THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 



front of a greenhouse, each plant framed in a riug of 

 the ornamental Polemonium variegaturn, 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. DeleuiPs 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 

 Bienaime. 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 Van 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 iu 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 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 Cleopatre; 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. 



