142 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ June, 
which it enjoys very much, and by which it is easily excited into growth. 
Treated in this way the plant becomes almost deciduous. It is easily pro¬ 
pagated from half-ripened shoots inserted in sandy soil and placed in 
bottom heat, and after it is established it should be treated as a greenhouse 
evergreen shrub. A healthy plant will often set a quantity of fruit at the 
extremities of the shoots ; these are of a rich rosy purple, like the flowers, 
and remain on the plant a long time, rendering it doubly interesting. 
Lillesden, Hawkhurst. Thomas Record. 
NOVELTIES, &c., AT FLOWER SHOWS. 
fnfp>ROM the fact that more new Auriculas have been produced during the 
fjW past two years than during the previous four or six years, it is fair 
to infer that this fine old florists’ flower is steadily rising again to 
the high position it once held in the popular estimation : “ a flower,” 
to use the words of a fine old florist, “ which for years has obtained 
my greatest regard.” The Floral Committee has just awarded first-class 
certificates to Mrs. Mendall, a fine new white-edged variety, the ground 
colour dark, the paste pure white, the pips of fine quality, and forming 
a large and handsome truss. Wonderful, and Novelty, two fine and hand¬ 
some Alpine varieties, obtained the same award. The former has a rich 
and striking flower, the ground colour being velvety crimson, distinctly 
margined with bright rose, and clear, smooth yellow paste, the pip large 
and very fine indeed. Novelty belongs to a class that have been well deno¬ 
minated “ fancy ” flowers, changing in character at every stage of its 
development to such a degree as that three distinctly different pips could 
sometimes be plucked from the same plant. When the pip expands the 
paste is of a deep sulphur colour, but as it ages this changes to white. The 
ground colour at the outset is dark, edged with buff, but with age the buff 
changes to deep violet. These flowers all came from Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 
In the hands of Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., of Isle- 
wortli, the herbaceous Calceolaria has become so much improved that it 
also bids fair to regain the foremost position it held when Story, Constan¬ 
tine, and others made it famous in past days. 'The tall-growing old forms 
are well-nigh annihilated, and in their place we now get the dwarf compact 
habit of the shrubby lands allied to those glorious flowers that bear such 
gorgeous and handsome tints. At a recent spring show at South Ken¬ 
sington, Mr. James staged half a dozen plants that were quite an exhibition 
in themselves. They were named, but not for the purpose of being pro¬ 
pagated. Let the strain be once obtained, and fine and handsomely 
marked varieties will be sure to result. The habit of growth is such that 
when the plants are exhibited but little “ tying-out ” is required. 
New Pelargoniums have put in appearance quite early this season. At 
