NOVEMBER. 
321 
VERBENA EOXHUNTER. 
(Plate 182.) 
The novelties wliicli have appeared this season amongst 
Verbenas have been very few^ owing no doubt to the un- 
propitious nature of the summer of 1860^ which must have 
prevented the maturation of seed^ except under very favour¬ 
able circumstances. Indeed^ with the exception of that 
which forms the leading feature in the accompanying plate, 
none of a very remarkable character have appeared as novel¬ 
ties at the meetings in London. This variety, however, 
which from its colour has been appropriately named Fox- 
hunter, is one of remarkable merit. It was raised by John 
Miller, Esq., of Up way, Dorchester, to whose courtesy, and 
that of the Messrs. Low, of Clapton, into whose hands it 
has passed, we are indebted for the opportunity of figuring it. 
Our first acquaintance with Mr. MilleFs Verbena was 
made at a meeting of the Floral Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, held on the 9th of July in the present 
year. On that occasion its large size and brilliancy and 
attractiveness of colour secured for it the award of a First- 
class Certificate, to which it was well entitled. The trusses 
then produced were bold and well furnished, and the flowers 
were remarkably large, some which we measured being over 
an inch in diameter; they were, moreover, of excellent form 
and firm in substance: they had, in fact, all the qualifications 
of a fine Verbena. Add to this, a colour of the richest and 
brightest scarlet, which of course the pigments used by artists 
utterly fail to imitate, and imagine each flower to be relieved 
by a yellow eye. Such was the Foxhunter Verbena, as exhi¬ 
bited on the occasion referred to, the flower-trusses sent for 
examination having been cut from an unprotected plant in 
the open ground. The variety is stated to be one of robust 
habit, and the samples we have seen bear out this statement, 
this characteristic being indeed sufficiently indicated by the 
foliage introduced into oiir figure. We have no hesitation in 
speaking of this as the finest scarlet Verbena yet made known. 
Verbena—Fairest of the Fair. 
The other variety we have represented is called Fairest of 
the Fair. It was raised by Mr. G. Smith, of the Tollington 
Nursery, Hornsey road, and was sent out last spring. It is 
certainly one of the best in its class; indeed we have met 
with none at all equalling it in the purity of its ground 
colour, and the brilliancy of the rosy-coloured ring which 
surrounds the eye. As to its merit, it may be stated that 
when shown as a seedling, it received commendation from the 
VOL. XV., NO. OLXVII. Y 
