Plate 3. 



GLADIOLUS NESTOR. 



The French are not such admirers of yellow flowers as we are, nor do they quite under- 

 stand our admiration of Marshal Mel rose, or the yellow tea roses in general, however 

 willing they may be to minister to our tastes in this respect. It is we suppose for this reason 

 that Nestor, one of the new gladioli of last year, is placed in the third series of seedlings by 

 M. Souchet, although the general verdict in this country will be that it is deserving of a much 

 higher place. 



The yellow flowers amongst Gladioli are few, and, as often happens with flowers of that 

 colour, the bulbs are delicate. We have had Canari, Ophir, and Eldorado for some years, 

 Solfaterre, a somewhat newer kind, is exceedingly delicate, and the varieties named are seldom 

 seen in an exhibition stand ; we have, however, good hope that Nestor will, both from the 

 larger size of the flowers and from its better constitution, take a prominent place as a show 

 flower. Flowers of this character are much needed in order to add still further variation to 

 the many beautiful colours which we now have. 



Nestor is a flower of large size, of a beautiful clear yellow, the spike long and ample, (the 

 lower divisions of the flower of a deeper yellow,) striped with red. We have bloomed it in our 

 own garden, and it was exhibited both by Mr. Douglas, gardener to F. Whitbourne, Esq., 

 Loxford Hall, Ilford, and by ourselves in the winning stands at the Metropolitan Floral 

 Society's Show at the Crystal Palace, in August last, and was very much admired. 



Plate 4. 



VERBENAS— EMMA WEAVER, PINK QUEEN, CARNATION. 



Although the taste for Verbenas has somewhat declined, and it has even fallen into 

 disfavour with those who carry out the bedding-out system fully (a mistake, as we imagine, 

 for a bed of mixed Verbenas is always a telling sight), yet that improvement is still taking 

 place amongst them is evidenced from the fact that during the past season six have gained 

 first-class certificates, the raisers being Mr. Eckford and Mr. C. J. Perry — the latter well 

 known as our most successful exhibitor : the flowers of the former being more adapted, as a 

 general rule, for outdoor gardening ; those of the latter for growing in the greenhouse and 

 for exhibition purposes, although some of them have proved valuable for the garden as well ; 

 but as a general rule, their delicate hues of colour can best be seen when grown under glass. 



The flowers now figured have been exhibited by Mr. Perry during the past season, and 

 will, with some others of the same raiser, be let out in the present spring by Mr. Charles Turner, 

 of the Royal Nursery, Slough. They are : — Emma Weaver (fig. 1), a handsome flower, blush 

 white in colour, with a large bright violet-crimson centre ; the plant is robust ; this has obtained 

 a first-class certificate. Pink Queen (fig. 2) is a large flower of a delicate soft pink colour, 

 with large white eye. Carnation (fig. 3) has a white ground, distinctly striped with a purplish 

 crimson, very bright and striking; "it is an improvement on the class of striped and 

 spotted flowers which were first received from Italy, and examples of which have been figured 

 in the former series of the Floral Magazine. We believe that these ' flowers will uphold the 

 high position which Mr. Perry has attained as a raiser. 



