292 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 16, 1868. 



day, of which a prolonged flowering is one of the greatest. 

 That the Nepeta possesEes this property is well known, but the 

 number of its flowers may, perhaps, be increased, and their 

 colour and quality improved. As it is, I certainly can, from a 

 long acquaintance with it, recommend it for a line or edging 

 near shrubs, or in some place where what may be called second- 

 class plants are brought into use. For the geometric garden, 

 where the highest colours only are admissible, I would hardly 

 lecommend it ; but I have no hesitation in advising the mix- 

 iure of Viola corniita and the Lobelia for any situation in which 

 ihe latter has hitherto been employed ; and if the Viola were 

 planted at once an earlier bloom would be secured than would 

 be the case with the Lobelia alone, and most liiely the flower- 

 ing would also be longer maintained. — J. Eobson. 



MR. PERRY'S SEEDLING VERBENAS. 



When at the Birmingham Rose Show last year I took the 

 opportunity of visiting Castle Bromwich to see Mr. Perry's 

 seedling Verbenas, and as he had an unusually fine lot I 

 Bend yon a few notes of them. 1 assisted him in making a 

 selection, and it was with considerable regret we threw aside a 

 Jarge number of really good flowers, so determined was Mr. 

 Perry on sending out only the very best of his seedlings. Two 

 span-roofed houses were devoted entirely to proving seedlings 

 of 1866, and a few of the best sorts ah-eady out ; and from 

 Ihese his supply of seed for the following year is obtained. 

 His yearlings were all blooming in store pots in frames, and as 

 Boon as anything good is recognised it is marked for proving 

 next year, and all not up to the mark are thrown away. 



I regard Mr. Perry as the first Verbena-raiser of the day, 

 ior the greater portion of the best kinds now in cultivation 

 lave been raised by him ; and the set to be sent out this spring 

 ■would alone place him in the foremost rank of raisers if he 

 had never sent out a Verbena before. They will probably 

 consist of — 



Miss TuriKi-.—'White, with very large pale rose centre, and 

 very fine pip and truss. 



Samuel Moreton.Shaied rosy blush, with large dark centre. 

 Very fine pip and truss, and very distinct. 



Hercules. — Rich rosy carmine with dark centre ; very fine 

 iorm and large. A beautiful flower. 



Emma Pemj. — Blush white, with large dark rosy red centre ; 

 very fine pip and truss. 



James Bhkheck. — Rich glowing light rosy scarlet, with light 

 Bye. A very superb variety both in pip and truss. 



Mrs. Mole. — A peculiar lavender-tinted lilac, with large and 

 finely formed pip and truss. Very fine indeed. 



Interesting. — Pale scarlet, with distinct white eye and finely 

 formed pip and truss. 



Shirley HiiJicrrf.— Intense dark violet, with small white eye, 

 A rich-looking flower of great substance and fine form. 



G. P. Tye. — Lighter than Mrs. Turner, with a deeper-coloured 

 centre. A dwarf-growing kind, with very fine pip and truss. 



John Wihon. — Rosy carmine, with a violet-tinted centre. 

 Very fine truss and habit. 



J. C. Ifard.— Light purple, vrith light eye. "; Fine form and 

 IrnsB. 



James Dai/.— Shaded light violet, with white eye. Fine 

 itxas. 



Little CTara.— Shaded pink, with dark carmine centre. Fine 

 iorm and fine truss. 



I have yet to speak of the finest Verbena of all— jl/rs. Perry, 

 lich blue-purple, with large light eye, and very fine form. 

 This is a superb kind, but it will probably be held over for 

 another year. Several seedlings of last year have stiU to be 

 proved, and there may be some fine kinds amongst them, but 

 it will be difiicult to beat those we selected. 



I also give you the following list of the best of the older 

 iinds I saw in Mr. Perry's houses. These are all exhibition 

 flowers, and are grovra for that purpose and for producing seeds. 



Cleopatra. — Rich dark rose, with white eye. Extra fine. 



Delicata. — Pale rosy pink, with light eye. Fine truss. 



Harry Law. — Distinct rosy lilac, with large white eye. Very 

 fine pip, and large truss. 



William Dean. — Rich violet, with dark violet centje and 

 large clear white eye, finely formed pip and truss. It certainly 

 is a very fine variety. 



Indispensable. — Shaded light purple, with well-formed truss. 



Exquisite.— Blight reddish pink, with large lemon eye. Fine 

 pip. 



Snowhall.—The best exhibiting white, but not a pure white. 



Nemesis (George Smith). — Rich light scarlet, with small 

 lemon eye. Fine truss. 



.Auricula. — Rich shaded purple, with large hght eye. 



I.eah. — Pale shaded rose, with large dark centre and large 

 white eye. Very fine pip and truss. 



Firefly (Jliller). — Lighter than Mazeppa. Very fine pip and 

 truss. 



Pink Perfection. — Bright reddish pink, with light eye. A 

 most valuable kind for pot culture, beds, or cut blooms. 



Majolica. — Shaded pale rose, with large white eye surrounded 

 by a dark ring. Very large pip and truss. 



Wonderful. — Shaded crimson, with white eye. Extra fine in 

 pip and truss. 



Meteor. — Rich glowing scarlet, with lemon eye. Small but 

 well-formed truss. 



Cato (George Smith). — Blush, shaded and marked with pink; 

 dark eye. A good exhibition kind. 



Hose Imperial (Boucharlat). — A glovring rosy pink, vrith large 

 scarlet centre. Very fine truss. 



Mrs. Turner. — Blush, shaded with pink, with a large, deep 

 rosy pink centre. Fine. 



Maure Queen. — Shaded mauve and lilac, with a large light 

 eye. Very distinct. 



Charles Perry. — Rosy lilac, with a large dark centre and light 

 eye. Very fine truss, and compact habit. 



Champion. — Rich crimson, with small dark centre and yellow 

 eye. Very fine. 



Ma:eppa. — Brilliant deep orange scarlet, with clear white 

 eye ; large pip and truss. Extra fine. 



Harry Turner. — Shaded blush and lavender, with a bright 

 centre, and very large well-shaped truss. 



Maynificans (Boucharlat). — Lilac shaded with pink, large dari 

 centre. Very large truss, and a fine back-row flower. 



Apollo (Smith's). — Blush shaded with pink, and dark centre. 

 Very large truss. 



Lilac Queen. — Distinct from Mauve Queen, and very dis- 

 tinctly marked. Very fine truss. 



Those to which no raiser's name is attached have been raised 

 by Mr. Perry. There are also others of his raising, such as 

 Charles Turner, Mrs. Dean, James Walton, and others, still 

 very fine kinds. All that I have described I saw in bloom at 

 his place, and others bloomed after I had a second oppor- 

 tunity of seeing his superb collection. He is a first-class 

 gi'ower, and aims at moderate-sized plants in small pots, and 

 the plants are full of health and vigour ; and what glorious 

 trusses he obtains those who exhibit against him know fail 

 well. — William Dean, Bradford Nursery, Shipley. 



TOBACCO LIQUOR for DESTROYING INSECTS. 



I HAVE no doubt that many will agree with me that tobacco 

 smoke is ineffectual for destroying black and white thrips, and 

 also some species of aphis, especially the yellow aphis often 

 found on Orchids. Three-quarters of a pint of tobacco hqnor 

 when obtained from a reliable vendor to one gallon of water for 

 aphis, and one pint to a gallon of water for thrips, are good 

 proportions. The mixture is to be syringed all over the plant 

 or tree in the evening. We have tried the above proportions 

 upon Vines, Peach trees. Orchids, and a variety of stove plants, 

 as well as bedding plants of various sorts, and have found H 

 quite effectual without causing the slightest injury to the foliage. 

 If any insects escape the first syringing give another the fol- 

 lowing morning, and death is certain. 



Tobacco liquor has other advantages. When only a few 

 plants are infested with insects they can be syringed without 

 the trouble and expense of fumigating a whole house. — W. 

 ChAT.ii, Eahy Gardens. 



PROPAGATION AND FAILURE OF CENTAUREA 

 CANDIDISSIMA. 



I WOULD advise cultivators of this Centaurea to examine their 

 plants minutelv this season, and I think they will find them 

 attacked by grubs. Such was the case here last year, and they 

 have again made their appearance upon old plants that have 

 been in^the ground all the winter. The plants in question had 

 every appearance of those described by Mr. Robson (page 254). 

 I have enclosed a grub for your inspection. 



Those who wish to preserve old plants of Centaurea candi- 



