270 DIALOGUE, &C. 



kept for several years. On my first attempt to raise seedlings I 

 got none worth keeping, but as my stock of flowers increased, 

 both in quantity and quality, I found my seedlings began to be 

 better, and I at length saved seed from first-rate flowers only, 

 sometimes resorting to artificial means of impregnation, and 

 sometimes trusting entirely to nature, the former is decidedly 

 the surest means of procuring seed, but is by no means the 

 surest way of raising fine flowers, the seed raised naturally pro- 

 ducing, as often as the other superior flowers. 



Wouldkkow. The odds then against raising good seedlings 

 are not quite so great as I thought them ? 



Bloomwell. Perseverance will do much; some people hav- 

 ing had no success for a year or two give up the raising seedlings 

 as auseles pursuit ; but I would impress upon the mind of the 

 young Florist, that if he wishes to succeed I have no doubt but 

 there are many novelties yet to be raised, and new ones to be 

 added to our present stock. In 18351 raised a scarlet and pink 

 bizarre, which is a variety I had not seen before ; I have seen 

 several Piccotees slightly bizarred, as pink and crimson, lilac 

 and deep purple. I had one seedling this season beautifully 

 laced with pink and purple, but unfortunately it was single. A 

 friend of mine has a heavy edged red Piccotee, curiously shaded 

 with black : these variegations, I have no doubt, will be in 

 time more fully developed, as many others which have never 

 met my notice. There' is such a pleasure in raising seedlings, so 

 much to anticipate, so much to exult in, when you see one of 

 your own productions at the head of its class, triumphing, per- 

 haps, over some of the most renowned veterans of the day ; that 

 I would never be without a bed of seedlings if I could help it. 



(To be continued.) 



What in the name of Mr. Thomas Hogg, can an ' Old Flo- 

 rist ' (page 229) mean by advising us to fertilize some double 

 flowers with the pollen of our best double ones which in many 

 cases is not to be found ; the reverse of the method is much 

 more rational and likely to succeed. Semi-double generally 

 having the male organs in abundance, these should be hand- 

 some coloured flowers, the hybrids generally partaking most of 

 the colour of the male parent, and the form and habit of the 



female. ,. 



Bizarre. 



