ArRiL. 95 



of a neat box, painted dark rosewood, and highly varnished; the lid 

 attached by hook-and-eye hinges, and locked. The lid removed 

 shews a stand of four rows of Pansy-blooms, six in each, arranged 

 on a zinc-plate one-eighth of an inch thick, painted green, with a 

 slight yellow tinge, and varnished. Length of box 1 foot 6 inches, 

 12^ inches wide, and 3 inches deep ; three-eighths of an inch thick, 

 and v.ith a little beading inside, on which the plate rests, so as to 

 lie flush with its edges all round. The tubes are soldered to the 

 under part of the plate flush with the back of the holes, to receive 

 the stalk, but receding in the front to allow of the flower lying well. 

 These holes are three-fourths of an inch long, and half an inch wide, 

 the tubes beneath are 2 inches deep, 1 inch long, and five-eighths 

 wide. The front holes are l\ inch from the edge of the plate, and 

 1^ inch from the side, and the rows are 2 inches above each other. 

 In such a stand medium or small-sized flowers will be lost ; but 

 since they can be produced of the requisite size about London, why 

 should they be grown less in the country ? We need hardly say 

 that, when placing the stand for exhibition, it can be arranged slop- 

 ing to any angle by placing something underneath it at the back.] 



BEDDING CALCEOLAUIA. 



I BEG to recommend to your readers Calceolaria Kentish Hero as a 

 bedding-plant. It is one of the very best for the purpose with which 

 I am acquainted. I took up a bed of it on the loth of last Novem- 

 ber, which had been in bloom for several months, and it was then 

 quite a blaze of beauty, although there had previously been a smart 

 frost and much rain, so that nearly every other bed had become mi- 

 serably shabby, except the hybrid Anemone between japonica and 

 vitifolia, which is also a beautiful bedding-plant, and flowers very 

 late in damp situations. 



The Kentish Hero is of a rich bronzy colour ; it is partly shrubby, 

 and belongs to a section of the genus more prolific as regards a suc- 

 cession of bloom than either the true herbaceous varieties, or those 

 from rugosa and integrifolia. I would advise those who have it not, 

 to procure and make the most of it ; one good plant bought in now 

 would furnish dozens for bedding against another season. It strikes 

 readily at any time in a very slight bottom heat. One thing requires 

 notice, that the plants should be well supported with sticks when out 

 of doors, otherwise, as the trusses are large, when the flowers get 

 filled with rain, the stems are apt to break down. 



Willey Park, Salop, February 14th. W. Elliott. 



