THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Lima, while a few originated from Africa, 

 the west Indies and other warm climates. 

 For a long time the begonia was 

 treated altogether as a stove or hothouse 

 plant, and at the present day, fine speci- 

 mens can be seen, propagated and 

 grown entirely in the windows and 

 gardens of many of our own citizens, 

 who are lovers of this beautiful and in- 

 teresting class of plants ; but very little 

 was done to materially improve the 

 tuberous varieties of the begonia, until 

 well into the present century, when it 

 was taken in hand by British and conti- 

 nental florists, who by a careful system 

 of hybridization of the few. and at that 

 date thought to be almost worthless 

 varieties, together with some more re- 

 cent importation of a better type, have 

 produced the numerous and magnificent 

 specimens to be seen at the present day 

 in almost every florist's establishment in 

 the world. Among the most successful 

 improvers and growers being John Laing 

 & Sons, Henry Cannell, and Ware & 

 Co., of London, England, the first men- 

 tioned firm devoting immense houses, 

 and in the summer acres of ground to the 

 culture and development of this tuber, 

 beside other American and Continental 

 growers that devote special attention to 

 the tuberous begonia, and both seed and 

 tubers of good strains are now offered at 

 very reasonable prices in most of our 

 Canadian florists, and seedsmen's cata- 

 logues. 



Apart from the beautiful and innum- 

 erable shades and colois of both the 

 single and double varieties of the tuber- 

 ous begonia, varying as they do from 

 pure white to pink and deep crimson, 

 from pale yellow to orange, and almost 

 brown so dtep is the shading of some 

 of the bronze varieties, there is also 

 another feature, that strongly recom- 

 mends this plant to notice, which is the 

 beautiful emerald green foliage of many 



of the varieties, shaded and marked by 

 hues of a much lighter color, oftentimes 

 nearly white, making the plant still more 

 attractive than it would be if, as is the 

 case in many plants having fine flowers, 

 the foliage is poor and meagre looking. 

 There are two almost distinct classes of 

 this plant, so far as habit and growth is 

 is concerned, viz : Erect and Drooping 

 varieties, the latter being specially 

 adapted for window boxes, hanging pots 

 and baskets, placed in partially shaded 

 positions, filling a much needed want in 

 that respect. 



The great aim of the improver and 

 growers of the erect varieties, has been 

 to secure beauty and density of foliage, 

 with flowers having the necessary at- 

 tributes of a perfect flower, viz., color, 

 symmetry and substance, with the 

 flower standing erect on stout stems, 

 carried well above the foliage and in 

 full view of the admirer. This has been 

 so successfully carried out that one is 

 compelled to think the limit of perfec- 

 tion has been attained, until, as in other 

 classes or natural orders of plants, we 

 are surprised by some new and often- 

 times chance addition, so far as human 

 skill and science are concerned, to the 

 floral wonders of the world, showing, as 

 they often do, some delightful feature 

 really distinctive from anything hitherto 

 produced. 



I am afraid I shall have already tired 

 you, before coming to what might be 

 termed the practical part of these re- 

 marks, so I will endeavor, as briefly as 

 possible, to give you a description of 

 " How to secure and grow this delight- 

 ful flower." 



The easiest method would be to pur- 

 chase tubers from some reliable firm 

 early in the spring, say February or 

 March, the bulbs will likely then be in 

 a dormant, or resting state, and if in 

 good, sound, firm condition, satisfactory 



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