THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 
front of a greenhouse, each plant framed in a ring of 
the ornamental Polemonium variegatum, can form 
any adequate idea of what a brilliant and continuous 
display of colour they provide during the whole of the 
three summer months, from the middle of June to the 
middle of September, when they may be lifted with 
good balls and without the slightest check into pots 
for the decoration of the late autumn conservatory, 
where most of them will continue to bloom for another 
six weeks or two months, many of them not going to 
rest for the winter till the middle of November. 
Another great and conspicuous merit possessed by 
these plants is that even when in full bloom they are 
almost insensible of the heaviest rain, as torrents 
which would knock every blossom off a bed of Zonale 
Gerania, do not cause a single bloom to drop before 
its time, merely making the pliant foot-stalks bend 
their heads to the storm, raising their lovely blos¬ 
soms in all their brilliancy and beauty on the re¬ 
appearance of the sun when the storm has passed. 
They are also of exceedingly quick growth, and should 
the bed become too crowded from having had too 
many plants put into it when they were in a small 
state, those that are in excess and interfering with the 
others may be moved into another bed, even when in 
full bloom and in the height of summer, without un¬ 
dergoing the slightest check or interruption from the 
move; a good watering immediately after the move 
takes place being all that is required to establish the 
plant in its new position. They have also but few 
faults worth mentioning, the chief ones being that 
some of the varieties drop all their male blossoms 
(which being invariably finer, larger, and of more 
perfect shape than the females, are a great loss) in a 
bud state unopened. Specially remarkable for this 
great drawback are Van Houtte’s varieties, Madlle. 
A. Zimmermann, of 1876, and the same raisers Leon 
Plisson of 1875, and M. Deleuil’s fine-foliaged and 
otherwise charming and novel-coloured variety Car- 
nicolor. Other fine varieties drop about half of their 
male blooms unopened, and expand the remainder. As 
an instance of this mitigated fault, may be cited 
M. Fontaine’s fine and brilliant variety. Monsieur 
JBienaime. The tubers also, though apparently 
quite sound, sometimes refuse to start into growth 
when the season comes, nor can they be made 
to do so; artificial or bottom heat being of no 
use whatever for this purpose, and usually when 
applied merely resulting in causing the tuber to decay. 
The tubers when at rest are also unfortunately subject 
to the attacks of a white larva or grub of some 
kind, the eggs of which seem to be deposited in the 
earth of the pot; and the grub, if not discovered and 
removed in time, usually eating its way through 
the tuber and causing it to decay. The pots should 
therefore be got out, and each tuber carefully examined 
two or three times during the winter for the removal 
of these insect pests. The best and most distinct 
coloured varieties now in cultivation are as follow, 
sent out by the well-known house of Yan Houtte 
at Ghent in the present year. James Backhouse, 
Laurent Descours, Baronne Hruby, and Notaire 
Beaucarne; in 76, Madame Oscar Lamarche ; in 75, 
Paul Masurel, F. Lecomte, F. Siesmeyer and Mas- 
sange de Louvrex, and in 74, Charles Raes. By M. 
Victor Lemoine of Nancy, France, in the present 
year: Jules Janin, and W. E. Gumbleton; in 76, 
Diamant, Orifiamme, Monsieur Marcotte, Eldorado, 
(valuable as being the only real yellow as yet in 
cultivation) and in previous years Wilhelm Liebnecht, 
Rubens, Etna, Velours and Corail Rose. To this 
raiser is also due the credit of sending out all the 
double-flowered varieties as yet in cultivation; most of 
which are very beautiful, though, as may not be known 
to many, only the male blooms are double, the female 
being invariably single only. First and most beautiful 
of these stands Gloire de Nancy, on which the 
number of male blooms produced largely preponder¬ 
ates over the females, consequently the very large 
majority of blooms are double. This extra fine 
variety is followed in order of merit by Lemoinei, 
Louis Thibaut, Louis Van Houtte, Salmonea-Plena, 
Balsaminiceflora. M. Fontaine, gardener to a private 
gentleman in the neighbourhood of Paris, has also 
raised and sent out through Messrs. Thibaut and 
Ketteleer, the well known nurserymen at Sceaux, the 
following beautiful varieties: Monsieur Bienaime, 
Lelia Hebe and Monsieur Pigny; a still more beautiful 
variety not yet sent k out, has also been raised by M. 
Fontaine, and named Exposition de Sceaux. Mon¬ 
sieur J. B. Deleuil of Marseille, has also sent out 
Petrarque, Bayard, and Cleopati’e; M. Vincent, of 
Bougival, has sent out a most beautiful and free- 
flowering cream-coloured variety named Reiue de 
Bougival. From Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, we have 
the fine varieties Acme and Kallista, sent out last 
year, and Vesuvius in 1875. M. Otto Frcebel, of Zurich, 
has sent out the only pure white variety we have yet 
seen under the appropriate name of Mont Blanc. 
W. E. Gumbleton. 
