Plate Ilii. 



VERBENAS; SPOT, MRS. REYNOLDS HOLE. AM) 



MRS. PERRY. 



\ season without a parallel of late years has sorely tried 

 the capabilities of many plants, and shown the importance of 

 various kinds of cultivation. In no class has this, perhaps, 

 been more strikingly seen than in the Verbena. Nothing could 

 possibly afford a greater contrast than those exhibited 1>_\ Mr. 

 Perry, of The ( ledars, ( lastle Bromwich, and the flowers of other 

 exhibitors at the Crystal Palace autumn show; while his were 

 as fine, it' not finer, than we have ever seen them, the others 

 were so poor as not even to be placed for a prize. The differ- 

 ence arose from the fact that Mr. Perry, according to his usual 

 method, grew his in pots, and the others were from the open 

 air. As a rule, his seedlings are more adapted for this style 

 of culture, although some of his varieties are also excellent for 

 bedding purposes, and we may safely say that never has he 

 had a finer lot than those of this season. From among them 

 we have selected three for our Plate. Spot (Fig. 1) is a flower 

 of great purity of colour, and with a large full truss. In the 

 centre of each pip there is a large star-like spot of very deep 

 crimson. It hears some analogy to Fairest of the Fair and 

 others, but we think is the finest flower of its class that has ye! 

 been raised. Mrs. Reynolds Hbfo (Fig. 2) is a Hower of great 

 depth of colour, being <>f a very bright rosy-pink, dark at the 

 edge of the petals, and with a deeper spot in the centre; the 

 individual pips are very large, and the flower of good substance. 

 Mrs. Perry (,l''ig. •">) is of a deep crimson-purple colour, with a 

 large round lemon-coloured eye, almost like some of the alpine 

 Auriculas. It will doubtless, like many of those which have 

 preceded it, be a great favourite with exhibitors for tin' con- 



