26 THE TUBEROUS BEGONIA. 



the best new varieties sent out by other growers, and saving seeds, carefully 

 fertilised, from the finest sorts, had the results of fifty-seven different crosses 

 to sow in January, 1878 ; and from these sowings great advances were 

 obtained. In the summer of the same year Mr. Laing exhibited at South 

 Kensington a group of seedlings which fairly startled the floral world, and 

 to which the Royal Horticultural Society awarded its Gold Medal, many of 

 the varieties being also distinguished by the award of First Class Certificates. 

 Then was the Tuberous Begonia characterised as " the coming flower." 



In the same year, the Messrs. Veitch sent out their Queen of Whites, which 

 turned out to be a splendid seed or pollen parent. Mr. Laing crossed it 

 with Henderson's "White Queen, and vice versd, and in 1879 obtained some 

 500 seedlings, all of which bore white flowers, and which marked a great 

 improvement on all the white-flowered varieties then in cultivation. They 

 varied greatly in habit, but all bore fine flowers ; and a selection of the 

 tallest-growing sorts was named Heine Blanche, while the dwarf-growers were 

 matched, and named Stanstead Bride. The former was certificated the same 

 year, as also was Stanstead Rival, a variety selected out of the same batch, 

 which marked the greatest advance of all, and which was the first variety 

 that had nearly erect flower-stems and round flowers. Other fine seedlings 

 raised the same year were Princess of Wales, Lady Hume Campbell, Exoni- 

 ensis, and J. S. Law ; and some fine dark seedlings, among them being a 

 very small, nearly black variety, of no use for general cultivation, but 

 which was kept for hybridising purposes, and which was one of the pro- 

 genitors of the splendid dark crimson bedding varieties which were so much 

 admired by all visitors to the Messrs. Laing's nursery last autumn. 



In 1879 renewed energy was thrown into the work of cross- fertilising, 

 Mr. Laing having so many improved flowers to work upon, and in the spring 

 of the following year he had 161 different crosses from single and double 

 varieties, Stanstead Rival being the most extensively used variety on account 

 of its stiff habit and erect flower stems. Reine Blanche and Lady Hume 

 Campbell were also extensively used, and from the seeds obtained that season 

 were acquired still further advances in shape, size, substance, and colour in 

 the latter point especially. The later sorts obtained at Forest Hill have 

 been gained by constantly selecting the largest and finest shaped flowers for 

 crossing, the results therefrom being the grand strain now offered as "Royal 

 Begonias." Mr. Laing has truly done wonders for the Begonia, and in no 

 way can this be better illustrated than by comparing the flowers of the first 

 hybrid, B. Sedeni (see p. 23), with one of Mr. Laing's greatest achievements, 

 Queen Victoria (see illustration on the opposite page). 



THE SWANLEY COLLECTION. 



SOME two years after Mr. Laing took the Begonias in hand, Mr. Henry 

 Cannell commenced their cultivation at Swanley, and as showing what pro- 



