JANUARY. 21 
name there exists a similar or perhaps identical variety obtained from France. 
It is the most elegant of all the pyramidal Yews. 
Torenea HiRSUTA, {Bot. Mag. t. 5167-) Scrophulariacese. A very hand¬ 
some diffuse-growing stove plant, with slender quadrangular stems, ovate serrated 
leaves, and large highly coloured purple flowers, of which the lower segment 
bears a large, white blotch, and the side ones are marked with a spot of deep 
purple. It is very similar to, if not identical with, that called T. asiatica v. 
pulcherrima. India. Messrs. Low and Co. 
VVeigela amabiliIs, V, Grobnewegeni. a variety of this fine hardy shrub, 
in which the changeable, rose-coloured flowers are sometimes streaked with 
deeper rose-red. A continental variety. Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son. 
Yucca gigantea. [L'lllust. Hort. vi. 91.) This is described as a noble 
arborescent plant, with very long, acuminate, channeled leaves, having a whitish 
membranaceous margin, and a very robust, tall, much-branched, flowing panicle, 
bearing white flowers. (Supposed to be Mexican. J. Verschaffelt. 
Zinnia Elegans, v. flore-pleno. A new and very handsome form of this 
fine annual, in which the yellow centre or disc is transformed into florets like 
those of the ray, forming rosettes of from two to three inches in diameter, of 
various shades of colour, embracing purple, deep-rose, light-rose, mottled-rose, 
red, orange, and buff. The flower-heads are full, double, perfectly regular in 
form, and are said to be produced as true, from seeds, as China Asters. A French 
variety. M. M. Vilmorin^ and 3Iessrs. Carter and Go. 
FLOWER POTS. 
I WAS delighted to see your article on this subject in the November 
number of the Florist^ page 292, though I do not entirely agree in all 
you say. 
There is, as you remark, great room for improvement in the form of 
flower pots, and I would add in the colour; but I think it is not those 
who can give ten guineas for a shrub that have any difficulty in finding 
suitable pots for their expensive plants, but those who are obliged to 
study economy in this as in every other branch of their expenditure. 
The former may purchase from Ransome, Austen, and others, very 
elegant vases; but what is really wanted is a cheap article for general 
use, which in form and colour shall be such as a person of taste would 
not find fault with. The real cause of this I believe to be that from 
the general want of taste there is not a demand for elegant flower pots, 
and not the difficulty of supplying them. 
I mentioned to you some time since, and recommended through your 
columns, two flower pots of a superior form, one for Verbenas and similar 
low-growing plants, and one for Geraniums, &c., the former costing 4^. 
and the latter 6s. per dozen ; these, as I mentioned, were of the 
common clay, the colour of which is to my eye intolerable. I have 
lately persuaded a potter to try to make me some of the former of fire 
clay, which I expect will look exceedingly well, if T may judge from 
the appearance of some of the common form which he has lately been 
making of the same material; these are of a nice warm stone colour 
and very unobjectionable, and have a simple ornament impressed on 
them, which has a very good effect; these may be bad for 3^. 4d. a 
dozen— TJ inches in diameter and 8 inches high. I believe if they 
were brought into general use they might be sold for little more than 
he common detestably ugly pots. 
