238 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDEXIXG. 



over on fine days with the syringe, hat carefully 

 avoid having- much moisture in the house when there 

 is danger of frost. At such times it is best to keep 

 the atmosphere as dr}' as possible, and to give an 

 abundance of air wherever the temperature reaches 

 40*^. Brought on in this way, the blossom will be 

 hardy, and capable of withstanding cold, j)rovided 

 the air is dry. It will not, however, set well, if at all, 

 in a damp atmosphere. 



The trees can be trained as cordons, pyramids, or 

 bushes, and be kept close and compact by incessant 

 pinching at the fourth or fifth leaf throughout the 

 season ; indeed, this constant pinching, next to liberal 

 ventilation, forms the mainsjiring of success in Aj)ri- 

 cot culture. "When the fruit is set, and syringing 

 can be followed up, the fruit will soon attain the 

 size of Hazel-nuts, a period at which the thinning of 

 clusters should be commenced, but the final thinning 

 should be deferred imtil stoning is complete. If the 

 crop is satisfactory, mulch with good rotten manure, 

 and give weak liquid two or three times a week ; but 

 avoid forcing the trees into grossness at any time, as 

 vigorous growth is often the cause of the fruit fall- 

 ing when it should be taking the last swelling for 

 ripening. As the Apricot season cannot be gTcatly 

 prolonged, there is little advantage in growing a 

 number of varieties. Therefore the best sorts only 

 should have a place under glass. Of these the Old 

 Moor Park still stands at the head of the list. The 

 Peach- Apricot, a large early form of the Moor Park, 

 is also excellent, and preferred by many, as it is less 

 subject to paralysis; but when gro'^Ti under glass, this 

 sudden collapse of the branches, to which wall-trees 

 are subject, disappears. 



FLOEISTS' FLOWEES. 



By Eichard Deax. 



The Verbena. — This has for many years been 

 a favourite florists' flower. The genus is divided 

 into three sections, viz., Green -house Herbaceous, 

 Hardy Annuals and Biennials, and Hardy Herba- 

 ceous Plants : but it is the former with which this 

 paper more particularly deals. It is from such 

 introduced species as V. melindres, Tiveediana, and 

 others, that the fine garden Verbenas of the pre- 

 sent day have sprung. These species were of 

 somewhat straggling growth, had small-sized, ill- 

 shaped and pale-coloured flowers ; but the capacity 

 for improvement of the flower being manifest, it 

 was taken in hand by the florists, and seedlings 

 were found to show improvements upon the types. 

 Seedlings from the finest of these showed still further 

 advances, and in a fcAv years these became rapid and 



striking ; and in course of time, so fine were some 

 of the varieties, that it became a practice to name 

 them and send them out, as is common with florists 

 in respect of other flowers. It is nearly, or quite, 

 fifty years ago when a perceptible improvement was 

 made, and then such weU-known raisers as Messrs. 

 Sankey, Smith, Edmonds, Perry, Eckf ord, and others, 

 who took up the work in succession, brought this 

 flower to the perfect state in which we see it at the 

 present day. We say perfect, because the habit of 

 growth is aU that can be well desired: it is free, 

 robust, spreading, and hardy ; the trusses of bloom 

 numerous, bold, and symmetidcal ; and the indi%idual 

 pips forming the trusses large, stout, finely shaped, 

 and in many cases richly coloured. The production 

 of new varieties is not so frequent as it was a few 

 years ago, nor is the Verbena so much used in 

 flower-garden arrangements as it formerly was, 

 since the bedding-out system declined. But the 

 Verbena makes one of the most charming of summer 

 beds, as it is so free, and at the same time so con- 

 tinuous in bloom, that it may be said to be always in 

 flower. It is of but few summer bedding jDlants 

 that this can be said. 



Cultivation in Fots. — One great aim of the florist 

 in improring the Verbena is to make it as ac- 

 ceptable as possible for exhibition piu-poses. This 

 favourite flower can be seen on the exhibition table 

 both as specimen plants growing in pots, and as cut 

 flowers in bunches. Plants that are to be grown 

 into specimens for the exhibition table are invariably 

 raised from cuttings, struck in the months of August 

 or September in the previous year. Cuttings made 

 of stiff young gro"vsi;hs are the best, and six or 

 eight should be put into 4|^-inch pots, using a 

 nice light sandy compost, and pressing it finnlj- 

 about the cuttings. As a matter of course, the pots 

 should be provided with efficient drainage. The 

 pots are placed in a cold frame, kept cool, moist, and 

 close for a few days, shading them fi-om the sun, 

 and then gi-sing air as required. "WTien well rooted 

 the lights are removed by day, as long as the weather 

 is fine, and put on at night. When frost threatens 

 on the approach of winter, the plants are placed on 

 a warm shelf of a green-house or vinery, near the 

 glass, where they are kept rather dry and as cool as 

 possible during the -^-inter, and only barely pro- 

 tected from fi-ost. About the middle of January 

 they are potted singly in small pots, in a soil made 

 up of equal parts of light sandy loam, leaf-mould, 

 and some well-decomposed manure, with a liberal 

 portion of sand. They are kept cool for a time, and 

 early in March they are placed in a very mild heat, 

 where the plants soon begin to grow freely. They 

 are then cut back tolerably close, and as soon as 

 they begin to break freely potted on as required; 



