May 26, 1863. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



373 



cornea, and Coleus Verschaffelti, may succeed tolerably well in 

 hot summers, but they cannot be expected to do so in an 

 average one, and still less so in a wet cold season. The last- 

 named plant was strongly urged as one suited to the flower 

 garden, and certainly its appearance in-doors, and the facility by 

 which it may be increased, lead one to form great expectations 

 of it ; but in the places where it was tried out of doors last year 

 that came under my notice, it merely existed ; that it throve and 

 looked well was more than could be said of it when I saw it. 

 But it is quite possible if we have a hot summer again, that both 

 it and many other things may do well. This, however, is not 

 enough to establish the utility of such plants for all seasons ; 

 but as every year adds to our list of such novelties, it is likely 

 we may have all the hues of this Coleus transferred to some 

 other plant possessing the good qualities of the Perilla. While 

 on this subjeot, I may say that the old Prince's Feather and 

 Love-lies-bleeding are far from despicable members of the floral 

 world, no annual that I am acquainted with continuing a longer 

 time in an ornamental condition, and both deserve more atten- 

 tion than they often receive. 



Ab regards the question of what will prove to be the great 

 attraction of the present year, I will also venture to give a sort 

 of qualified answer, and say that I believe the greatest addition 

 to most gardens around London will be the more extensive 

 cultivation of Centaurea candidissima. Its appearance in the few 

 places where X have seen it was such as to commend it to every 

 one having a flower-bed. That something more decidedly new 

 may be forthcoming I have no doubt ; but whether anything 

 more really useful than this, has yet to be determined. I hope 

 nurserymen and others who propagate for the million will let 

 us have it at a reasonable rate. Hitherto, kept as it often has 

 been as a potted plant, its increase has been slow. Now, as it is 

 wanted more extensively, its propagation must be accordingly. 



I am induced to offer the above rough outlines of last year's 

 features, as exemplified in the products of the flower garden, 

 and also with a view to call attention to the claim of the last- 

 named plant, whioh hitherto has not been bo generally recognised 

 as I expect it will be hereafter. At the present time, judging 

 from what I have seen, I have no hesitation in putting it at the 

 head of all our white-leaved plants, including, of course, the 

 variegated ones. The shape of the leaf, though not better than 

 that of Cineraria maritima, is, nevertheless, good, as is likewise 

 the habit of the plant, and I Bball be much disappointed if it do 

 not become one of the most fashionable plants of the day. It 

 would, nevertheless, be advisable not to rest satisfied with this 

 plant alone ; improvement even on it may be possible, and some- 

 thing still more white may be forthcoming in time. 



Other colours in foliage ought also not to be lost sight of, 

 and some tints not hitherto thought of, may, perhap?, be brought 

 out, 60 as to render the uncertainty there is in adverse seasons 

 of obtaining bloom a matter of much less importance than now ; 

 and though the many beautifully graduated tints of the Verbena 

 from white up to the darkest maroon may seem impossible to be 

 represented in foliage, it is only necessary to say, that both 

 extremes named are duly and truly imitated in colours of foliage, 

 and time may possibly supply the remainder. 



To those who doubt the possibility of foliage attaining pre- 

 eminence over flower?, which the above remarks may imply as 

 being not unlikely, I would just ask our readers to look round 

 them, and see the proportion which foliage bore to flowers in 

 1862 compared with what it did ten years before that time. 



Variegated Geraniums have been multiplied exceedingly since 

 then, and various other variegated or white-leaved plants intro- 

 duced, or their cultivation extended ; while Purple Orach, Perilla 

 nankinensis, and the new Amaranthus from Japan, have given 

 new features altogether. That these plants are only the precur- 

 sors of others giving other colours, I have not the least doubt. 

 Whether it would be advisable to hastily abandon flowering 

 plants is another question. Most likely people would not do so ; 

 but where early and long-continued appearances are concerned, 

 in adverse seasons and ungenial situations the encouragement 

 given to foliage cannot but be reeommendable. Certainly the 

 preference should never be on the side of foliage when flowers 

 offer equal advantages. But as the planting-public are supposed 

 to be the best judges, it is needless saying more than that I 

 believe the introduction of plants with remarkable foliage either 

 in colour or appearance will be most sought for after the present 

 season, improvements on existing varieties of flowering plants 

 receiving leBS attention. 



Anything really good, whether it be new or a resuscitated 



old plant, will always receive a due share of attention ; and if I 

 ventured to encourage the more general adoption of a plant 

 likely to do good service I would say, By all means plant the one 

 above alluded to- — Centaurea candidissima — more extensively. 

 If the ardent hybridiser wants o plant in which to work a revo- 

 lution let him try Lobelia speciosa or its kindred Bpeeies, and 

 see if he cannot turn out as good a scarlet as he haB a blue, 

 leaving the habit and other features of the plant the same. Few 

 plants were more generally admired in the past season as well 

 as in the previous one than Lobelia speciosa, and I think that if 

 its flowers could be dyed a bright scarlet it would drive the 

 Verbena from the field. 



That it is possible for this to be accomplished I have no 

 doubt. Slowly and by degrees most of the popular varieties of 

 fruits and vegetables, as well as flowering plants, were perfected, 

 and cannot the same be clone with Lobelia ? Previous to the 

 last two or three years the Lobelia only occupied the position of a 

 second-rate bedding plant; laBt year it was unquestionably in the 

 front rank, and that further honours are in store for it I have 

 no doubt. Its compact habit, adaptability to most soils and 

 situations, and the facility with which it may be propagated, all 

 combine to render it acceptable. Without detracting from the 

 merits of other plants, Lobelias have certainly been in the ascen- 

 dant; and being capable of further improvement are likely to 

 rise. The season of 1863 will, no doubt, present other novelties; 

 and all that are good will be acceptable, and have full justice 

 done to them. J. Bobson. 



JOTTINGS PEOM PAEIS, 1863. 



No. 1. — l'eipositiok de la societe imperiai/e et centbaxe 

 d'eorticultu re. 

 " Notwithstanding that the Exhibition is open for so short a 

 time, we hope that the large number of visitors may repay the 

 Society for their skill and enterprise." In some such terms did 

 La France speak of the Exhibition of the above Society, at which 

 I had the honour of assisting, as our French friends term it, on 

 the 9th of the present month of May. And what is the short 

 time, do our exhibiting friends imagine, for which this said 

 Exhibition was open — " from 2 to 6 p.m. ? " Not at all : it was 

 only open for seven days, from May 9th to the 16th inclusive ; 

 and more than this, the Judges had had the 8th all to themselves, 

 for they were not called upon, as those on our side of the water, 

 to get through their work in a few hours ; but a whole day was 

 given to their arduous labours. Now, this is taking matterB 

 very much aa the French seem to take business in general, in a 

 very free and easy sort of a way ; but this " week " is an im- 

 provement on what it used to be. The Exhibition was held last, 

 year in the Palais d'Industre, or, as it is now more generally 

 called, the Palais des Champs Elysees, during the time that the 

 exhibition of the works of living artists was being held ; 

 but as the Minister of Public Instruction insisted on its being 

 kept up as long as that Exhibition — about two months, the 

 exhibitors at last rebelled ; and rather than lose their plants, de- 

 termined to hold it elsewhere, and entirely on their own respon» 

 sibility. In this they experienced some difficulty. The Champs 

 Elysees was forbidden ground, as no more space was to be 

 occupied there than at present, and it was necessary to obtain a 

 spot in some central position. After considerable difficulty, a 

 vacant space in the Rue Chaussee d'Autin, oil' the Boulevards, 

 and, in iaet, a portion of the ground which is to be hereafter 

 appropriated to the Grand Opera House, which is now being 

 built, and which will be the finest in the world, wae selected ; and 

 on this the ingenuity and taste of the commission was exeroised 

 to make it fall in with the notions of the Parisians as to what a 

 horticultural show should be. It will be at once seen that the 

 fact of having a show open for a week, would in itself make a 

 very material difference between ours and theirs. But there are 

 other reasons which tend to this, a main one being the want 

 of that extensive love of flowers which prevails in England ; not 

 but that the French love flowers, but they love them for bouquets, 

 for house decoration, and for effect — they do not love them so as 

 to give themselves trouble in their cultivation. There are very 

 few amateurs in France such as we have in England, and many 

 who go under that name are really persons who, although not 

 growers for sale, grow some favourite flowers for those who are. 

 We are accustomed to see in our own shows the nursery element 

 largely manifested, but the amateurs run them very close, and 

 are numerous ; but at the French Exhibition they were almost 

 entirely absent, and whether in fruit, flowers, or vegetables, the 



