THE FLOBAL MAGAZINE. 



occurring in plants or trees, are worthy of record, 

 because it is just possible they may tlirow some light 

 upon the formation, not merely of new varieties, but 

 of what are termed species, both in the vegetable and 

 animal kingdoms ; for I think it probable that each of 

 these sports, if they were not impregnated by single 

 varieties and perpetuated from seed, but were left to 

 themselves (I am alluding now to the sports into 

 doubles) a given number of years, would refuse to 

 breed with the single varieties from which they sported, 

 and would then be said to be of a distinct species. 

 The watching, of course, and noting these physio- 

 logical facts as they occur, unimportant as they appear 

 at first sight, might lead on to the solving of some of 

 the conjectures mooted of late as to the origin of 

 all species. 



DOUBLE PELARGONIUMS. 



From time to time we have figured a considerable 

 number of new Double Pelargoniums, and recently 

 one of the principal raisers, M. V. Lemoine, to whom 

 we have more than once adverted, addressed the Hevue 

 Hortieole on this subject. M. Lemoine says the 

 unexpected appearance of the first double flowers of 

 Pelargonium in the Botanical Garden of Clermont- 

 Ferraud formed an epoch, although the learned and 

 regretted M. Lecoq could never discover whence they 

 eanie. It is scarcely doubtful that they were the 

 production of dimorphism, frequent examples of this 

 phenomenon amongst Zonal Pelargoniums having 

 recently appeared — for instance, in Madame Bose 

 Charmeux, which is a fixed sport from Tom Thumb ; 

 Garibaldi, a fixed sport from Bose Charmeux ; album 

 plenum, sport from Madame Vaueher ; Drapeau 

 National, from Gloire de Nancy ; &c. All know that 

 this last variety was obained from Beaute de Suresnes ; 

 fertilised by a stamen from the first double flower from 

 Clermont. What charming plants have been produced 

 from this stock ! It is fair to say that many growers 

 looked with a partial eye on their own productions, and 

 offered them to credulous amateurs, who filled their 

 houses with new names only, and were fortunate if the 

 plants were more than mediocre in appearance. In 

 1867 appeared Camelliteflorum, Madame Lemoine, 

 Wilhelm Pfitzer, and Madame Bose Charmeux, 

 varieties which long remained in favour with culti- 

 vators. 1868 furnished Marie Lemoine, Victor 

 Lemoine, M. Froebel, and many others of little merit, 

 not differing materially from those we already pos- 

 sessed. In 1869 some English varieties were introduced; 

 Due de Suez and Frincess of Teck were, however, 

 obtained from French raisers. Conqueror (Bull) and 



Mary Elizabeth were good plants of that year. In 1870 

 (year of wretched memories) the varieties Madame 

 Gebhart, Louis van Houtte, Victoire de Lyon, showed 

 real progress ; this last variety especially, which we 

 owe to the perseverance of M. Jean Sisley. These 

 have been the source of several tints, notably rose 

 violace, lie de tin, groseille, and ponceau, which have 

 since been obtained from them. To mention only 

 those plants the merit of which has been proved, 1871 

 gives us M. Bollisson (Bruant), Incendie de Fontenoy 

 (Lemoine), Batriote Lorraine (Lem.), Gambetta 

 (Lem.), Boquet (Bull), and L'Annee Terrible (Lem.) 

 — the last remains in collections. 1872 gave us 

 Macleod (Bruant), Madame Crousse (Crousse), Charles 

 Darwin (Sisley), Emilio Castelar (Sisley), and. several 

 others, to which prompt justice has been done. In 

 1873 some of M. Bertier's plants were worthy of notice. 

 Among others we must mention Madame Dauphin, 

 Comte de Lambertye, and Souvenir de Lyons. M. 

 Bruant, of Boitiers, gave us Bresident Fonteneau. 

 We had also Madame Dellesalle (Del.), M. Crousse 

 (Cr.), Ernest Bicard (Lem.), M. Boissier (Bruant), 

 &c. This was the same year in which seeds were 

 obtained from the first white Double Belargonium so 

 much wished for — Aline Sisley ; also from the first 

 salmon, Asa Gray. These two first-rate varieties 

 were the products of the energetic M. J. Sisley, who, 

 like other growers, was not discouraged by his first 

 failures ; in fact, it seemed for a time, after many futile 

 attempts, impossible to cross the first Double Belar- 

 goniums (inquirans) with the Zonal. This, however, 

 has now been done ; and since 1874 we have obtained 

 from the same raiser two lovely varieties — George 

 Sand and Francois Fertusati — to augment the contin- 

 gent. Possessing these new elements, all raisers 

 abandoned inquirans, which only produced well-known 

 tints of colour, with umbels more or less perfect, in 

 order to devote their attention to the Zonals, which 

 have the undoubted merit of remaining more dwarf in 

 growth and possessing a less leafy habit, yet flower as 

 abundantly as the simple ones, and, above all, offer a 

 larger field for the experimenter, and the success 

 obtained in one year is truly astonishing. In order 

 to obtain double flowers nothing must be left to 

 chance, and the crosses effected between all the colours 

 produce various new and unexpected shades of colour, 

 such as would be obtained rarely in the case of 

 seedlings raised with a view of perfecting simple 

 flowers, accustomed as one is to collect the seeds with- 

 out preparation. The year 1875 has enriched us with 

 many new varieties, and for 1876 surprises await us. 



CATALOGUES BECEIVED. 



B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway. 



Cutbush and Son, Highgate. 



Aut, Boozen and Son, Overveen, near Haarlem. 



James Vick, Bochester, New York. 



Dick, Badcliffe, and Co., High Holborn. 



