106 



The Horticulturist and Journal 



\ ^md^. 



Novelties of 1873. 



A LATE number of the Gardener's Maga- 

 zifie opens with a capital editorial upon 

 new plants and flowers. It says, " a good old 

 plant is always to be preferred to a bad new 

 one, or to a novelty wanting in distinctness 

 and manifest superiority." 



It would be well for enthusiasts in floricul- 

 ture, on this side of the water, to bear this 

 truism in mind, and not to plant a new flower 

 unless it embraces one or more well-marked 

 characters not to be found in our old favorites. 



It is not a sufficient recommendation for a 

 novelty to be equal to our old standard kinds, 

 but it must be better ; or at least as good, 

 with certain distinct characters. 



The lover of greenhouse plants is enabled 

 to make many fine additions to his collection, 

 as some families of plants are especially rich 

 in novelties. The Auriculas, one of the 

 neatest of English florist flowers, has received 

 several additions from Mr. Turner, of Slough. 

 Some of these are Alpines, and stand the 

 climate of England with impunity, but with 

 us they are comparatively useless. 



The Azaleas, so deservedly popular with 

 every one who owns even the smallest sized 

 glass-house, is recognized famously among the 

 new plants. To such as make a specialty of 

 this truly elegant flower (and what can sur- 

 pass it for winter decoration ?), we append the 

 list, selected by the G. M., as the cream of 

 the novelties : Appollo, Comtesse de Beaufort, 

 Comtesse Eugenie de Kerchove, Mad'lle Van 

 Houtte, Marquis of Lome, President de 

 Walle, Pri7icess Louise. The pretty little 

 hardy kind, called Azalea amasna, has re- 

 ceived an improved form which is highly 

 extolled. 



Very many of our readers are well ac- 

 quainted with the Begonias ; a genus well 

 deserving of extensive cultivation for their 

 beautifully colored foliage and numerous 

 richly tinted flowers. 



Of this latter class we desire to speak 



especially, as in all probability such will 

 eventually prove to be among our very finest 

 bedders during the summer months. So 

 many new varieties have been introduced dur- 

 ing the past season, that we cannot enumer- 

 ate them all here, leaving the selection to the 

 taste of our readers ; but with the remark 

 that, for window decoration all the year round, 

 they will prove unsurpassed. 



Cinerarias, a very pretty family of plants 

 for the conservatory, have been increased in 

 interest by the introduction of double flower- 

 ing sorts. 



We now arrive at one of the choicest gar- 

 den ornaments of which we have any knowl- 

 edge — the Clematis. Hardy, delicate and 

 graceful in growth, with an abundance of 

 showy flowers, we do not wonder at their well 

 deserved popularity. Owing to the exertions 

 of Messrs. Jackman, Noble, Cripps, and a 

 few others, the new varieties, the past season, 

 have been wonderfully fine ; so good, indeed, 

 that we do not know where to make a choice, 

 nor what to leave out of a first class list. 



Among those, however, of the greatest 

 merit, we wish to call attention to Louis Van 

 Houtte, Duke of Richmond, Stella, The 

 Queen, May Queen, and Vndine. 



That old-time favorite, the Dahlia, has not 

 received as much encouragement of late as 

 was formerly its due. Still, however, quite a 

 number of excellent kinds have been pre- 

 sented for approval of late, the following be- 

 ing among the best : Ovid, Miss Dennis, Miss 

 Harris, Julia Davis, Mrs. Lervingto?i, and 

 Parrot. 



The Gladiolus, now considered one of the 

 best summer-flowering bulbs, seems to in- 

 crease in popularity, if that was possible. 

 Among the most careful raisers of this might 

 be named the Messrs. Kelway, of England, 

 and Souchet, of France. The former gentle- 

 men have sent out, as superior to anything in 

 their own lines of color. Captain Stucky, 

 Harrison Weir, Lady Bridport, Mrs. Rey- 

 ?iolds Hole, Neogene, Rev. H. Dombrain, 

 Scopa, and Pythias. 



One of the most satisfactory plants for 

 decorating our empty greenhouse shelves dur- 



