This fine free blooming deciduous shrub, with bright yellow flowers, 

 was introduced from the north of China, by Mr. Fortune, about the 

 year 1844. It is described by Dr. Lindley in vol. i., page 226, of 

 the new series of the Transactions of the Horticultural Society, and to 

 which is appended a copy of Mr. Fortune's notes in regard to it — m 

 which that gentleman states, that in England it is probable that it will 

 be nearly hardy ; but my object in the present communication is to 

 note its perfect hardiness in a situation of considerable altitude and 

 exposure, as a lawn shrub, growing in the common garden soil ; and 

 it is decidedly one of the most interesting plants at the present time 

 in a collection of considerable variety and extent. Its bright golden 

 flowers, produced from the axils of every fallen leaf, present in the 

 aggregate, a dense mass of blossom of the most charming kind. It is 

 described as being a great favourite with the Chinese, and is generally 

 grown in all the gardens of the rich in the north of China. It was also 

 discovered wild amongst the mountains of the interior, in the province 

 of Chekiang, producing an effect even more ornamental in its natural 

 state amongst the hedges, than when cultivated in the " fairy gardens 

 of the Mandarins." 



The Forsythia expansa, another shrub of like character, is described 

 in the " Flora Japonica," vol. i., page 16, and is there stated to have 

 been obtained from China by the Japanese, who plant it along with 

 evergreens, for the sake of obtaining from the varied appearance pro- 

 duced in the spring by tins plant, a good background to the Peaches, 

 Apricots, and Camellias, that blossom at the same time. In this 

 country, something of the same kind may be effected by an admixture 

 with the Cydonia japonica, in its different beautiful varieties ; and these 



