TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. 



347 



greenhouse that is lofty enough to permit of their being suspended 

 from the roof over the pathways. Having begun with the varieties 

 1 Alice Manning/ ' Marie Bouchet/ and ' Fleur de Chrysantheme/ 

 we have now a good collection with a wide range of colours. The 

 later varieties are remarkable for their cactus-like form and wonderful 

 freedom of flowering. They are becoming increasingly popular, 

 their graceful habit appealing to many who do not care for the large- 

 flowered double and single varieties. Examples of these are • Gladys/ 

 1 Fleur de Chrysantheme/ ' Rose Cactus/ 1 Golden Shower/ and 

 ' Lena.' 



Improvement in the ordinary single Begonia is seen in the flowers 

 being larger, rounder, and of better substance than was obtained 

 formerly. They make handsome plants for the conservatory, but it 

 is in the open flower garden that they excel. For large masses of 

 colour in almost every shade except blue, they are pre-eminent. 

 There is a danger that, in striving to get large flowers, raisers will at 

 the same time get increased size in the leaves. It is possible to get 

 flowers as much as eight inches in diameter, and these are much sought 

 after for exhibition purposes, but an ideal single Begonia for bedding 

 is one of between four and five inches in diameter, borne on erect 

 stems and freely produced on a plant of free branching habit. To 

 get all these qualities combined in single Begonias of all colours will 

 provide work for raisers for many years to come. 



Begonias are much used as bedding plants, and they richly deserve 

 their popularity. I fully anticipate a much greater popularity for 

 them when the qualities of our strains of upright-habited double 

 varieties become known. There is an impression among gardeners 

 that single Begonias are better than doubles for bedding because the 

 doubles are so heavy ; they will not hold their flowers up. This 

 was quite true when the doubles had such long thin stems that the 

 flowers were on the ground, but it is not true to-day, because now 

 we have doubles whose flowers are more or less erect, and many quite 

 erect, and these, having much greater lasting qualities than singles, 

 give a much richer effect. Our beds of double seedlings have the 

 appearance of masses of very dwarf roses, except that the flowers 

 are so much larger and in so much greater profusion. Seedling tubers 

 of double varieties can now be obtained of excellent quality for 

 bedding, and in all shades of colour ranging from pure white to deep 

 crimson. 



To get plants of an even growth and habit and exactly alike in 

 colour, it is necessary to resort to propagation by cuttings. There 

 are a number of named varieties that have been propagated in this 

 way, and some of them are excellent. ' Lafayette ' is an old favourite 

 and is a very useful variety, especially for small beds. ' Argus ' is 

 a larger variety, bright scarlet, very stiff and upright in habit. ' Hilda ' 

 is of a rich salmon shade with lighter centre ; the flowers are of good 

 size, and are thrown well above the foliage. It is one of the most 

 beautiful. ' Marquis of Stafford ' is old, but still one of the best of 



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