herbs of straggling c 

 usually viscid, with (i 

 axillary (io\vi-r>. Tli 

 glossis, Ix-in:; .ii-,,n 



PETUNIA 



r decumbent habit, pubescent and 

 iposite entire Ivs. and large showy 

 ■ ^'invis is closely allied to Salpi- 

 jii]-li. .1 by having 5 perfect sta- 

 nu- iiiis! 4. The calyx is 5-parted, 

 li -inrics, sevr-ral tinios shorter 



than the corolla, wiii" ) i ' ■:: -il^-f rfr.TTii r 

 funnelforra and iii.M • ' '' !'■ 



white to light purpl' . i i i i 



Petunias are of till < ,1 I:; 



warm, open, sunny plaiL. ,-■.1- in.'; l": -' 

 in the open, or the plants may he started in 

 indoors for early results. The plants are 

 tender and therefore should not be trusted 

 in the open until settled weather comes. 

 Thin the plants to 12-18 in. apart. They 

 bloom when very small, and continue to blos- 

 som as they grow until destroyed by frost. 

 The ci.niin.in Petunias are ratlier weedy in 

 haliit. liUt t!i. ir L'r.-at prMt'ir-r nr-ws nf bloom 

 uimI' 1- .." .■.'..'■■;•.■. 11' I'.i ~ ■'" I ■ ■).. I'ul and 

 1,,,,,:; ■ i ; . :.'•]..■ ■ i ■: .- ful for 



as the flowers of 

 bred tvpes reqti 

 ing. They won 



PETUNIA 1285 



age of 40 per cent doubles. Usually the weaker seed- 

 lings, in any batch of a double strain, are most likely to 

 produce double flowers. Fancy varieties may be propa- 

 gated by cuttings from plants that are carried over 

 winter, although cuttings of double forms do not always 

 come true. l H. B. 



Petunias in California. — The Petunia is one of the 

 most variable of all flowers and shows a very strong 

 tendency to revert to the natural type. The plant- 

 breeder cherishes not one, but many, ideals. It is the 

 perfect habit of a certain idant that one wishes to com- 



grant 



jss. Pig. 1727. Tall 

 , usually growing erect: 

 • thick, oval-oblong, up- 



quite sessile and the 

 1 iiit<. a distinct petiole: 

 •■lull, il I the tube three 

 iL'th lif the calyx), fra- 



i-. ntina. B.M. 2552. -Occasionally 



vioUcea, Limll. Stems slender: Ivs. oval or ovate, 

 sessih' m- vei y sliiirt-stalked : fls. smaller, broad-tubed 

 (the tube t«i<-e ur less the length of the linear calyx- 

 lobes I . rose-red or violet, the limb relatively short. 

 Argentina. B.H. li):l(!2fi. B.M. SiV.i (as Salpiglossis 

 inleijrifolia). — Sot now in cult, in its pure form. 



172S-30. Tin 



common Petunia, 

 ing. For history, 

 Essay 29. P.M. 

 B.M. 3556.-This 

 differs markedlv 



2:173 (asP. >i;/c^t,,,,., 



type is wonderfully \:iri:ii.|i 



from either stem parent: troni >". inictaginiflora in its 



broader tube and many colors; from P. vioiacea in its 



longer tube, wider limb, and many colors; from both in 



its much larger and multiform flowers and more stocky 



growth. In sr.nie of the ';tr?'in^-. tlv M-.n-er i'' rer',- iT^nd 



and op,-n. ,...'. M-,..- .,.,■- ,,-- T'...- . ■' ..,..•. 



with the ll- ,.,',. , I ,. 

 inarkin-sivpl •■:■.•!- • ,■ . ■ ... ■ .... ,.ily 



double flowers. The ci.lors rani;!' from whiti- to ,leep 

 red-purple, and variously striped and barred. There are 

 forms of very dwarf and compact habit. Only a small 

 proportion of the seedlings of the double strains l.i-ar 

 double flowers; but the sint:!'- H. ... r- :iii u-f;;ill', "f 

 superior size or color. The i' i ■ n ' ri! n .' i. 



centage of doubles is the t'a ■' .■ i . , ■ 



selected from single flower-, i . . . in. , ;i; 

 ones do not produce seeds. .Siu^le ll.Aver.-. < .n* luilj p..l- 

 linated with pollen from double flowers will give seed 

 that will produce an average of 25 per cent doubles, and 

 single flowers bearing petaloid anthers will give an aver- 



1727. Petunia nyctaginillora (X K). 



bine with the flowers of another. Or the object is to 

 give to this flower a little heavier texture; to another 

 an added frill upon this blossom; a richer color there, a 

 greater depth to this throat, a more distinct ring here, 

 an absolutely pure tone of color in another, to intensify 

 the rainbow tints in another, to deepen the color of 

 those blotches while retaining the pure white back- 

 ground. In an ideal Petunia the first requisite is color, 

 while form, size, texture, marking and habit are all of 

 nearly equal value. 



The California Giant Petunias originated with the 

 undersigned at Ventura, Calif., in 1888, and in their 

 present condition are the result of very careful study 

 through a long series of continuous cross-fertilizations. 

 They ai-t L'i..'.\n in fin-open ground, and usually trans- 

 plant. ,1 .;:. ' ii .1 the seed boxes. We have new 

 seedliru: . . 'I ..ar, but retain plants the second 



year I"! -...iiiu |.ni.oses. The strain comprises 19 

 variclii.-, u.. liuUn;; the liufBed Giants seen in Fig. 

 1730. The blossoms are all hand-pollinated and in the 

 case of the New Fancy Fringed Perfection Double each 

 seed-pod is handled from 7-12 times. 



To those persons who are willing to take the most 

 pains to raise the best Petunias, the undersigned would 

 say that the germination of each seed is of utmost im- 

 portance, for every seed represents an individual plant. 

 No two Pitiinia plants give blossoms of the same kind, 

 ;i:i.l ill. I'.. iM'.. in\ iiriiil.!', i-itii - ..r I \... ll.-nce and differ- 



: '■' . Ill :i :.....!. I ..i' -. . .! ..... 1 1, .lining say 200 



; .1 ',:. I . .1 I if he bring 20 



l.un.,i..i lii.i |.o.,-Ml.iiiii. ... wi il,. .,ir.i;iis, whereas the 

 I'etunia specialist would know that in those 180 seeds 

 which did not come to the blooming stage a wealth of 

 beauty had escaped him. Then the writer emphatically 



