88 THE TUBEROUS BEGOXIA. 



should lie flat, or nearly so, when the bloom is fully expanded. Some 

 varieties assume a slightly cup-shaped form, and this is sometimes both 

 graceful and effective ; but a perfect bloom is as nearly flat as possible, while 

 anything more than a very slight reflex is quite inadmissible. If the petals 

 curl or twist in opening at all, the flower is quite spoiled, however fine in 

 ther respects 



Colour may be taken as the next important point, and the clearer, richer, 

 and brighter this is, the more valuable the variety becomes. Years ago the 

 colours of Begonias were, as a rule, dull, pale, and sickly at least, as com- 

 pared with what we have now ; and when the variety known as " J. H. Laiug " 

 was produced, it was considered a grand stride, and for some time was the 

 brightest scarlet or light crimson in cultivation. This has now been long sur- 

 passed, and we have plenty of varieties as rich and bright in colour as the 

 finest Zonal Pelargoniums, while in a few instances there is a depth and 

 velvety softness, or dazzling intensity of hue that is very striking, and hardly 

 equalled by any other flower, except, perhaps, the Gloxinia. Whites and 

 yellows as well should, of course, be as pure in tone as possible. 



Substance is a very important characteristic,- a poor, thin or flimsy flower 

 being next to worthless, however large or fine in other respects. Some of the 

 newer varieties have petals almost like a bit of leather, when felt between 

 the fingers a great advance on the old flimsy-textured blooms, which would 

 hardly bear looking at, to use a common expression. 



Size may be taken as coming next. This is constantly being increased ; 

 twenty years ago, or even less than that, the largest Begonia flowers measured 

 only about one inch across, about 1880 a 4-inch flower was considered very 

 large indeed, and now we have plenty that will reach 6 inches from top to 

 bottom, and some 7 inches and even 8 inches in diameter. What a won- 

 derful alteration in so short a space of time ! Mere size, however, should not 

 count for much, if the bloom is wanting in other respects. The medium 

 sized blooms, such as the one illustrated on p. 87, are, to our thinking, quite 

 large enough, and this view is shared to a large extent by Mr. Laing. 



Freedom of flowering counts considerably, and it is, of course, to be 

 seen at a glance whether a plant is a shy bloomer or the reverse. It is not 

 to be expected that any plant will produce flowers of the largest size as 

 freely as one with comparatively small blooms, but it is as well to have 

 the two qualities combined as far as possible. 



Habit of growth is another important point. In this respect most of the 

 varieties raised on the Continent are decidedly deficient, often running up to 

 a considerable height with only one or two main stems in fact, what in 

 generally known as "leggy." English-raised seedlings are generally much 

 superior in this respect, and seedling plants are almost invariably more bushy 

 in growth than propagated named varieties. A medium-sized flowering plant 

 should branch naturally and freely, so as to form a mauy-shooted bush, 



