September 11, 1W1 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
217 
T HE improvement of plants during the past half century has 
very deservedly received much attention from horticulturists, 
and the grand advances that have been made in many genera 
afford abundant evidence of the success which has attended well- 
directed efforts. Careful cultivation, judicious crossing, and 
thoughtful persevering selection have yielded most satisfactory 
results, the number of usefully ornamental plants being largely 
increased and their beauty greatly diversified. Many instances of 
this could be given, but a few will suffice, one of the most striking, 
perhaps, being the Clematises, the progress of which was noted 
some time since in these pages. Pelargoniums, especially the 
Decorative and Zonal sections, have also advanced greatly ; while 
amongst fine-foliaged plants may be instanced the Dracaenas, 
•Crotons, and Coleuses, all of which have progressed considerably 
in recent years. There is, however, another genus of flowering 
plants—the Begonia, that has profitably employed the attention 
of hybridisers ; but it is in one section alone—namelj’, that includ¬ 
ing the Tuberous species and varieties, that the most astonishing 
results have been obtained, and to a consideration of the means by 
which such success has been achieved the following notes are 
■devoted. 
All who have visited Forest Hill, Reading, or Swanley during 
the past and present months have been greatly attracted by the 
display of Tuberous Begonias there provided, which well illustrate 
the excellence that has been attained with these plants. Visitors have 
been surprised, not only at the brilliancy of the colours and the abun¬ 
dance of flowers, but also at the great size of the individual blooms, 
the breadth of the petals, and the symmetrical form which dis¬ 
tinguish so many handsome varieties. Contrasting these with the 
narrow-petalled earlier forms shows at a glance the progress that 
has been made, and reminds us forcibly of the similar difference 
between the early Zonal and bedding Pelargoniums and those 
finely formed varieties at present in cultivation. Attention has 
further been paid to the habits of these Begonias, and there are 
now two well-marked groups—namely, those of erect growth and 
those with slightly drooping stems, though gradations may be found 
between the extremes. The first-named may be again subdivided, 
according to the height of the plants, into tall, medium, and dwarf 
varieties, all having their particular advantages and uses. Some 
advance has also been made in obtaining a race with ornamental 
foliage, though at present this is chiefly confined to the Pearcei 
type with yellow or buff flowers, yet greater success is confidently 
expected, and will doubtless be attained. . Hundreds of varieties, 
all more or less distinct and beautiful, have received names and 
been sent out by nurserymen ; but it is now found that seed saved 
from a good strain yields so many excellent varieties that some 
firms have discontinued naming these plants, their efforts being 
directed to rendering the strain generally as meritorious as possible. 
So that now the purchaser of a packet of seed can rely upon 
obtaining varieties quite equal to some of the best named forms, 
aand there is the possibility even that something superior may 
be secured. At some nurseries many thousands of seedlings are 
raised every year, and these are planted out in prepared beds for 
trial, all that are really worthless being discarded. In the autumn 
the young plants are lifted, the small tubers being dried and sold 
like other tuberous or bulbous plants. A great demand exists 
No. 533 .—Yol, XXI., Third Series. 
for these, as they come within the means of many who cannot 
afford the higher-priced novelties. 
Having considered the present characteristics of the Tuberous 
Begonias, it may be well to briefly allude to the means by which 
so high a degree of merit has been attained, and the original forms 
that have been employed by hybridisers in producing such satis ■ 
factory results. Although the varieties and hybrids are so numerous, 
the species that have contributed to their formation are compara¬ 
tively few, and, moreover, are nearly all of recent introduction. 
The lofty Andes of South America is the chief home of these 
Begonias, distinguished by possessing a tuberous rootstock and 
herbaceous fleshy stems ; but one of the latest introduced, B. socotrana, 
which also shares these characters to some extent, is, however, as 
the specific name signifies, a native of Socotra. This will doubtless 
play an important part in future attempts to improve or vary the 
Tuberous Begonias, and already some highly important results have 
been obtained in that direction. The other species—namely, B. octo- 
petala, B. boliviensis, B. Veitchi, B. Pearcei, B. rosaeflora, B. Clarkei, 
B. geraniifolia, B. Davisi, B. Froebeli, and B. cinnabarina, are found 
on the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, or Bolivia at high elevations, fre¬ 
quently up to 10,000 feet above sea level. The oldest of these is 
the greenish white-flowered species B. octopetala, w’hich appears to 
have been introduced from Peru about 1835, but wa3 subsequently 
lost and reintroduced by M, Roezl. This is chiefly interesting 
as one of the oldest of the section, for it has not been of great 
service to hybridisers. Next in order of introduction is another 
r ather unimportant species, B. cinnabarina, a native of Bolivia, 
with vermilion flowers, which made its appearance about ten 
years later than the preceding. B. boliviensis is well known, 
and has been largely employed in crossing with other forms. 
It is a Bolivian species, and was originally found by Mr. 
Weddell, but not introduced until some years after—namely, 
about 1857. 
B. Pearcei, a comparatively dwarf form with large yellow flowers, 
dark green velvety leaves, veined with a lighter hue, and reddish on 
the under surface, is also a Bolivian species, for which English 
cultivators are indebted to Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons of Chelsea, by 
whom it was sent out twenty- ive years ago. It was found by the 
traveller Mr. Pearce, whose name it bears. Most of the yellow- 
flowered varieties owe their origin to this species. B. Veitchi, also 
a dwarf form, has bright scarlet flowers, which are produced freely, 
and it has been very useful in giving rise to a race of dwarf but 
vigorous habit. The petals are rounded, imparting a symmetrical 
appearance to the blooms ; the leaves are bright green, broad, and 
rounded in outline. This was found in Cuzco, Peru, at the great 
elevation of 12,000 feet, whence it was introduced by Messrs. Veitch 
about 18G7. Two other pretty species allied to the preceding, and 
resembling it in habit and form of flowers, are B. Clarkei and 
B. rosaeflora, both from Peru ; but the B. Clarkei inhabits rather 
■warmer regions than B. Veitchi, though B. rosaeflora is found at 
a similar altitude. The last-named has large rounded flowers of 
a fine clear rose colour, and its parentage may be traced in many 
of the varieties that are now grown with flowers of a like tint. 
B. Clarkei, which is named in honour of Colonel Clarke, who 
first brought it into general notice, has large scarlet flowers, but 
not quite so brilliant as B. Veitchi. Both these appeared in 
England about the same time—namely, in 18GG or 18G7. Later 
still—namely, from 1874 to 187G, B. Froebeli and B. Davisi were 
added to the list of species in this section, and both have con¬ 
tributed to some extent to the improvement of variet'es and 
hybrids. B. Froebeli is of compact habit and somewhat related 
to B. cinnabarina, having scarlet flowers freely produced. It was 
introduced by MM. Froebel & Co. of Zurich from Ecuador. B. 
Davisi is a charming dwarf species, having neat light green 
leaves, red on the under surface, and rich in scarlet flowers of 
moderate size, but good form and extremely abundant. Small 
plants of this are highly ornamental for cultivation in pots, and 
No. 2180.—Yol. LXXXIII., Old Series, 
