FLOBISTS' FLOWEES. 



251 



glide as harmlessly off from as water from a duck's 

 taek. Besides, they need never be exposed to the 

 light at all, as there is no perceptible difference 

 either in substance or flavour between Mushrooms 

 grown in the dark and in the light. To the Mush- 

 room, in fact, as has already been observed, the 

 darkness and the light are both alike. Even the 

 very poor, who live alike in the blinding glare of 

 the garret and the stifling gloom of the cellar, and 

 who in both mostly manage to keep some flowering 

 plants alive in some broken jar or cracked tea-pot, 

 may have some of the pleasure and profits of Mush- 

 room-growing brought wdthin their reach. The 

 portable culture of the Mushroom will prove easy 

 to those who have done so much and so well with 

 other plants, under difficulties that seem as appalling 

 as insurmountable. 



FLOEISTS' FLOWERS. 



By Eichaed Dean. 



CALCEOLARIAS A2fD CSRYSANTEEMUMS. 



The Calceolaria.— There are three distinct 

 t^'pes of Calceolarias known to florists, viz. — the 

 Herbaceous, the Shi-ubby, and the Bedding. The 

 first-named of these is represented by the pretty 

 green-house vai*ieties of the present day, so much 

 seen during the months of 3Iay, June, and July, 

 in gardens and in the flower markets. The Shrubby 

 Calceolarias have almost ceased to be gvo^m by 

 plant cultivators ; they are a section intermediate 

 between the Herbaceous and the Bedding varieties, 

 and good plants of the type can be occasionally met 

 with in the windows of cottages in country districts ; 

 the Bedding varieties are of hardy gro^i:h, and are 

 much used in flower gardens during the summer, 

 though not so much as they formerly were. The 

 Calceolaria has the common name of Slipperwort, 

 and the generic name, Calceolaria, was bestowed by 

 Linnaeus from calceolus, a slipper, in allusion to the 

 form of the flower. 



It is recorded that in 1820 only six species of 

 the Calceolaria were known in this country, the 

 handsomest of which was C. conjmbosa. the flowers 

 of i\'hich were yellow. These were probably natives 

 of Peru. During the subsequent period, up to 1830, 

 several other kinds were introduced from Chili, two 

 of w^hich had purple flowers, viz., C. purpxirea and 

 C. arachnoidea. As soon as the plants bloomed in 

 the nursery of Messrs. Youngs, of Epsom, it struck 

 Mr. Penny, the foreman, that it would be advisable 

 to hybridise them. The attempt succeeded beyond 

 expectation, and the result was, a number of beauti- 

 ful varieties were prodiiced and offered to the public 

 under appropriate names. In 1831, C. cnnatljlora, 



ha\'ing yellow flowers spotted with dark, was intro- 

 duced from Chili, and from this some finely-marked 

 varieties were raised. These productions fii-ed others 

 with a desire to improve this flower, and it was 

 taken in hand by several cultivators, all of whom 

 were highly successful. Such names as Plant, Major, 

 Bames, Green, Kinghom, Gaines, Catleugh, and 

 others occur to us ; and later in point of time, 

 ]Mr. James, formerly of Isleworth, did much to 

 develop the really magnificent fiowers we are ac- 

 customed to see in the present day. Concurrently 

 with the improvement of the flowers came the 

 dwarfing and rendering more compact and bushy 

 the habit of growth of the Calceolaria, as formerly 

 it was quite tall and lanky. AVe fear that now-a- 

 days raisers look too much to the mere size of the 

 flowers, and too little to their form. A model plant 

 of Calceolaria should have a -^dgorous free -branch- 

 ing, yet compact and healthy, habit of growth ; the 

 flower-stems strong and erect ; the flowers large and 

 globular, of regular outline, and clear of indentation, 

 the marking decided, and striking in coloui\ Such 

 a plant is seen in the illustration accompanying this 

 article. 



Xot'^'ithstanding that the Herbaceous Calceolaria 

 is considered by some to be difiicult of cultui^e, we 

 assert that this is a fallacy, for ^\ith due care and 

 attention there is scarcely another florist's flower 

 more easily managed ; and it is not an unusual sight, 

 as stated above, to see this plant in a country cottage 

 ■«dndow, luxuriant in growth, freely flowered, and in 

 the best condition. Here are a few golden rules for 

 growing the Calceolaria successfully : — Keep the 

 plants tolerably dry in winter, well protected from 

 frost, with as little flre-heat as possible ; and during 

 the summer months supply them liberally with 

 water. Keep them well shaded fi'om the sun, and 

 at all stages of the growth of the plants maintain 

 the foliage clean and entii-ely free from insects. 



T^me was when fine varieties of the Calceolaria 

 were increased by offsets and cuttings taken in 

 September. Then it was much more difficult to 

 grow a good specimen than it is in these days, when 

 dependence is placed entirely upon seedling plants ; 

 but our forefathers used to produce splendid speci- 

 mens at flower-shows notwithstanding, raised from 

 cuttings, that were the admiration of all who saw 

 them. 



In these days the method of culture is simpler, 

 more rapid in development, and when done vdih. care, 

 equally at least, if not more satisfactory. The 

 successful culture of many plants depends, to a great 

 extent, upon little attentions constantly paid them, 

 and the Calceolaria is a case in point. The seed may 

 be so^TL in ]May, Jime, and July ; and a light, rich, 

 sandy soil must be employed. If pans or pots are 



