plants. It is not uncommon, however, to hear 
complaints that increased age develops hare, 
brown stems. The sharp use of the pruning- 
lsnife, to renew fresh growth just after the first 
bloom, will remedy all this, and greatly improve 
the quality and number of the (lowers. These 
second blooms are of great value, not only be¬ 
cause they are abundant, but because they af¬ 
ford beautiful sweet-scented flowers at a late 
season of the year when flowers are scarce, and 
thus first appearing In May, after the bloom of 
the Gonltwa has gone, produce a continuous se¬ 
ries of Daphne flowers throughout the greater 
part of spring and summer. As a flower for 
decoration, the Cueornm is quite useful; and 
employed for button-hole ornament, its rosy and 
somewhat formal clusters of minor flowers are 
quite effective. 
Nor is the flower the only attraction offered 
by this Daphne. The leaves are evergreen, nar¬ 
row, small and thick—the most perfect contrast 
to those of the Genkwa. Altogether, we see 
that the varied qualities of these modest flowers 
are such as should give great pleasure to every 
one oapable of enjoying beauty devoid of mas¬ 
sive sbowiness. Few plants have in reality more 
numerous attractions, and few creep into our 
affections with more subtlety as we come to study 
their graces. 
TWO HARDY DAPHNES 
flowers which arc produced during October 
from every strong shoot are beautiful on the 
plant. When it first expanda it consist* of 
reddish-browu filaments, but when fully ex¬ 
panded, on dry days, it curls into the form of 
ostrich plumes, and changes to white, and will 
remain in fine condition in a dry room all the 
winter. The plant is perfectly hardy, grows 
about seven feet high, is easily increased by 
dividing tbo roots, and is not particular as to 
Boil or sit uation. 
Eulalia zebriua, a more recently introduced 
form of the above, grows and (lowers in the 
same way, but the leaves are marked across with 
zebra-like white bands which give it a very 
curious and unique appearance. So far as I 
recollect, this is the first variegated-leaved 
plant in which the white marking has taken 
that form, and opens a freBh field on the theory 
BY SAMUEL PARSONS, 
A CHAT IN THE GARDEN 
during winter in the more Northern States. 
The plant is excellent for the center of tall 
Canna beds, for clumps among shrubs, or the 
back of wide borders, and the moister and more 
ricii the soil tbo fluer is the variegation. I 
might adti .much to the list of cultivated grasses, 
such as the • ‘eather grass, animated oats, and 
many of the beautiful wild grasses, rushes and 
cypresses to be found in largo variety in most 
parts of the rural district*, but space will not 
permit; so I shall only monthly to any one 
desirous to gather these for dryi ’that the 
Bame general directions apply to all, and as t hey 
flower and eeed at various seasons from July un¬ 
til frost, they, or course, require gathering at 
limps but nerhans the greatest num- 
HYBRIDIZING AND CROSS-BREEDING 
the last few years have been so extraordi¬ 
nary, that much as it has been written about 
of late years, it must yet remain for years to 
oome, a subject of great and general interest. 
I will offer, therefore, a few hints and remarks, 
such as may be likely to prove useful to the 
amateur plant grower, to whom those articles 
are principally addressed. The terms hybridiz¬ 
ing and oroas-breed&ng are often, though er¬ 
roneously, used as synonyms; nevertheless, 
although there is a considerable difference be¬ 
tween the two, yet the principal object which 
the operator has in view is the same, viz., the 
improvement of the flower as to size, or form, or 
color, or all these conjointly; or the improve¬ 
ment of the foliage ; or the production of a bet¬ 
ter habit and constitution of the particular plants 
operated upon. 
Hybridizing, in the strict sense of the term, 
is the raising a progeny between two distinct 
species, by applying the pollen of one species 
to the stigma of the other. The plants raised 
from these two species will, as a rule, be barren, 
and inoapable of again producing seed. Cross¬ 
breeding is the raising of new forms, from the 
fertilization of two varieties of the same or of 
allied species, which will bo fertile, and again 
available for cross-breeding. To these two pro¬ 
cesses, we are indebted for many of the gayest 
ornaments of our gardens and plant houses, as 
will be evident when we quote such examples ] 
as Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Sosos, Dahlias, 
and many other florist flowers, as well as, 
Achimenes, Gloxinias, Qesneras, Ericas, Aza¬ 
leas, Amaryllis, Dipladenias, and many others; 
and lastly, though not least, the Orchids them¬ 
selves; for these are yielding to the power of 
the hybridizer, as may be seen in such cases 
as Callleya exoniensis, Calanlhe, Yeitchii, 
and many others. 
In setting about the raising of either hybrids 
or varieties, the operator should set before him 
a definite and settled purpose, for if promiscu¬ 
ous seedlings are reared, a great lose of time will 
ensue, seeiug that good results from such 
crossings canuot be expected. If, on the other 
hand, every cross is made with Borne special 
8 PINO 8 A. 
fairly introduced to this country, and the other, 
became it is rather modest in its pretensions, 
and also given to developing brown, bare stems 
which, as we shall sec hereafter, might be read¬ 
ily prevented by proper treatment. Both are 
very beautiful, choice, and exquisite, but are 
especially worthy of thus pairing together, for 
the reason that the qualities of the one so nicely 
supplement those of the other, although so to¬ 
tally different. 
DAPHNE GENKWA. 
Among the many valuable plants introduced 
from Japan of late years, few deserve more no¬ 
tice for substantial merit than this little Daphne. 
Ab yet little known in America except to the 
few who have introduced it, it has had little op¬ 
portunity of attracting attention. 
Of a size moderate, if not dwarf, it is still very 
prominent in any collection of plants from the 
peculiar lilac-blue of its (lowers. These appear 
PARTS OP CLE 
note the results of each particular experiment, in 
order to enable them either to proseoute a suc¬ 
cessful effort, or to warn them to desist if a 
wrong track has been entered on. 
Among the things to be worked for, in either 
hybrids or varieties, are improvements in color, 
shape, Bize, and substance of the blooms, in 
the form, size, texture, or marking of the 
leaves, or in the habit of growth and the pro¬ 
lificacy of blossoms—this latter, the securing 
of free-flowering properties, being of the high¬ 
est importance in the oase of decorative plants. 
I have always found that in crossing plants, 
the seedlings are more prone to follow the col¬ 
or of the male parent, and the habit and style 
of growth ot the female. Therefore, if the re¬ 
sult desired be richer and brighter colors, the 
paler of two parents should be made the seed 
produoer. I had a striking example, a few years 
ago, in the case of some Gloxinias, of the iuflu- 
euce of the pollen; it was at a time when the va¬ 
rieties of Gloxinia were few, and G. Fyflana 
was the only ereot-flowered kind. I fertilized 
0. rubra graruliflora with pollen taken from 
0. leuconerca, the latter then anew variety, 
our object being to obtain varieties with white- 
veined leaves and red flowers; and as G. Usucon- 
tTi’O was not so robust in habit as G. rubra 
grandijlora, I made the latter the seed-bearer ; 
but in tbo result, out of several hundreds, I bad 
but one or two which produced red flowers; 
the habit was robust, and much stronger than 
the male parent, and the white viens Icbb con¬ 
spicuous on the leaves, but the dowers were of 
crowning the otherwise naked stems, impresses 
one very curiously. Other Daphnes—Mezerenm, 
for instance—share this peculiarity of flowering 
before the leaves appear; but the effect of the 
flowers and general habit is very different. 
Quito delicate and rare in appearance, its propor 
position on the lawn is the border of some path 
near the house, or in a sunny nook of rook-work. 
The Daphne Genkwa, although quite hardy, 
possesses the valuablo quality of forcing readily. 
Its leaf, though quite small, is similar to that of 
Daphnes generally, and of a bright green. We 
anticipate a flue reputation for the Genkwa when 
its excellent qualities become better known. 
DAPHNE CNEOHUM. 
This .Daphne has a fine reputation of long 
standing, but it can never receive too much at¬ 
tention for its mauy attractive qualities. Its 
growth is low and spreading, the circumference 
[ usually exceeding the hight, unless In very old 
