FLORISTS' FLOWEES. 



win require but Uttl? tying. By the middle of July 

 they should have their last shift, placing them in 

 nine-inch pots or a size larger, using a compost of 

 one-half fibry loam, one-quarter leaf-mould, and 

 one-quarter rotten cow-dung and sand, equal parts of 

 each. As the plants giow, great attention must be 

 paid to pegging down and training, also to watei-ing, 

 for if at this period the specimens be allowed to 

 become dry at the roots, it proves very injurious to 

 them. As the buds begin to sweU, the plants will 

 require stimulating with Uquid manure, which 

 should be given them rather weak every time thoy 

 are watered, until the flowers begin to expand, after 

 which it should be discontinued. They will require 

 shading from the hot sun. Such plants will be 

 in fine condition at the end of August or beginning 

 of September. 



As far as the general garden culture of the Petunia 

 is concerned, it is simply necessary to sow the seed 

 early in March, in heat, pricking the little plants 

 into boxes of fine soil, it a number of plants are 

 required. If only a moderate quantity are wanted, 

 they can be pricked off into pots or pans ; when 

 these are hardened off in a frame after they have 

 commenced to grow, they can be planted out of 

 doors in beds, a foot or so distance between the 

 plants, and if required they should be watered in 

 dry weather. These plants will begin to flower in 

 July, and continue until the frosts and rains of 

 autumn destroy their beauty. A few pods of seed 

 should be gathered from the best varieties for sowing 

 in early spring. 



It may be added that in the "West of England, 

 and especially in Wiltshire and Somersetshire, 

 exhibition Petunias are trained to circular wire 

 frames, perfectly flat, and which can.be fixed in the 

 soil of the pot in which the plant is growing by 

 means of a peg ; these frames when so fixed incline 

 backwards somewhat, and are therefore on a slope. 

 The plants are trained over the frame, and when 

 they are fully in bloom, they are densely covered 

 with their bright blossoms, and make a very effective 

 display. 



A few of the best named Petunias are as follows : 



Single Varieties 



Avalanche, piire white. 

 Delicata, whit-e and purple. 

 Dr. Daniel, rich crimson. 

 Elegance, white, baiTed 



crimson. 

 June, ro^-pnrple. 

 Lady Jan^, rose. 

 Little Fet, soft pink. 



Mrs. A. Mayes, white and 



pur^e. 

 Mrs. H. Gannell, white and 



crimson. 

 Mrs. S. Hibberd, white and 



maroon. 

 Purpurea, purple.) 

 Spitfire, bright purple. 



Cratere, bluish-purple. 

 De Candolle, deep crimson. 

 Gigantea, bright liiac- 



pur^le. 

 Hermione, white. 

 Hibernia, rosy-purple and 



green. 

 La Chine, purplish-crimson. 

 M. A. Lohier, white, 



blotched with magenta. 



363 



Madame Hengist, purple, 



edged white. 

 Marie Careme, hght rose. 

 Neptune, white and lilac. 

 Ophelia, white and purple. 

 Perfection, deep rose. 

 Bubens, rosy -mauve and 



white- 

 Tapo^eur, rosy-purple and 



white. 



Double Vaeieties. 



Adonis, white, blotched 



purple, 

 Antigone, rosy lilac. 



Arc - en - Ciel, mauve and 



white. 

 Berenger, rose and lilac. 



The Phlox. — This weU-known plant, so common 

 in many gardens all over the country, does not 

 appear to possess a common name that is generally 

 recognised, therefore we can write of it simply as the 

 Phlox. It takes its name from phlox, " flame," sug- 

 gested by the brilliancy of its flowers. Phloxes can 

 be divided into three distinct sections : 1st, the 

 herbaceous, which are hardy perennials, but lose 

 their foliage in winter ; 2ndly, the perennial, which 

 retain their foliage all the year round ; and, 3rdly, 

 the annual, as represented by Fhlox JDrummondii. The 

 race mostly grown in England consists of varieties 

 obtained from P. decussata, which means " the Cross- 

 leaved Phlox." When two right liaes cross each 

 other at right angles they are said to be decussate ; 

 leaves are often placed in this position. P. decussata 

 came originally from North America. There is 

 another distinct type named P. stiffi-uticosa, suffru- 

 ticose meaning shrubby in a slight degree ; and the 

 varieties forming this section appear to be much 

 more grown in Scotland than they are south of the 

 Tweed. EeaUy they appear to possess much in 

 common with the former section, but they are 

 dwarfer in growth and earlier to flower. On the 

 other hand, the varieties of P. decussata are of taller 

 and more robust growth ; the stems are more naked 

 at the base, throwing out lateral flower-stems towards 

 the top. Well-established plants of both sections 

 grow freely in good soil, and throw up several main 

 stems, crowned with fine spikes of flower. New 

 varieties are constantly being raised from seed both 

 in the United Kingdom and abroad, the result being 

 that we now possess collections of great merit, and 

 it is common to see the flowers exhibited at flower 

 shows in a cut state. In hundreds of cottages and 

 old-fashioned gardens throughout England, and 

 especially in the south, south-east, and west, can be 

 seen huge clumps of these Phloxes, throwing up 

 many spikes of flower year aJEter year, that are 

 objects of considerable beauty in summer; but 

 having no special cultivation, the flowers are poor in 

 qualit}'. 



The propagation of the Phlox is a very simple 

 matter. The roots, which largely increase in size in 

 a year or two, can be divided and made into several 

 plants, and these re-planted. But when a quantitj' is 

 required, it is usual to make cuttings in early 

 autumn of the young growths thrown up from the 



