THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. lo". 



pleasure in examining it, not in merely glancing at it ; in other 

 words, true exhibition kinds please us with their superb floioers, 

 but bedders are chiefly valued for their colours. 



In my own experiments in hybridizing I have sought to create 

 exhibition i'orms chiefly, though I have kept and named some that 

 will be chiefly useful as bedders. Thus in Magna Charta, Andrew 

 Marvel, II. W. Loncffellow, Evangeline, and May Queen, which are now 

 being sent out by Mr. B. S. Williams, the flowers approach nearer 

 to a true circle than auy other varieties in cultivation. I have dis- 

 covered the secret of enlarging the petals, and of increasing the 

 breadth of all the petals, so that they overlap and form a smooth 

 circular outline. In the bedders we may have a flower more like a 

 star than a disc, but in the best exhibition^ kinds there is a near 

 approach to the disc, and the five varieties just named will give 

 immense delight to those who understand the difficulty of the task, 

 and who value perfection of form in cultivated flowers. In Kate 

 Anderson the form is far less perfect than the standard I keep con- 

 stantly in mind, and it is offered to the public solely on the ground 

 of its tine dark horseshoe leaf, compact habit, and the intense purity 

 and depth of its scarlet colour. It absolutely glitters, and if placed 

 in the midst of all the best scarlets, can be distinguished in a 

 moment by its vivid glow of colour. For every one such variety I 

 have to grow hundreds ; in fact, there are three or four hundred 

 destroyed for every one worth keeping. If other raisers would 

 destroy as ruthlessly as I do, and ofter the public only the crtme de 

 la creme of their seed beds, we should not have to condemn, as we 

 are compelled to do, the numerous worthless kinds that crowd the 

 catalogues, the majority good in colour only — colour, which is the 

 easiest of all qualities to secure in this class of plants, whereas form 

 is at once the most difficult and the most valuable. 



I now subjoin lists of varieties adapted for every class of culti- 

 vators ; they may be added to easily enough. My object is not to 

 name many, but few, and those few the most beautiful m the several 

 classes. 



A SMALL COLLECTION OF CHEAP VARIETIES. 



(Those marked with an asterisk are good bedders.) 



Six scarlet and crimson. — Adonis, fine form, pure white eye. 

 Attraction,* brilliant scarlet. Faust, large trusses, rich scarlet. 

 Dr. Lindley, superb form, trusses not large; not at all fit for bedding, 

 as it is apt to grow too strong, and then does not flower freely. Lord 

 of the Isles, very large flower, light scarlet. Monsieur Galland,rich 

 scarlet ; flower rather cupped, but finely formed, and the truss a 

 perfect hemisphere. 



Four red and red shades. — Rubens,* an old favourite ; when well 

 grown, the form is excellent. Herald of Spring,* blooms abundantly, 

 and fine in flower and truss. Triomphe de Gergoviat, the best of 

 the double-flowerir.g kiuds ; colour crimson and red. Excellent,* 

 rather robust in growth, fine light red. 



Four tohite. — White Perfection,* quite surpasses Madame 

 Vaucher. Virgo Marie, pure white, a refined flower. Madame 



