WHITLAVIA, Nat. Ord. HydrophyllacecE. 
HITLAVIA. The Whitlavia is a pretty little California annual, with 
delicate foliage and drooping clusters of beautiful bells, of the 
size of the engraving, blue and white. The 
plants are perfectly hardy, proof against cold 
and wet, but suffer often in dry, hot weather, 
like Nemophila and many other California 
annuals. For a shady spot there are very fcAv 
little flowers that will give more real pleasure. 
The flowering branches, if cut while the 
lower buds are about opening, will continue ^ 
fresh in water for several days, every bud opening, and are elegant for a small, slender vase. 
ZINNIA, NEW DOUBLE-FLOWERED, Oxd., Compositcz. 
INNIAS must be familiar to all our aged readers, for as far back as we 
can recollect, the old single variety was grown under the name of 
Youth and Old Age in almost 
eveiy garden. The Double Zin- 
nia we may call a new flower, 
for it has been introduced but a 
few years, and has found itself so 
well adapted to our climate that 
the double Zinnias in America 
seem a different and better flower 
1 than the Zinnias we see growing 
^in Europe. The plant usually 
growls two feet in height, at least 
seventy-five per cent, give flowers almost as beautiful and 
quite as double as the Dahlia. A plant that commences flow- 
ering in June will grow larger and handsomer, and the flowers 
better every day until destroyed by frost. Tie a string around 
the stem of a flower, or mark one in any other way, and that flower will be found perfect in six 
weeks from the time 
it was marked. 
Having taken par- 
ticular pains in im- 
proving the Zinnia, 
I think my strain is 
excellent ; indeed, 
my Zinnias have 
been pronounced 
lay florists from 
England, France 
and Germany the 
best in the woidd. 
Seed will do well 
sown under glass, 
h)ut must not have 
much heat, and 
plenty of air. Seed 
will, however, grow 
well in a bed in 
the garden, and 
transplant as safely 
as a Cabbage plant, 
and this should be 
done as early as 
possible, and when 
the plants are 
small ; cold, rough 
weather will do 
them good. The 
plants begin to 
blossom when quite 
young, and the first 
flower is not usual- 
ly good. Set them 
about eighteen 
inches apart. — 
The largest flowers 
are sometimes 
nearly six inches 
across. The Zin- 
nias are coarse 
plants, and we do 
not suppose every 
one will be pleased with them, but we must remember that there are always places in the gar- 
den wnere large, and even coarse, plants look well, and those that are more delicate are useless. 
