422 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Fig. 2403. Begonia Wei.ioniensis. 



(Pink Flowering.) 



plants, at a time when flowers and flowering 

 pot plants are scarce. By drying the plants 

 off gradually when they are through flower- 

 ing, and putting them on a front shelf under 

 the greenhouse benches where the drip does 

 not bother them, or on a back shelf in the 

 greenhouse, or even in a warm potting shed, 

 these begonias will keep splendidly, and oc- 

 cupy no valuable winter space. I have found 

 two year old plants profitable, as they can 

 be grown on into 6 inch or 7 inch pots, but 

 after the second season I have not found the 

 keeping qualities of the plants as reliable as 

 younger stock. The Begonia Weltoniensis 

 is a splendid bedder, and succeeds well in 

 almost any position in light soil. Fairly 

 light soil should be used for pot plants of 

 this begonia. Other newer varieties, such 

 as Begonia Vernon, Bruantii, Erfordii, In- 

 gramii and other summer flowering types of 



Begonia semperflorens, will not compare 

 favorably in my opinion with the two varie- 

 ties first mentioned, excepting perhaps that 

 these latter can be easier raised from seed 

 than the Weltoniensis begonias. The seed, 

 however, should be sown early in the spring, 

 about February, to secure early flowering 

 plants the same season. 



The new hybrid type of Gloire de Lor- 

 raine Begonia, although beautiful and flori- 

 ferous at almost all seasons, can scarcely be 

 considered as a summer begonia. Although 

 several new types and varieties of Begonia 

 semperflorens have recently been introduced, 

 at present there is still room for an ideal 

 summer flowering begonia for florists ; a 

 want that may possibly be filled, as begon- 

 ias are very susceptible to cross fertilization, 

 a fact that many of our principal florists 

 are taking advantage of, as is shown by the 

 introduction of so many types and varieties 

 of this beautiful and useful class of plants. 

 But the ideal florists' begonia has yet to be 

 raised, and like all other classes of beautiful 

 plants to be found in the floral world, we 

 shall never know when the highest possible 

 point has been reached, so great and myster- 

 ious are the workings of nature, when 

 assisted by art, as well as by the assistance 

 of bees and other insects in hybridizing and 

 crossing diff"erent varieties of flowers. 



I have been pleased to learn during the 

 last few days that the three varieties of 

 begonias mentioned, viz.: Begonia Welton- 

 iensis, Begonia Weltoniensis alba, and 

 Begonia McBethii are again coming into 

 popular favor, and, in my opinion, no florist 

 should be without them on his greenhouse 

 benches in summer, as their many good 

 qualities for decorative purposes in general, 

 still entitle them to a place in the front 

 ranks of this numerous and useful class of 

 plants. Many florists, who have dropped 

 them from their lists, are again taking them 

 up, ample evidence that they are still of 



