COMPANION TO THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 
19 
and I have been growing and attempting its improvement for some 
seasons past, paying particular attention to habit and the development of 
its truss. 
I have no extended knowledge of those of other raisers, keeping almost 
entirely to my own strain, introducing occasionally, to avoid too great 
sameness, a few of the best kinds sent out, thereby ensuring a mingling 
of colours, and rendering probable the forming of new shades. 
The first Verbena raised here and sent out, was Firefly, the result of a 
cross, having King of Scarlets for one of the parents, and from its very 
general dissemination, it appears to have been considered an acquisition. 
Many plants of it were grown the next season, and the autumn proving 
favourable, much seed was saved, and from that, the year after, some 
Warrior , Gazelle , etc. etc. 
The summer of 1860 was extremely wet, seed did not ripen, and no 
progress was made; a few plants, too late to bloom, were taken up and 
preserved through the winter, to fill the void thus occasioned. One of 
these was Foxhunter , of last year, another a red-purple, not sent out, 
somewhat similar to Edmonds’s Leviathan, but having a better habit, 
this variety proving an exceedingly free seeder ; from it originated chiefly 
our last year’s collection, and from which were selected the varieties now 
illustrated, and to be distributed by Messrs. Low and Son, of the Clapton 
Nurseries. More than two thousand seedlings were grown, and with the 
exception of a dozen, all were consigned to the rubbish heap, as not pos¬ 
sessing the qualities considered essential. I am however cheered on in 
my endeavours, by seeing a considerable advance made, and it may be 
worthy of mention, that about twenty only came without the desired 
centres. 
Notwithstanding the absence of sunshine last summer, and the amount 
of rain in October (5‘360 inches falling here), when the greatest quan¬ 
tity of seed is usually harvested, nearly half a pound has been saved; 
and I am looking forward to the occupation of a greatly increased space 
of trial-ground in the coming season. The plan adopted from the com¬ 
mencement is as follows :— 
Plants desirable for seeding, and kept through the winter, are propa¬ 
gated from, in February, the cuttings grown on in a cool greenhouse, 
with abundance of light and ventilation, until a favourable appearance of 
the weather indicates planting out, and the earlier in the season this can 
be accomplished, the greater is the probability of securing a supply of 
seed. The situation chosen for these future parents should be an open 
one, that they may enjoy the full benefit of the sun’s direct rays. Let 
them be well intermixed wTien planted, and as in the young state they 
suffer much in strong winds, I protect with hurdles placed around. 
When the blooming-time arrives, some of the very chosen are crossed, 
and two methods are pursued: one is by carefully drawing the pistil 
through an incision made in the tube of the corolla, and applying pollen 
