THE FLORAL WORLD AXD GARDEN GUIDE, 



199 



salmon-coloured flowerg. To liken it 

 to Kingsbuiy Pet or Beauty of 

 Blaekheath, would be to do it a great 

 injustice, for it will not come into 

 any group with. them. It surpasses 

 all of its race in neat habit and pro- 

 fusion of bloom, and is most unwill- 

 ing to make seeds. The zone of the 

 leaf is sharp and dark, and just the 

 proper tone to show up the elegant 

 flowers to perfection. These flowers 

 are slightly cupped, of a bright salmon 

 deepening to carmine at the base of 

 the petals, and shading ofl" to white at 

 the edges. The trusses are large and 

 compact, the footstalks firm, and the 

 habit so good that it will be one of 

 the most popular geraniums whether 

 for pots or bedding. I have another 

 charmer of this class, JRosamoncl, 

 from oMr. Bull, which is really of the 

 Kingsbury Pet strain, but passes by 

 all such, not " quietly," but with im- 

 mense applause from all who see how 

 it eclipses all the established salmon 

 coloured geraniums we possess. Eosa- 

 mond is a robust grower, making 

 stout wood, and large horseshoe 

 leaves. The trusses are large and the 

 pips very nearly of the same size and 

 shape as that most perfect of all 

 geraniums, Dr. Lindley. Every pip 

 is as flat as a crown piece, and about 

 the same size ; the petals are broad, 

 and overlap so that the indentations 

 are scarcely perceptible, and the top 

 petals are as large as the three in- 

 ferior ones. The colour is bright 

 salmon rose, veined with red, the 

 edges whitish ; it blooms freely, and 

 should be found in every collection, 

 however small, as if not wanted 

 for beds, it is a gem for pot cul- 

 ture. 



So much for the present about 

 rose and salmon coloured geraniums. 

 I must now tell you of another grand 

 scarlet in the style of Dr. Lindley, but 

 with shell-like petals, and hence with 

 cupped pips. It is called Alfred, and 

 was sent out by Mr. Bull this season. 

 It proves to be one of the grandest 

 scarlets known, huge trusses, the 

 flowers very large, and finely formed, 

 and the colour clear orange scarlet. 



Such varieties as these will cer- 

 tainly displace a few of the old fa- 

 vourites, such as Tom Thumb, Crystal 



Palace, Perpetual Queen, and others 

 of flimsy character ; but we must be 

 cautious how we discard old friends, 

 and be thoroughly satisfied that the 

 new comers will do all we require of 

 them. I purpose not to keep more 

 than half a dozen of Tom Thumb or 

 any of his race from this time forth ; 

 all my stock now in the ground will 

 be left there to perish ; but there will 

 be a good stock of Attraction, Rig- 

 by 's Queen, Eeidii, Cottage Maid, 

 Beauty of Brixton, and several others 

 of the very best kinds, together with 

 one that is better than all, but must 

 for the present be nameless, to take 

 Tom's place. I had last year from 

 Banbury a scarlet called Eclipse, 

 which was then new to me, and I 

 suppose new to the world, though I 

 know nothing of its history. It has 

 this season proved itself worthy of 

 the name, for it eclipses all the scar- 

 lets of the like of Tom Thumb, and 

 will do for precisely the same kind 

 of work, that is, for masses in beds, 

 and ribbons averaging ten to twelve 

 inches from the ground. This Eclipse 

 has a small yellowish-green, nearly 

 circular leaf, with no trace of a zone 

 upon it. When passed through the 

 fingers with the eyes closed a prac- 

 tised grower might mistake it for the 

 Qaeen ; but if compelled to reflect 

 before deciding, he would notice 

 that to the touch the leaf has more 

 resemblance to velvet than that of 

 the Queen, which feels woolly between 

 the fingers. The peculiar firmness, 

 yet soft feel of the leaf, would cer- 

 tainly strike a practised hand not 

 previously acquainted with this ge- 

 ranium as one of its most distinctive 

 features, and if allowed to see it 

 after the trial by touch he would 

 notice that the leaf is of a dull in- 

 describable shade of green, whereas 

 that of the Queen is remarkably 

 fresh and lively. You will be en- 

 abled, through this clumsy descrip- 

 tion, to distinguish the real Eclipse 

 when you meet with it, and I have 

 been so far particular because I hope 

 every one of our readers will seek 

 it and obtain it to go with Attraction 

 and Cottage Maid for next year's 

 blaze of scarlet, as the'three best of 

 moderate growth until the nameless 



