HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



99 



time there were not more than six named varieties, at least so far as I could 

 learn from florists' catalogues and diligent inquiry. These where mostly 

 selfs, or at least not entitled to be called variegated. The veined petunias, 

 of which Hebe is an extravagant example, ought not be considered as varie- 

 gated. They are neither striped, spotted nor mottled. The first really 

 variegated petunias like No.bilis, Harlequin, Marbre, Variabilis, Mirabilis, 

 Cleopatra, Fickle, etc, etc., I believe were first obtained by myself, and 

 these by a persevering systematic and extensive work of hybridizing. The 

 first approximation to this condition of the flower I ever saw from other cul- 

 tivators was the fine variety, \Yorkville Beauty, from Mr. Hogg, of New 

 York. When I first commenced my experiments I found in a seed bed, some 

 thirty at least which might have been considered varieties, in as much as 

 they all differed, but the differences were so slight as to be of no value. At 

 this time a good sized seed bed may contain a thousand of such varieties. I 

 have now over fifty well marked, named varieties, forty of which are of my 

 own raising. The varieties Harlequin and Nobilis each embrace several 

 sub-varieties, the results of sporting, and are very beautiful and a great stride 

 from the selfs. Harlequin is sometimes a light blue ground with pink and 

 white patches, and sometimes a pink ground with blue, pink, and white pat- 

 ches. Nobilis is a noble flower with a rosy ground and broad white patches 

 and spots, and changing principally in the depth and extent of color in the 

 ground. Some varieties of Nobilis are edged with carmine, and within are 

 variegated with white and carmine. Some other varieties are of a deep 

 bronzed purple, some quite blue, and a yellow petunia is not far distinct. 

 Lutescens has a centre of deep yellow, and it seems probable that this may 

 be extended to the whole flower. Scarlet seems also probable, and that at- 

 tained for bedding out, the petunia will have no rival. There is no flower 

 offering greater facilities to the amateur for multiplication and novelties than 

 this. It has one style, five stamens, a simple corolla, and the anthers are 

 very accessible and easily detached, all favorable conditions for crossing. 

 Many of the best varieties when well grown and under cover open the corolla 

 before the pollen perfects, and it is not therefore necessary to mutilate the 

 flower to prevent self-fecundation. If the anthers are inclined to burst be- 

 fore or immediately with the opening of the flower, open the flower upon the 

 under side with the point of a knife, marking a longitudinal incision clear out 

 to the end of the corolla, and remove the anthers. It is a waste of time and 

 ground to sow the seed gathered from a patch in which crossing has not 

 been performed for the purpose of obtaining new varieties, especially when 

 we have a flower so susceptible of change by artificial means, and so easily 

 managed in pots as the petunia. In a recent communication in your jour- 



