of Rural Art and Tante. 



85 



able seedling of 1873, is here observed to 

 possess remarkable vigor, and promises to 

 be of exceeding value. Although it has not 

 yet bloomed in America, yet the cautious 

 description of M. Verdier leads us to expect 

 from it points of fine merit. The floweis 

 are large, full and fine, cup shape, thick 

 petals, color crimson, with bright center 

 and shaded dazzling velvety red ; erect red- 

 dish shoots, short spines very vigorous in 

 growth, a seedling of Charles Lefebvre, and 

 pronounced Rose of the first class — was first 

 named and introduced by Verdier, in No- 

 vember, 1873. 



Among the numerous collection of valu- 

 able plants and seedlings, our attention is 

 attracted to the new Coleus, Nellie Grant. 

 This is of excellent habit, very vigorous, 

 possessing nearly the same crimson shade as 

 the Queen Victoria, but with broader yellow 

 margin on the tip of the leaves. We can 

 imagine that for large bed masses it would 

 create a splendid display of color and a dis- 

 tinct contrast to the beds of the darker 

 colored sorts. It has received the best 

 premium at two successive meetings of the 

 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. It is 

 not known where it originated. An additional 

 characteristic of its growth (contrary to the 

 usual habit of such plants, where the mar- 

 ginal colors grow less with increasing size), 

 the yellow margin of the leaf in the Nellie 

 Grant is found to grow broader with added 

 age and size of the plant, while the crim- 

 son center becomes more brilliant. 



Among the new Geraniums now attract- 

 ing distinguished notice is the new variety. 

 Master Christine, a splendid truss of deli- 

 cate pink, and a strong grower. It seems 

 from its character capable of sharing a per- 

 manent and worthy popularity with the old 

 favorites of attraction, Warrior and Gen. 

 Grant. We saw it in one of the gardens 

 near Boston in the fall of 1873, where it 

 seemed to be considered a success, and an 

 admirable bedder. 



The most attractive and satisfactory bed- 

 der for 1873 was the Lucius, and we can 

 conceive nothing more dazzling than a dis- 



play upon the lawn of beds of both the 

 Lucius and Master Christine. Among the 

 other good plants observable in the green- 

 houses are new varieties of the Ivy. We 

 were especially interested in the following, 

 which we consider worthy of general notice 

 and commendation : 



Hedera digitalis, a beautiful sort for 

 hanging baskets, possessing peculiar striped 

 veins and leaf ribs. 



Hedera folia picta, exceedingly variegated 

 with yellow, growing more marked with age; 

 considered best of the variegated class. 



Hedera latifolia elegans variegata, charm- 

 ing. 



Hedera Japo7iica versicolor, a rapid grower, 

 beautiful white bordering. 



Hedera algeriensis, possesses a very large 

 leaf, fully six inches in length, at first light 

 green, then turns quite dark. It is found to be 

 quite hardy, and we cannot imagine a more de- 

 sirable sort for arbors, balconies or the lawn. 



Among the other attractions are the new 

 and remarkable show of Pansies, mottled 

 shades, just imported from Europe ; also 

 the Carnation, of which there is one new 

 sort, Glorie de Venus ; the new collection of 

 Aloes of nearly twenty varieties ; a fine 

 plant of the Araucaria excelsa Imbricata. 



Among the hanging baskets, which were nu- 

 merous, we observed what an excellent addition 

 was Enonymus variegata, its peculiar yellow 

 and green foliage showing to great advantage. 



The I]cheverias were grown quite largely, 

 and public taste is now demanding them in 

 such quantities that they are becoming an 

 article of considerable sale. 



Observing a group of the Cyclamen Per- 

 sician. we are pleased to observe some with 

 flowers of pure white and remarkable size 

 with but small pink eyes. This has been 

 named the Grandiflora. 



Considering the rapidity which has char- 

 acterized the erection of these greenhouses, 

 and the excellent management and large quan- 

 tity of stock, all developed within three 

 years, it is a matter of congratulation that 

 the public have such taste as to lead to the 

 successful patronage of so good a floral resort. 



