102 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[May, 
Double Red-flowered AucuBjEFOLiA; An exceedingly effective and ornamental Daisy, 
bnt, unfortunately, one for which the voracious and night-crawling slug has a peculiar 
partiality, it being the only variety touched by these animals, while, strange to say, they did 
not touch the equally conspicuously variegated white-flowered variety growing in the very 
next clump. 
Whitb-flowered Aucub^folia, Flower of Spring : This fine novelty, raised by an 
amateur florist at Reading, and sent out by Messrs Henderson, of St. John’s Wood, is a great 
and decided acquisition to this class of plants, being of exceedingly free and vigorous habit of 
growth, and producing in great profusion its pure, white, quilled flowers, which form a veiy 
pleasing contrast to the brilliant golden variegation of the foliage. 
Bellis roseo-tincta, sometimes known as Pink Beauty : A most delicate and lovely 
variety, resembling when the flowers are not quite fully developed, a beautiful Persian Ranun¬ 
culus, the ground-colour being blush-pink, all the petals being clearly and distinctly tipped with 
deep rose. Unfortunately, the flower is not quite as fully double as could be wished, many 
of the flowers, when fully expanded, showing a more or less hollow centre and deficiency of 
petals. This, I should think, might be remedied by judicious culture or hybridization, by 
which means the flower might be made to come more evenly, and fully double, while pre¬ 
serving its exquisite delicacy of tint. Still, even though unimproved, it will, on account 
of its unique and delicate beauty, always commend itself to amateurs who are not very 
particular. 
Bellis grandiflora bicolor : A handsome parti-coloured daisy, with alternate petals 
white and deep crimson, and of immense size and substance when it comes out really well, but 
unfortunately, not to be relied on for early or regular blooming, for which reason I do not 
think I should include it in a choice border another year, but should substitute for it an 
exceedingly pretty deep crimson variety of the Little Dandy recently received. 
Bellis ranunculiflora : The latest-blooming of all the Daisies known to me, and unfit 
for use in an early spring border. In colour, this variety is almost exactly similar to the last- 
named, but the flowers are rather smaller in size, and the habit of growth is by no means so 
vigorous; it may be useful for later work, either as edgings or clumps. 
I have also recently received a single plant of an apparently perfectly distinct and fully- 
double white Daisy, received by the friend who sent it to mo for trial from Messrs. Poulton 
and Sons, of Edmonton, and named Queen of the Whites. If this turns out as good as it at 
present promises to be, I shall, in all probability, substitute it in my next pattern border for 
the worthless White Queen. Some of the new Victoria Daisies raised by Mr. B. W. Knight, 
of Battle, Sussex, are very fine indeed, but only a few of these are yet in flower. 
FEENS FOE THE MILLION. 
'ANY of our beautiful native Ferns will feel quite at home in situations 
where flowering plants could not live. Therefore, what is blank space 
in many gardens may be used to grow Ferns, which would in this way 
embellish many a dull comer. 
The way in which Ferns are staged is everything. If they are grown on a 
flat stage or platform they had better not be grown at all, for as a general rule, 
they are a one-sided race, and hang out their handsome fronds from the upright 
face of a rock, or from the chink between stones in a wall. Fortunately, their 
localities are widely different, some rioting in the burning sun on a limestone 
rock, others on the mossy trunk of a tree, whilst others, again, as the Osmunda^ 
delight in a peat bog with plenty of stagnant moss-water. The great body of 
the tribe, however, seems to seek shelter, and they may often be found with a 
veil of Bramble between them and the sun, and some deep ditch or steep hedge- 
bank between them and the wind. Now, unless we keep this shade and shelter 
before our eyes, we shall not succeed well with Fern-culture. I am not now going 
into details as to what kinds should be planted, but only to show what kind of a 
situation would best suit the plants, and be most enjoyed by the owners at a very 
trifling cost. 
