134 
THE FLORIST. 
the best of all is Princess Royal, a bright coloured, dwarf, free-flowering 
sort, raised at the Royal Gardens, two large beds of which had a very 
bright appearance, late in September last, in the terrace flower-garden 
at Windsor Castle. The best variegated-leaved variety is Alma, a 
greatly improved Flower of the Day. This is the best of all for 
bedding. Mountain of Light and Mrs. Lennox are also excellent 
varieties. Of Countess of Warwick and Annie we are unable to 
speak definitely at present. 
Among Verbenas we have some great acquisitions. From the 
Continent we last year received a very fine maroon coloured variety, 
called Jaquirita ; also a dwarfer growing variety of the same colour, 
named Madame Abdt; both admirable bedders, and of a colour much 
wanted. In dark purples Field Marshal is most desirable and makes 
a good bed, and is not a coarse grower ; Duke of Cambridge, rich dark 
purple, is very fine. Standard Bearer is a rich blue purple with a 
large white centre, of moderate growth, and an invaluable bedder. 
Victory, rather a strong grower, but a noble variety, is a good light 
purple with large light eye, and makes a capital bedder, but requires 
to be pegged, and is too strong a grower for very small beds. In 
crimsons and scarlets we are now rich. Admiral Dundas, of a crimson 
scarlet colour, is one of the best bedding Verbenas we have. Crimson 
Perfection, rich ruby crimson, is a very fine bedder. Geant des 
Batailles will be a fine bedding variety for cold districts, as it is a strong 
grower, of a deep crimson colour, with darker centre. Noel will prove 
a very fine scarlet variety, of moderate growth, for bedding, bright 
scarlet with dark centre and white eye, and large truss ; and Pre¬ 
eminent, of a glowing rosy scarlet colour, also makes a brilliant bed. 
One of the very best scarlets is Miss Trotter, and should be grown by 
everybody. We saw this in large masses at Dalkeith last September,' 
and that it was a first-class bedding variety, of a brilliant scarlet 
colour, and an immense bloomer, continuing so until most other 
varieties are out of flower. It is not so strong a grower as Mrs. 
Woodroffe and others, and is suitable for large or small beds. In rose 
coloured Verbenas we now have Madame Plantamour, pale rose with 
dark eye, a capital bedding variety, and distinct and handsome. 
Loveliness has also proved a valuable bright rose variety, but it will 
certainly be outrun by Rosy Gem, an invaluable rose coloured variety 
for bedding. The best pale blue is Blue Bonnet, although in very hot 
weather this variety is apt to discolour and become pale, but when the 
weather is not too hot it makes a telling bed. The best whites yet are 
Mrs. Halford and Mrs. Foster ; the latter not quite so strong a grower 
as Mrs. Halford, and fully equal to it in form and colour. Even 
among the new Verbenas of last year there are many other really good 
varieties, but we have not space further to speak of them, neither can 
we enumerate the older varieties, but this to a great extent is unneces¬ 
sary, as they are now pretty well known. We know that many of the 
smaller kinds that do admirably in the south will not do so well 
north of Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, and have therefore borne in 
mind this in penning these remarks, selecting only free growing 
varieties of decided colours, that will suit all localities. 
