10 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGI8T. 
what purpose these organs serve. It is hardly necessary to say that the small 
eggs contained in the two cavities of the central column are seeds, destined to 
produce plants similar to that from which they were taken. The organ that 
enclosed them in its interior, nourished them by means of the small cords 
which kept up the communication between the seeds and it. 
As to the exterior envelope, which covers all the parts of the flower in its 
youth, it is evidently an organ of protection. The fragrant and coloured 
envelope, which is found in the inside of the first, serves also to protect the 
internal parts of the flower ; but they fulfil, besides, functions of which we 
shall speak on a future occasion. 
(To be continued.') 
WINTER DECORATION OF THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
The high degree of excellence to be found in many of the flower gardens 
of the wealthier classes throughout the country is alike creditable to the 
intelligence and skill of our gardeners, and to the patronage and liberality of 
the proprietors. During the summer months modern flower gardens are 
objects of great beauty; yet, beautiful as they have been, each succeeding 
year witnesses decided improvement. A better class of “ bedding ” plants 
tend in no small measure to effect this. Every fresh acquisition adds to the 
variety and beauty of the flower garden. Anagallises, Ageratums, Cupheas, 
Lantanas, Salvias, Petunias, Pentstemons, Verbenas, &.C., were all very well in 
their way for massing, but they are now giving way to the many handsome 
kinds of variegated and other Geraniums which have been added to the list of 
“bedding” plants of late years. Nor is this to be wondered at, as, with a 
large stock of good plants of Geraniums, a flower garden can be furnished at 
once ; but not so with Anagallises and other things above mentioned. They are 
general^, even under the most favourable circumstances, a month or six weeks 
before they make any kind of show at all, and then it often happens that 
Avhilst some kinds grow too much into wood, others do not grow sufficiently : 
indeed it requires the greatest attention and good management to get every 
bed properly filled. By having larger or old plants of Geraniums to plant out 
there need not be any hurry to get up the bulbous and other spring-flowering 
plants out of the ground before they are done flowering, which, when Verbenas, 
&c., are used, one is sometimes compelled to do in order to get them planted 
sufficiently early that they may fill the beds before half the summer is past. 
There are other advantages the variegated Geraniums have, one of which is, 
that most of them stand heavy rain without being disfigured. When Mrs. 
Pollock, Sunset, Lucy Grieve, &c., become as plentiful as the “ Golden Chain ” 
they will add materially to the appearance and beauty of the flower garden ; 
but of these matters we intend speaking more at length by-and-by. 
At present we wish to direct attention to the decoration of the flower garden 
during the winter months—a subject which, we conceive, is not so generally 
attended to as it deserves to be. Of course there are a great many places 
where a great deal is done in this way, but in by far the greatest number of 
places the thing is not at all attempted. During the winter months but little 
can be expected out of doors in the way of flowers, except in some favoured 
localities along the south coast; but even during these months much may be 
done with evergreens to take away the bare appearance which empty beds 
always produce. Hollies are amongst the most useful for this purpose. A few 
beds planted with dwarf plants of some of the neatest of the Golden and Silver 
variegated kinds will have a good effect. They are plants that bear cutting-in 
