8 Refrospeciive Vieiu of the 



tenlion lias been directed to the production of new kinds; the 

 French have thus far raised the best, some of which are quite 

 curious. The flowers are of moderate size, and irregular, and 

 the contrast of colors very great ; Mr. Beck has produced one 

 or two very good ones. They will, no doubt, soon be intro- 

 duced to American collections. 



Of seedlings, the 3'ear has not developed many varieties of 

 merit. A new camellia is mentioned, of Mr. Feast's, (p. 

 256,) as very beautiful. The Japan lihes, so far, have not 

 sported into any new or peculiar colors ; we have many 

 seedlings, which, the present year, we hope to see presenting 

 some distinct features, but time will determine this. We 

 have urged upon amateur cultivators, as well as nurserymen, 

 the importance of raising the hardy rhododendrons and azaleas, 

 from seed, in order not only to have them so abundant that 

 they may be found in every garden, but with the hope of 

 producing new and beautiful varieties, as has already been 

 done in England ; a cross between those foreign kinds, which 

 have the brilliancy of coloring of the Indian sorts, and their 

 half-hardy character, with our well known and hardy species, 

 would undoubtedly result in the production of a race of high- 

 er colored and hardy varieties. Some fine verbenas have 

 been described at p. 220. 



The naturalization of many ornamental plants is a subject 

 which has not received sufficient attention, though one of the 

 greatest importance. It is well known, that many plants, for- 

 merly cultivated in the greenhouse, and supposed altogether 

 too tender to withstand the severity of our winters, are now 

 classed among our hardy plants. If we trace them to their 

 native countries, we find they are from the same localities as 

 others more recently introduced, which we deem tender, or, 

 at least, only half hardy. Dr. Lindley, in a late number of 

 the Gardener^s Chronicle^ has asked the question, whether 

 "the camellia is a greenhouse plant?" And answers it, by 

 a series of facts which leave but little doubt that, under certain 

 favorable conditions of soil and situation, it may be found 

 equally as hardy as other plants, from the country of the 

 camellia. The Pyrus japonica. Wistaria sinensis, Chinese 

 honeysuckle, and Tree pasonies, are companions of the ca- 

 mellia in its own woods, and yet they are found to resist the 

 cold, without injury, as far north as the latitude of 42°. 



