Gardening for Amateurs 



423 



hence some growers keep the seed pots for 

 a couple of years before throwing them 

 away, since further seedlings continue to 

 appear. 



As soon as the little plants can be con- 

 veniently handled they should be pricked 

 off into well-drained pots or pans, and when 

 sufficiently developed potted singly into 

 small pots. Subsequent treatment is the 

 same as that for offsets ; that is to say, the 

 plants are potted as they require it until 

 they are in 4 or 4 inch pots, in which they 

 will bloom. If seed is sown in July a satis- 

 factory display of flowers may be reasonably 

 anticipated in the second year. In crossing 

 the different varieties care should be taken 

 to keep each section separate, that is to 

 say, green-edged should be crossed with 

 green-edged, white-edged with white-edged, 

 and so on. If this is not followed the 

 progeny will be an exceedingly mixed lot 

 such as would be at once rejected by the 

 fancier. 



The Best Varieties. A selection of the 

 best varieties in their respective sections is 

 herewith given. 



Green-edged. Abbe Liszt, distinct green 

 margin on black ground ; Abraham Barker, 

 distinct olive green edge ; Diomed, a well- 

 formed flower ; Henry Wilson, very hand- 

 some truss ; James Hannaford, grass green 

 margin, ground colour deep maroon, fine gold 

 tube ; Love Bird, fine shape, distinct shade 

 of green ; Mrs. Kenwood, one of the very 

 best of its class ; Prince Charming, grass 

 green edge, black ground colour, snow-white 

 centre, gold eye ; Rev. Francis D. Homer, 

 an exceedingly popular variety with almost 

 black ground ; Rifleman, very conspicuous 

 yellow tube, black ground colour ; and Shirley 

 Hibberd, conspicuous white paste, which 

 contrasts markedly with the very dark 

 ground colour. 



White-edged. Acme, black ground, foliage 

 very mealy ; Bellona, orange tube, and clear 

 white edge ; Conservative, remarkable for 

 its distinct and perfect markings ; Dr. Kidd, 

 a particularly fine truss and leaves freely 

 covered with farina ; Frank, violet ground ; 

 Heather Bell, like Frank, has a violet ground 

 and mealy foliage, but the pips are larger; 

 Miss Prim, of free growth, with yellow tube, 

 dense white paste, and violet ground ; True 



Briton, a very old variety with green 

 foliage and black ground colour; and 

 Wild Swan, very pure white edge, black 

 ground. 



Grey-edged. Colonel Champneys, of vigor- 

 ous growth, has a light grey edge, violet 

 ground ; George Rudd, black ground, clear 

 yellow eye ; George Lightbody, raised half 

 a century ago, and still one of the very best ; 

 Marmion, a correctly marked flower in every 

 way ; Olympus, the large pips of this variety 

 are noteworthy ; Perseverance, a well-pro- 

 portioned flower ; Richard Headly, a very 

 old and fine variety, somewhat late in flower- 

 ing, quite a black ground with silvery grey 

 edge ; Sherwood, clear yellow tube and fine 

 white paste; and William Brockbank, a 

 noble truss of perfectly marked flowers, green 

 foliage. 



Selfs. Andrew Miller, maroon margin ; 

 Daffodil, deep yellow ; Dorothy Cutts, a 

 beautiful apricot-tinted flower ; Favourite, 

 the best of the lovely violet selfs ; Gerald, 

 distinct reddish maroon ; Harrison Weir, 

 unsurpassed as a crimson self ; Heroine, 

 maroon edge, bold green foliage ; Lady 

 Veitch, quite distinct, old rose margin ; 

 Lord of Lome, deep red margin ; May 

 Day, pale yellow self ; Mikado, an exceed- 

 ingly fine very dark variety ; Mrs. Phillips, 

 deep maroon ; Mrs. Potts, violet margin, 

 pure white paste, mealy foliage ; Negro, 

 very dark green foliage ; Peggy Gibson, 

 dark maroon ; Ruby, rich ruby red ; and 

 Victor, rich maroon crimson. 



Alpines. Admiration, cream centre, pur- 

 plish-blue margin ; Argus, dark plum colour, 

 , white centre ; Blue Jay, bright blue, shading 

 to a paler tint, light centre; Brightness, 

 cream centre, crimson margin ; Claude 

 Halcro, bright yellow, surrounded with bright 

 crimson ; Dazzle, purplish-maroon flower, 

 white centre ; Dean Hole, maroon -crimson, 

 gold centre; Duke of York, rich yellow 

 centre, rich crimson margin ; Ettrick, deep 

 claret, yellow eye ; Golden Dustman, centre 

 golden yellow, margin bright crimson ; 

 Ilmr, dark plum, shading off to purple, 

 white centre ; Janet, crimson, shading to 

 heliotrope, very distinct ; Martin Smith, 

 deep violet-purple ; Miss Berkeley, large 

 white centre, purplish margin ; Mrs. Douglas, 

 deep purple, surrounding large white eye; 



