Begonia 



Begonia 



Selection of Species and Varieties : 

 Arthur Mallet, :',', dark Rajah, (>", br., olive grn. 



?'"' Ilex, 1', grn., pur. , silver. 



decora, 8", coppery Sander's Masterpiece, 1', 



bronze. crim., pur., silver. 



Xi:\v WHITE TI-IIEKOUS BEGONIA LOUD ROBERTS. 



Gloire de Sceaux, 3', sil- 

 ver pur. 



Grifnthii, !)", olive gni., 

 wh. 



imperial!*, 6", br., grn. 



Lady Annesley, 1', silver 

 grey, crim., gni. 



Mrs. F. Sander, 1', gru., 

 >ilver, ro. 



platanii'olia decora, li', 

 olive grn., pur. 



Souv. de Jean Bart, 1', 



grn., pur. 

 Thwaitesii, 1', gni., pur., 



. 

 Winter Beauty, fl", grn., 



silver. 

 Winter Jewel, 1', gni., 



(lotted silver. 

 Winter Queen, 1', olive 



gru., grey. 



(4) TUBEROUS ROOTED. 



Description. - The history of the brilliant-hued 

 race of florists' flowers known as " Tuberous Be- 

 gunias" is one of the most interesting that the 

 annals of horticulture record, and it proves that 

 then- .-ire triumphs in the art of gardening as great 

 as tlmsc Detained by the mechanical engineer and 

 the chemist. Limits of space prevent any detailed 

 account of how these popular flowers were pro- 

 duced and have been brought to their present 

 state of perfection, but. the subject cammt be en- 

 tirely dismissed. Thirty-five years ago Tuberous 

 Begonias did not exist, and even five-and-twenty 

 years back no one had any notion that such a 

 magnificent race of plants was being brought into 

 existence. Six species of Begonia, none of them of 

 exceptional merit, have been utilised in creating 

 this family i.e. boliviensis, Veitchii, 1'earcei, rosic- 

 flora, Davisii, and Clarkei. Of these, the three [h>t, 

 have exerted by far the greatest influence, though 

 8 



it must not be forgotten that Clarkei was the seed 

 parent of Emperor and Vesuvius, the latter a 

 bedding variety of great merit, and still deservedly 

 popular. Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons were the first 

 to raise hybrid Tuberous Begonias, and they sent 

 out Sedenii in 1870, this being the first of numerous 

 hybrids raised by Mr. Seden. It is, however, to the 

 late Mr. John Laing that we are mostly indebted 

 for the modern Tuberous Begonia. He commenced 

 hybridising in 1875, using the three species alluded 

 to, and about half a dozen varieties. Three years 

 later the horticultural world was astonished at the 

 results. In a comparatively short time the Tuberous 

 Begonia leapt into popularity. By carefully se- 

 lecting the parents, and by rigidly excluding all 

 poor forms, the habit of the plants was improved 

 and the size of flowers increased, until flowers 

 7" across were exhibited. 



During recent years florists have directed their 

 efforts chiefly toward the improvement in form 

 and colour of double Begonias, and to fixing the 

 colours of bedding strains, but improvement in 

 named varieties for pot culture continues, and the 

 Begonia season has been extended. In its double 

 forms the Begonia has not only preserved its iden- 

 tity, but at the same time given remarkable imita- 

 tions of the Rose. Camellia, Carnation, Petunia, and 

 Hollyhock. 



Starting the Tubers. Where there are neces- 

 sary conveniences, tubers may be started in 

 February or March by laying them in leaf soil 



Plioto: <'<i.-<Killtf; Compti tiy. Ltd. 



XKW III.VSH TUBEHOUS BEOONIA LADY WHITE. 



or Cocoanut fibre refuse, and placing them in a 

 warm greenhouse or in a frame over a mild hot- 



