137 



SEEDLING- RAISING. 



In our last we endeavoured to direct the attention of those 

 who might intend to commence raising seedhng Florists' 

 flowers, to the means best calculated to effect the object all 

 aim at, viz. the production of superior varieties. In our pre- 

 sent Number will be found a list of very superior Pansies, 

 handed us by Mr. Edwards ; similar lists will be supplied oc- 

 casionally of other flowers, as they appear during the season. 

 Now it is from seeding first-rate sorts like these, that our hopes 

 of success are likely to be realised ; — any half-dozen of them 

 are more likely to bring a first-rate flower, than a score or two 

 of inferior varieties. But, we repeat, all the latter must he 

 discarded; for the bee, carrying their pollen to the superior 

 flowers, will defeat the object in view by fertilising them, 

 thereby destroying the chance of raising any thing good, and 

 throwing all the probabilities into the wrong scale. When 

 we reflect that it is as easy to cultivate the offspring of good 

 varieties ; that it costs no more time, room, or trouble ; and 

 that the only additional expense is the flrst purchase of the 

 best sorts, — we cannot fail to see the folly of year after year 

 seeding from varieties already out of date. And if it be folly 

 in him who has followed the pursuit year after year, it is 

 doubly so on the part of one ^commencing as a seedling-raiser. 

 The former has got into a track, has his favourites, perhaps 

 his own seedlings, and expects to open a new vein (or strain, 

 to use the technical term) ; but the latter starts fair, and 

 every thing depends on a judicious first selection. If we 

 were starting as a seedling Pansy-raiser, we should select one 

 colour, — light grounds, for instance, which are much wanted. 

 From the l3est varieties we could obtain of this colour we 

 should save our seed ; and however much we might be dis- 

 appointed the first year, we should allow nothing to divert us 

 from our purpose of raising something very fine in that class, 

 or any other we might select. Mr. Turner's Treatise on the 

 Cultivation of the Pansy , republished from our pages, may be 

 consulted with advantage by any beginner ; and wishing such 

 every success, we will merely add, that it is very necessary to 

 avoid the indiscriminate collection of seed ; gather it from the 

 best flowers only, remove all others, that the whole vigour of 

 the plant may be given to the former alone. A daily watch- 

 ing of the seed-pods is necessary, that they may be gathered 

 immediately they are ready. Amateurs sending us any in- 

 quiries upon the subject of seedUng-raising, shall have the 

 information required embodied in future articles. 



VOL. III. NO. XXX. M 



