1873.] NEW AND SELECT FLORIST FLOWERS. 467 



Thyrsicanthus abutilans. — Happily this plant is more commonly 

 grown than some of those mentioned above ; still it is in a great measure 

 neglected. It is rather lanky in habit, but I have found it useful during 

 the winter season as a table-plant ; and it furnishes elegant racemes of 

 its bright red or crimson flowers for the drawing-room vase. Old 

 plants cut down after flowering furnish plenty of cuttings ; and these, 

 if struck in a genial bottom-heat and grown on liberally through 

 the summer, make nice little decorative plants from 15 to 18 inches 

 high the following winter and spring. They should be grown in 

 small pots, and fully exposed on a shelf near the glass, so as to keep 

 them as compact as possible. The old plants break freely after being 

 cut down, and may be grown on again the second year for stronger 

 specimens. If about three old plants be cut back, and placed in a 

 32-sized pot, and grown near the glass, with occasional dozes of 

 liquid manure, a nice specimen may be formed. Frequent syringings 

 may be desirable to prevent the ravages of thrips or red-spider. 



F. W. B. 



NEW AND SELECT FLORIST FLOWERS. 



PHLOXES. 



The excellence of these as garden ornaments induces me to notice a 

 short list, which I consider well worthy the notice of those who have 

 a spare corner that wants brightening up. I do not say too much 

 "when I remark, if many gardeners saw a collection in bloom as good 

 as the one this selection is taken from, they would go into raptures 

 about them, and be quite excusable. Lady ]N"apier (early), white, im- 

 mense size of pip, solid glossy texture, of perfect form, spike large 

 and compact ; habit dwarfish, with beautiful full shining leaves ; the 

 finest white extant. Snowfiake (early), pure white ; also fine. Roi 

 des Blanc (late); only second to Lady Napier, taking all qualities into 

 account, but wants nothing of being second. George Wilson (early), 

 white, with rose-purple eye, magnificent spike, dwarf, closely covered 

 with handsome foliage. Mrs Baillie (early), white, suffused pink, 

 bright rose eye, dw irt and fine. Mrs Liddle in a great measure re- 

 sembles Mrs Baillie, but is less dense in the shade of the eye. Mrs 

 Thorn also seems closely related to the foregoing two, but carries the 

 bell for a spike. Wm. Blair, rose-purple crimson eye, a magnificent 

 spike of surprisingly fine pips. The Shah (early), colour dark rose- 

 purple, with a fainter shade over the brow, eye deeper rose-purple, 

 with an expansion of flower more than equal to cover a crown piece ; 

 spike extra large ; habit dwarf, splendid. John Baily, flowers beau- 



