360 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



{December, 



that you can scarcely touch it with the hand ; 

 the natural consequences are that the heated 

 surface of the wood acts on the foliage of the 

 plant, and as it were, sucks all the substance 

 out of the foliage. I have been consulted with 

 about the rust that overtakes the Gloxinia, and 

 have always given the opinion that this is the 

 first cause of the disease. If any one will look 

 at the under surface of the leaves of a Gloxinia 

 that is infected with rust he will invariably find 

 that the leaves so infected when seen through a 

 glass have the seared appearance of being placed 

 above some heated surface. This is 1 think the 

 first cause of the disease that attacks this favor- 

 ite tribe of plants, and the natural consequence 

 of the loss of the vital principle is the attack of 

 thrips and red spider. The leaves are also of a 

 lanuginous texture and should be carefully 

 guarded against exposure to the rays of the sun 

 when suffused with moisture. In concluding 

 these brief hints on the cultivation of this beau- 

 tiful exotic, I may state that some fine speci- 

 mens of seedling Gloxinias were to be seen 

 this Summer in the fine collection of plants 

 grown at the residence of Professor Sargent, 

 Brookline, which Mr. Sanders, the gardener, in- 

 forms me were treated much the same as recom- 

 mended in this article, having been always kept 

 in rather shady situations, and always on a 

 damp surface ; the eft'ect of which resulted in 

 large plants with beautiful foliage, having erect 

 flowers beautifully marked in the throat and 

 limb of the corolla. 



Since writing these brief hints on the cultiva- 

 tion and hybridization of the Gloxinia, I have 

 seen a notice of Gloxinia Fyfiana in Mr. Bur- 

 bidge's celebrated work on propagation and 

 hybridization of plants, in which he states that 

 it is supposed to be a cross between speciosa 

 and caulescens. I do not wonder at the uncer- 

 tainty of its origin, as I have never stated until 

 now how the parent plant speciosa was treated, 

 and which I have no doubt will be criticised by 

 many readers of the Gardener's Monthly. 

 Mr. Williams is quite correct in his statement of 

 it being the first of the upright varieties, as he 

 is well acquainted with the floriculture of the 

 West of Scotland, being in the habit of exhib- 

 iting his fine collections of stove and green- 

 house plants at the meetings of the West of 

 Scotland Horticultural Society. The date is also 

 correct when it was raised, I having at that time 

 the charge of the fine collection of stove and 

 greenhouse plants contained in the gardens of 



the late Thomas D. Douglas, Esq., Hothesay, 

 Isle of Bute. 



I may here state that I was rather unfortunate 

 with the disposing of the plants, my employer 

 having given me permission to dispose of it for 

 my advantage. Having been called on to ofliciate 

 as a judge at a meeting of the Dunoon Horticul- 

 tural Society, and having a plant of Gloxinia 

 Fyfiana in fine flower, — a very large plant, cir- 

 cumference about four or five feet, — which proves 

 what the Gloxinia tribe can be grown to from 

 rich feeding. I took it with me for exhibition, 

 and for which I received an extra prize, there 

 being nothing to equal it in the fine collections 

 competed for that day ; it was the admiration 

 of all present. It was unfortunately left in 

 charge of the guardians of the society during 

 my absence at the dinner given by the society 

 to the judges ; and during that time some one 

 had managed to pluck a quantity of leaves from 

 it, and before the end of the season plants were 

 sold for a sovereign each, (or at least, if my 

 memory does not deceive me, in an amazingly 

 short period from the time the cuttings were 

 taken) by some of the London nurserymen, and 

 figui-ed by the late Sir William Hooker in the 

 Botanical Register with the highest praise by 

 that distinguished botanist. 



In conclusion I cannot help quoting the words 

 of that eminent botanist the late Professor 

 Lindley. He says : "Hybridizing is a game of 

 chance played between man and plants. It is 

 in some respects a matter of hazard, and we all 

 know how much more excitement is produced 

 by uncertain than by certain results. What in- 

 creases the charm of the game is that although 

 the end of it may be doubtful, yet a good player 

 can judge of the issue with tolerable confidence, 

 and that skill and judgment have in this case 

 all their customary value." 



EDITORIAL NOTES, 



ToRENiA Bailloni. — The Torenia Asiatica 

 has long been known as a very valuable plant in 

 our greenhouses, its drooping habit and profu- 

 sion of blue flowers making it useful for so many 

 purposes. Some time ago we called attention 

 to a new Torenia, T. Bailloni, which had flow- 

 ered in the Belgian gardens. This was described 

 as of a yellow color. We have just had the 

 pleasure of seeing this beautiful plant in flower 

 in the greenhouses of Edwin Lonsdale of Ger- 

 man town, and it proves to be all that has been 



