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the year 1835, created a great sensation among the florists 

 of the day ; and well it might, for we had nothing of the 

 kind then in cultivation that could equal it in beauty and 

 richness of coloring for masses. The flower in the brilli- 

 ancy of the color, has not been surpassed in any new va- 

 riety, though great imjDrovements have been made in the 

 size of the flowers and form of truss. The credit of pro- 

 ducing the first white, crimson, and pink varieties, is due 

 to Robert Buist of Philadelphia, from seed received from 

 Buenos Ayres, about the year 1835. T^ 7nultijida. with 

 lilac-purple flowers, was introduced from Peru ; V. Iwee- 

 diana^ with rose-crimson flowers, from Brazil. From 

 these have sprung all the numerous varieties, many hun- 

 dred in number, now in our collections. In these vari- 

 ties may be found every color except yellow, and even this 

 color in its lighter shades, is sometimes seen in the eyes of 

 some of the sorts. We now have crimson, scarlet, rose, 

 white, lilac, blueish-purple, and purple in all their shades, 

 with eyes of purple, crimson, rose, white, or straw color, 

 and also a number of striped and spotted sorts. No 

 plants are more generally cultivated, or more eagerly 

 sought after, than this beautiful family. I sometimes 

 wonder how a flower-garden could be considered passable 

 without the Verbena. The habits of all are similar, nat- 

 urally prostrate creeping plants, taking root freely where- 

 ever the stems come in contact with the ground, and 

 sending forth innumerable clusters of their many hued, 

 brilliant flowers, from June to November. 



" The qualities of a first-class Verbena as laid down by 

 florists, are : Roundness of flower without indenture, 

 notch, or serrature ; petals thick, flat, bright, and smooth ; 

 the plant should be compact, with short, stout joints, 

 either distinctly of a shrubby habit, or a close ground 

 creeper or climber ; the trusses of bloom compact, stand- 

 ing out from the foliage ; the flowers meeting but not 



