164 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



so far ahead of all the rest, that it is as if a new flower had been 

 created. 



It must not be supposed, however, that I would restrict the 

 cultivator to the broad petals in making a selection for the con- 

 servatory. There are some with narrow petals, notably certain of 

 the nosegay race, that every lover of geraniums must have ; never- 

 theless, breadth of petal is the quality of highest importance, and it 

 is that in which especially the best of the new differ from the best 

 of the old varieties. Take, for example. Dr. Lindlei/, brought out 

 four years ago by Mr. Bull, or Hector, Faust, Eleanor, and Firgo 

 Marie, and how grand is the appearance of either when placed side 

 by side with any narrow-petalled kind most like it in colour and 

 leafage. On the other hand, some of the nosegays are so grand in 

 character that no one dare despise them, and so in spite of narrow 

 petals we can take such as Hose Bendatler, Stella, Le Grand, Amy 

 Hogg, and others, and rejoice in the profusion of their huge trusses 

 and magnificent colours. Yet, whoever has an eye for form, for the 

 highest of all qualities in cultivated flowers, will find more to admire 

 in Magna Charta, Amelina Grisaii, Andrew Marvel, and White 

 Perfection, which with a few otliers come so near to the beau ideal 

 of a perfect flower, having broad petals nearly equal in size, and a 

 noble carriage of leaf and bloom, as diflferent to the geraniums of 

 ten, or seven, or even five years ago, as a first-class exhibition rose 

 is diff"erent to a wild rose of the hedges. 



One reason why the improved forms of geraniums are not so 

 well known as they deserve to be is, that framers of schedules have 

 not yet done them justice. They ought to have a prominent place 

 in all summer and autumn shows ; then the better kinds would 

 attract attention, the faults of the old varieties would become con- 

 spicuous by contrast, and cultivators would learn to give to breadth 

 of petal its proper value, as the most important of all the qualities 

 required in such a flower. 



The object of this paper is to direct the attention of amateur 

 cultivators to a class of subjects eminently adapted for home use, 

 whether to make a grand bank under glass or to adorn the entrance, 

 to form groups on the lawn, and in other ways to render service as 

 pot plants, which are easily kept in winter, and occasion but little 

 trouble to grow them well. This is the best time in the whole year 

 for the purchase of varieties, as, even if very small plants are 

 obtained, they will soon show a few blooms to attest their quality, 

 and they may be grown to a good size before the season is over, and 

 afi"ord a supply of cuttings for stock. In selecting varieties for this 

 purpose, about which we are alone concerned now, individual excel- 

 lence is of the first importance. It is otherwise in selecting sorts 

 for bedding. Individital characters are then subordinate to the 

 eflTect of a mass ; yet it happens, as in the case of Stella, Cijbi-ster, 

 and Black Divarf, three of the noblest nosegays, that fine individual 

 qualities are compatible with bold effects when the plants are in 

 masses, for the brilliant colours and huge trusses of these varieties 

 are appreciable whether the plants be in beds or pots. JXevertheless, 

 we look for more than mere colours in a pot plant, and we seek for 



