48 
THE CULTIVATION OF THE CINERARIA. 
develope themselves, the broadest should be carefully brought down to the outside, to form the lower 
row or dish, as it were, of the flower, aud these should he a complete circle. As the others come 
forward, the next largest should he brought down and placed with the centre of each in the place 
where the others meet, and lap over them ; the third row should be placed on the joins of the second 
row, and even a fourth on the joins of the third, if there were any. During all this time the expan¬ 
sion or growth of the petals to their natural size after they are placed, completely sets them fast in their 
proper places, and they would travel for hundreds of miles without getting confused ; but on the other 
hand, if neglected till the petals are full grown, and they are then dressed at the last moment, they 
will not hold in the places you change them to, and the flowers never can be so perfect. 
The mode of dressing is to take hold of the broad part of the petals with a pah of smooth flat 
tweezers, generally made of ivory, bone, tortoise-shell, or wood, and not pinching them too hard, hold 
the petals tight between them, and, by a gentle twist, guide them carefully where it is wanted to 
make them lay. It is usual to cut a hole in the centre of a card, just large enough to let the pod 
of the bloom half-way through it; this card is cut quite round, and the flat back of the flower should 
be brought down to the card while young, the petals being brought down in a complete circle : the 
card keeps the petals from reflexing, which they frequently will when neglected, and when once 
grown so, scarcely anything will bring them flat again; whereas, when placed flat while growing they 
never show any disposition to go back. It is obvious that the flatter the lower large petals lay, the 
larger will be the flower: and the more uniform the rest lay the better. 
With regard to the choice of sorts for showing there is not sufficient pains taken; we frequently 
see five or six in one class shown in a stand of twelve. This cannot be right. Two of each class 
make a splendid stand—that is, two piuk and purple bizarres, two crimson bizarres, two scarlet 
bizarres, two purple flakes, two scarlet flakes, two rose flakes; and these ought to be placed uniform, 
as for instance four of the brightest of the bizarres at the four comers, and rose flakes at the end of the 
middle row; the two other bizarres should be side by side 'on the middle row, and the pair of flakes 
above and below them. Proper attention to these trifles often makes such a first impression on the 
minds of the judges that they cannot resist the temptation to place stands so arranged higher than 
they really deserve, the uniformity giving such a striking advantage^ as would hardly be credited. 
It looks perfectly ridiculous to see the numeroas stands placed for exhibition with two many flowers of 
one class, and none of others; there is a flatness which nothing compensates for, and the managers of 
exhibitions ought to stipulate that there shall be two of each class, hi the same way that they do who 
say that there shall be an equal number of each class of Tulips. Common sense tells us that it should 
be so with all collections of class flowers, and in Tulips it would be observed if there were nothing 
said. How then the showers of Carnations should be allowed to overturn all the ordinarv rules of 
showing we hardly know; but of this we are certain, if any one exhibitor will take pains to attend to 
our suggestion, he will find the arrangement greatly help his stand. 
Pieotees are prepared in the same way as Carnations; and the remarks we have made as to uni¬ 
formity of arrangement in the stands are equally applicable in their case also. 
THE CULTIVATION OF THE CINERARIA. 
By Mr, H. ROSIER, Brooxlaxds Nursery. 
WHERE is there a plant, which, during the autumn, winter, and early spring months, is so gay 
Jj and beautiful as the Cineraria ? or which is so useful for exhibitions or decorative purposes, or 
for the embellishment of the flower-vase or bouquet P By artificial light the colours of some of the 
crimson, rose, and purple varieties are extremely brilliant, while the white varieties, margined with 
the preceding colours, are matchless. Add to this, that many of the kinds are deliciously fragrant, and 
you have nearly all the qualities which constitute a perfect flower. During the season, a number of 
very fine see dlin gs have been brought under the notice of the public, some of them of remarkable 
excellence and beauty, the most remarkable of which have been noticed in previous articles. In 
treating of the Cineraria as a plant for decoration, or of its value for exhibition purposes, where, in the 
early part of the season, the various kinds make a fine display, we cannot refrain from stating that 
them cultivation might be much improved, and, indeed, must be before they will assume them wonted 
standing upon our exhibition tables. But a few years back, Cinerarias were a poor lot of starry t hin gs, 
with narrow flimsy petals, and flowers supported by tall unsightly stems; but now, thanks to the 
desire for improvement, the best varieties are dwarf and compact, and, when properly grown, produce 
perfect trusses of stout, and, in some few cases, of almost perfectly formed flowers. In treating of this 
