THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



11 



spect to a bed of Teas and Bour- 

 bons, I propose affixing at short dis- 

 tances, round the sides, some stout 

 square posts of vrood, from which 

 hoops of strong cane will stretch 

 across. A thickness or two of tanned 

 netting will be thrown over, and this, 

 with the charcoal mulching, will, I 

 think, effectually exclude the most in- 

 clement frosts. I am by no means cer- 

 tain that calceolarias, geraniums and 

 the like subjects, could not be pre- 

 served during ordinary winters in a 

 similar manner, assisted by a warm 

 mulching of old dung or cocoa-nut 

 refuse, to help start them in the 

 spring. If so, what immense saving 

 of time and trouble in wintering such 

 stock, and with that view it is worth 

 making the experiment. This, how- 

 ever, is only an idea for the conside- 

 ration of others. [It would not 

 answer.] 



With respect to roses I am more 

 and more determined to limit the 

 number of sorts. The real scientific 

 florist remarks, "I have so many of 

 such a (favourite) sort," not, " I have 

 so many sorts.'' I have now experi- 

 mented upon about 200 varieties, and 

 if I had not the plants in my posses- 

 sion, I should reduce them to one- 

 third in number, perhaps fewer. Mr. 

 Hibberd justly remarks that S. de la 



Reine d'Angleterre is not a perpetual 

 in the neighbourhood of London, and 

 this is true of many other H.P.'s 

 in unfavourable situations ; besides 

 several very beautiful kinds of loose 

 character and colour, though growing 

 and blooming freely ; in uncongenial 

 climates, reverting, I think, to the 

 varieties from which they were oriqi- 

 nally raised. Would not this idea 

 open an interesting field for investi- 

 gation ? I am disposed to beheve that 

 not a few of the novelties sent out by 

 the French raisers are really mere 

 sports, and not veritable seedlings. 

 [That would be nothing against them.] 

 For instance, Oriflamme de St. Louis, 

 and Triomphe d'Amiens, are surely 

 only sports from our favourite the 

 General ; and Gloire de Chatillon 

 (1862) from Mad. Masson ; i»Iad. 

 Campbell is certainly a sport from 

 La Eeine. All these may be seen at 

 times growing respectively, side by 

 side, in the same plants. Mad. Ge- 

 raud will also come B. Prevost, and 

 I have seen Pauline Lanzezeur very 

 like to Jules Margottiu, though less 

 robust iu growth. I throw out these 

 suggestions with some diffidence, 

 bei'jg at all times open to correction 

 by more skilful and practised growers 

 than myself. W. D. Peioe, 



Homerton, Nov. 6th. 



USEFUL NOVELTIES. 



SELECTED FEOM THE LIST OF NEW PLAJJTS IN THE " GAEDEN OEACLE," 1863. 



AcHiMENES Mauve Queen. — A 

 fine and showy large-flowered variety, 

 flowers three inches across, of a 

 mauve-purple, somewhat redder about 

 the eye, and thickly spotted below the 

 eye with crimson dots on yellow 

 ground. Flowers larger than those of 

 longiflora major, more richly marked 

 about the eye, and of remarkable 

 substance, rendering it a most de- 

 sirable addition to this family. — Mr. 

 A. Parsons. 



Alocasia zebeina. — A fine Arad 

 from the Philippine Islands, intro- 

 duced by Mr. J. G. Veitch. A stout- 

 growing plant of bold habit, thick 

 green broadly sagittate erect leaves, 



on stout erect stalks, mottled and 

 banded with dark green on a pale 

 green ground, curious and handsome. 

 — Messrs. Veitch. 



AUCUBA JAPONICAPICTUEATA, Cor- 



nacea?. — A very handsome variety, 

 with the leaves marked by a large 

 irregular yellowish central blotch, the 

 rest of the surface being green. — Mr. 

 Standish. 



Calceolaeia eeicoides. — A re- 

 markably distinct-looking species from 

 Chili, quite resembling a heath in its 

 general features. From the root pro- 

 ceed numerous vigorous shoots a 

 couple of feet in height, and quite 

 erect ; these are furnished with email 



