CHAP. XVII VILLA GARDENING 111 



advantage. Pyi-ethrums are easily raised from seeds sown in 

 spring, or, if preferred, the seeds may be sown as soon as ripe. 

 Many of the seedlings will bear only single flowers, but they all 

 possess a value for border work, and single flowers are sought after 

 for cutting nowadays. Groups of the inferior seedlings may be 

 planted in the wild garden, and permitted to become naturalised. 



Douhle-floioered Varieties. — Albiun plenum, white; Achillea, 

 pink ; Amethyst, pink, yellow centre ; Atrococcineum, scarlet ; 

 Annie Holborene, wdiite, blush centre ; Carneum plenum, rosy car- 

 mine ; Ceres, flesh colour ; Captain Nares, crimson ; Herman, 

 Stenger, rose ; Endymion, lilac, white centre ; Emile Lemoine 

 crimson, tipped with gold ; Flora, blush ; Floribundum plenum, 

 rosy pink ; Monsieur Barral, crimson ; Mont Blanc, white ; Im- 

 bricatum plenum, purple carmine, tipped with white ; La Vestale, 

 blush ; Madame Patti, rosy lilac ; Ne Plus Ultra, lilac ; Olivia, 

 white ; Rose Perfection, rose ; Progress, dark red ; Solfaterre, sul- 

 phur ; Striatum plenum, striped rose ; Thomas Massart, peach ; 

 Uzziel, fawn. 



Single-floiuered Varieties. — Coccinea, red; Fairy, flesh colour; 

 George Nelson, white ; Grandiflorum, carmine ; Rosy Morn, pink ; 

 Virginale, French white ; Vivid, amaranth ; Warei, crimson. 



The Dahlia. — The introduction of the single-flowered Dahlia 

 has given an impetus to the resuscitation of a grand old favourite 

 plant, as the present craving for the single-flowered varieties is svire 

 to culminate in an impetus being given to the cultivation of the 

 beautiful large double flowers by and by. The Dahlia in any form 

 is unquestionably a noble-flowering plant, and is less aff'ected by 

 diseases and less liable to insect attacks than many other flowers. 

 It is true that there is nothing absolutely free from troubles of this 

 character, and early in the spring the slugs and snails are ex- 

 cessively fond of the thick succulent shoots, often in a single night 

 eating the heart out of a choice i^lant and leading to its ruin, as 

 perfect success wnth this flower depends in a great measure upon 

 its uninterrupted progress, especially in its young state, for the 

 main stem should ascend unopposed to attain perfect development. 

 But the slugs and snails can be easily circumvented by placing 

 round the plants a circle of something that snails do not like to 

 travel over. A small ridge of coal -ashes or sawdust wiU be 

 sufficient to secure the young plants from depredation, for it is 

 only when they are young that they need protection. Later on 

 in the season another trouble arises, for the earwigs attack the 

 flowers, eating and disfiguring the petals. These latter pests may 

 also, with a little trouble, be kept under. The earwigs, after they 

 have satisfied their hunger, retire into some snug retired place to 



