56 
THE FLORIST. 
have recently advanced more than the Calceolaria; and there yet 
remains much to be done before we reach the ultimum of perfection. 
Some of the spotted varieties certainly approach nearly to the 
standard; but then there is such diversity of colour and marking, 
that the variety is thus rendered almost infinite. Mr. Plant, of 
Cheadle, has opened out a new class of flowers with stripes, like the 
carnation. The habit of his plants is generally good ; but the shape 
is capable of much improvement : the marking, however, is both beau¬ 
tiful and novel; and consequently ought to encourage the raiser in 
his labour of love. 
Having made these few prefatory remarks on the pleasure of rais¬ 
ing seedlings, and the capabilities of improvement, I beg to subjoin 
a few remarks on saving the seed, raising seedlings, and their subse¬ 
quent culture. 
When the plants are coming into bloom, select those you intend 
to save the seed from, which possess the best habit, and flowers of the 
finest form; and as the flowers unfold, impregnate them with the 
pollen of another variety, distinct, and remarkable for brilliancy of 
colour, purity of marking, or some other desirable property 7 which 
the seed-parent does not possess : this remark is applicable in im¬ 
pregnating most other flowers. A fine hair-pencil is generally used 
for this purpose ; and, which is perhaps the best, neither retaining 
nor parting with the pollen too freely. It is desirable to keep the 
plants y y ou intend to seed from, separate from others of inferior 
quality, to prevent their impregnating by natural causes. After 
the flowers are impregnated as above described, I generally tie a 
piece of string below the seed-pod, in order to distinguish the 
hybridised pods from the others when I gather the seed. I have 
often, however, remarked, that when plants have been thus treated 
in a room-window, where they were excluded from bees and the 
wind, that very rarely any of the pods have filled with seed but 
those I have hybridised. At the same time, it is not advisable to 
keep the plants in the house when required for seeding, as an 
abundance of air is almost indispensable to the natural perfecting of 
the seed-pods. 
As soon as the pods begin to turn brown, cut them off, and spread 
them on a piece of paper for a few days, when the seed, which is very 
small, will rub out freely. Sow it the latter part of August, or the 
beginning of September, in pans, or large pots about 10 inches in 
diameter. Let the pots be filled about half-way up with crocks ; 
and then filled up with soil, three-fourths peat and one-fourth rich 
loam, passed through a fine sieve ; to which add a liberal quan¬ 
tity of silver sand. After you have knocked the pot gently on the 
bottom, to settle the soil, ruffle the surface with your finger, and 
then sow the seed, not too thick; after which, press the surface 
moderately with the back of y r our hand, or a flat-bottomed pan, in 
order to set the seed, and then water it with a fine rose. It should 
on no account be covered with soil. Place the seed-pots in a frame, 
and protect them well from the mid-day sun. By placing a piece 
of flat glass over the pots, the soil will be kept regularly moist 
