202 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
duced some time within the last half-century—such forms as might have 
been looked for as the parents of the many superb varieties, both single 
and double, which we now possess. It is not easy to forget the crowd of 
admiring visitors that constantly pressed around the first examples of the 
striped variety, now superseded, called Mrs. Ferguson, when shown in the 
form of three large specimen plants, about 1862, at one of the large shows 
held in the gardens of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. I refer to these 
specially for the purpose of drawing attention to the great beauty of the 
Petunia when grown ad libitum,, and more in keeping with its general 
character than is possible when the plants are pinioned as prisoners to the 
ground, or restricted to under-sized £>ots. That it is a most adaptable plant 
it is needless to assert, though, as I shall endeavour to show, when grown 
more in keeping with its general character, far greater success is attainable 
than under any restrictive methods. How few even now are in possession 
of good plants of P. inimitabilis flore-pleno, which is so easily cultivable, and 
so useful for the embellishment of our generally-not-overcrowded cool 
structures during the summer! When mixed with Balsams, Cockscombs, 
Pelargoniums, and especially Fuchsias, these Petunias form the best of 
contrasts—a fact which becomes fully apparent if we but consider the beauty 
of such varieties as Princess of Wales, The Bride, magnificens, or gigantea 
plena, among the doubles, or of such single ones as Fame, splendida, Beine 
Hortense, and a few others of the larger seifs. 
Very little care or labour is needed to grow fine showy specimens adapted 
to such uses. From the winter store pots, take good large cuttings in March, 
or early in April; strike them quickly in cutting-pots, pot them when struck 
into single pots, and encourage them to grow freely by placing them in a 
moderately warm, not over-moist atmosphere. Pinch them back as occa¬ 
sion requires to ensure compact plants; continue to give larger pots whilst 
growth alone is the desideratum, as frequently as the roots meet freely 
around the sides, and so manage them, in fact, that when it is intended 
they should commence flowering the pots may be pretty well filled with 
roots. Of course attention will be necessary to tie them out properly, for 
the twofold purpose of giving them room to grow, and to secure the shoots, 
which are very brittle, from breaking off. 
Petunias look very pretty neatly trained up the stems of standard Boses, 
where these are sufficiently high for the purpose. In such a position they 
add beauty to what is otherwise ugly—a naked stem, without encroaching 
upon any other space. The greater impunity they enjoy in such a position 
from being moistened “by every passing shower” (for they have an aversion 
to too much surface-moisture), gives a tone to their flowering capabilities. 
Again, for similar reasons, a very suitable place for them is the base of a 
wall, or the base of trellis-work, in association with any other plants which 
may have become scantily furnished in the lower parts. Many an other¬ 
wise bare nook might, by a little study of these peculiarities, become a 
feature of beauty. The double sorts are well adapted for vase-work ; they 
should not, in such a position, be planted too thickly, but turned out as 
moderate-sized promising plants, properly secured from the wind, they are 
peculiarly adapted, with their variable dark markings upon a Parian-like 
groundwork, to form the decorative finishings to vases of marble. 
But there is another position, and another mode of growing them, 
which, I would suggest, should not be overlooked. We have our rows of 
Dahlias, and Hollyhocks, our Pyrethrums, Stocks, Everlastings, and Asters, 
