26 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENIXG. 



other flower, and for this reason collections are very 

 seldom seen near such centres. The situation is un- 

 favourable to them. They are natives of pure atmo- 

 spheres, and as such they cannot endure the smoky 

 air of large towns. Some attribute this to the 

 presence of smoke, others to the continual motions of 

 the atmosphere, which in most places would be in- 

 jurious to these delicate flowers. At those seasons of 

 the year when the weather is most trying to vegeta- 

 tion, a chilling atmosphere sets in towards a large 

 town from the surrounding country, inasmuch as the 

 artificial heat of the town causes the air over it to 

 ascend, upon the same principle that air ascends in a 

 chimney over a fire. Now it invariably hajDpens 

 that when cold air, though completely charged with 

 moisture, approaches a warmer place it becomes a 

 drying or withering air, and this is the reason why 

 delicate flowers, and also the blossoms of the more 

 early and tender fruit-trees, are much more subject 

 to injury in the vicinity of towns than in the open 

 country. In the vicinity of London, for instance, 

 the general movement of atmosphere is from the 

 north or north-east during the part of the spring 

 which is so perilous to the growers of choice flowers 

 and fruits ; and, for the reason above mentioned, the 

 metropolis not only has its full share of this blighting 

 wind, but retards it, and thus greatly increases its 

 mischievous effects. It is for the same reasons be- 

 coming increasingly difiicult to cultivate the Sweet 

 Violet round London. 



Raising Seedlings of Polyanthuses and 

 Primroses.— Any one fond of these, and desiring 

 to have some fine young vigorous plants every year, 

 should raise a batch of seedlings each season. As a 

 rule they both seed pretty freely, except when the 

 spring season is wet and frosty, or hot and dry. Seed 

 should be gathered only from the best varieties, and 

 when the seed-vessels turn brown and begin to open 

 at the top the seed is ripe, and every day such pods 

 as so open should be gathered, or the seeds will be 

 lost. When gathered the pods should be spread on 

 paper, perfectly dried, and the seeds separated from 

 them. We prefer to sow in August, or as soon as 

 the seeds are ready ; they germinate more quickly, 

 and nearly six months is gained in comparison with 

 sowing in February following. One plan is to sow 

 the seeds in earthenware pans or shallow wooden 

 boxes, draining them with broken crocks, then placing 

 some rough soil over them, and filling up with a fine 

 light soil in which leaf -mould and sand predominate. 

 This is pressed down until the surface is smooth and 

 level ; the seeds are then scattered thinly over the 

 surface, and very slightly covered with sand ; the pans 

 are placed in a cold frame, precautions being taken 

 that worms cannot work through into them, and 



a piece of glass is placed over each. They are kept 

 shaded from the sim, and looked to occasionally to 

 see that the surface is kept moist. In a month or six 

 weeks the plants will make their appearance. During 

 the winter the soil needs to be kept moist enough to 

 insm-e life, and in early spring the tiny plants will 

 make gTowth, and as soon as large enough to handle, 

 should be picked off into store-pots, and finally planted 

 out in a bed to flower ; by the following spring they 

 will have grown into extra strong plants, and will 

 flower finely and freely. 



Selections of Gold-laced PoLiTANXHUS. 

 Black- Grounds. 



Cheshire Favoiu:ite. 

 Earl of Beaconsfield. 

 Exile (Crenshaw). 

 Eormosa (Buruaud). 



John Bright (Barlow). 

 Lancashire Hero. 

 Lord Lincoln (Hufton). 

 Prince Regent (Cox). 



Bed-Grounds. 



George IV. (Buck). 

 Lancer (Bullock). 

 President (Hilton). 



Sir Sidney Smith. 

 Sunrise (Barlow). 

 William IV. (Sanderson) 



Fanct or Giant Polyanthus. 



Buttercup. 

 Criterion. 

 <;^old Cup 

 Golden Bedder. 

 Grandis. 



Grenadier. 



Haj'binger. 



Lustrous. 



Sovereign. 



Sultana. 



Semi-duplex or Hose in-Hose Polyanthus. 



Cloth of Gold. 

 Crimson Beauty. 

 Faust. 



Lord Wolseley. 

 Scarlet Gem. 

 Prince of Orange. 



Selection of fine Single Primroses. 



Altaica. 



Auriculffiflora. 



Amaranth. 



Gem of Eoses. 



Lilacina. 



Ophelia. 



Purple Queen. 

 Queen of Violets. 

 Rosy Gem. 

 Violet Gem. 

 Virginia. 

 Zenobia. 



Selection of Double Primroses. 



Blush. 



Cloth of Gold. 

 Crimson, or Madame de 



Pompadour. 

 Crimson Purple. 

 Crouss'i. 

 Giant Yellow. 



Lilac. 



Platypetala plena. 

 Purple. 



Scotch Eed. 



Sulphur. 



White. 



AQUATIC PLANTS 



By E. Irwin Lynch. 



TROPICAL AND TEMPERATE AQUARIA. 



IT is well known that many aquatic plants are ex- 

 tremely beautiful, and they invariably prove in 

 the highest degree attractive. Those of the tropics 

 excel in magnificence, and they are not, as a rule, 

 difficult of cultivation. The queen of all, the Vic- 

 toria Regia, requires a tank from twenty-seven to 

 thirty- six feet in diameter, about four feet deep in 



