152 FLORICULTURAL GLEANINGS. 



or six inches. In the spring the ashes are taken away, and the plants 

 break forth -with all the luxuriance that can be wished. If pegged 

 down at the joints, they will take root and spread overa lurge surface 

 of ground, and continue blooming till the hard weather stops them. 



ARTICLE IV. 



FLORICULTURAL GLEANINGS.— No. 7. 

 DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS ON A FEW POLYANTHUSES. 



BY MB. WILLIAM HARRISON, SECRETARY TO THE VELTON FLORISTS' SOCIETY. 



The Polyanthus is one of the earliest of our spring visitors, and one 

 of the loveliest gems in all the wide kingdom of Flora. It is more 

 prized than many other flowers that claim the particular attention of the 

 competing florist, for it visits us soon after the rigid storms of winter 

 have disappeared; and the contrast between the severe blasts of 

 Boreas with all the privation and desolation that accompany them, 

 and the delightful return of the season of flowers with the genial 

 warmth of spring, the music of the gladsome birds, and the humming 

 of the early bees, is so great, so cheering, and so delightful, that when 

 we have those lovely visitors in full bloom in our collections they 

 induce us to raise the hymn of devout thankfulness to the great and 

 omniscient " Father of all " for his goodness in protecting us through 

 the inclemencies of the past season, and for the promise of another 

 year of varied enjoyment, which these beautiful but silent monitors 

 hold out to the contemplative mind in the calm hours of peaceful 

 retirement. 



I have, during the past season, paid considerable attention to the 

 Polyanthus, and have this last spring been rewarded with a few as 

 fine blooms as any competing florist would wish for. The oppor- 

 tunity afforded me, also, by the first exhibition of the Felton Society 

 this spring has enabled me to obtain the following notes, which per- 

 haps may be of some use to those who wish to purchase a few varieties 

 of this lovely flower. They were all taken down when the plants 

 were in bloom, and therefore I think their correctness may be relied 

 on. I believe that nothing of the kind has been seen so good in the 

 North before; at least we have never had so many good varieties 

 brought into competition here before ; nor have I ever read of many 



