104 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Stand Roses foe Single Blooms. —The petals should 
be imbricated (lying like tiles on a roof), and perfectly 
symmetrical to the centre. 
Noisette Roses. —The clusters of flowers should be 
I sufficiently open to enable all the blooms to open freely, 
and the footstalks strong and elastic, to show the flowers 
to the best advantage. 
Climbing Roses. —The plant should be always grow¬ 
ing and developing its bloom. 
Indeed the quality, which is of the greatest value in 
Roses after scent, is the constancy of the bloom; with¬ 
out which the month of the summer flowers does not com¬ 
pensate for five months dreariness among the brilliant 
features of a nice border. “ The Properties of the Rose,” 
as published, goes more into detail, but these are the 
main points. 
THE PROSPECTS OF FLORICULTURE. 
Eveky florist knows that there is a standard for 
florists’ flowers, and that the nearer a new variety 
approaches the standard, the more valuable it becomes; 
and that if the amateurs of this country could depend 
on any work, or any body, for a true character they would 
buy, as soon as it could be had, every flower that was a 
distinct improvement. But unfortunately they have 
been taught by experience not so to depend; for all who 
purchase novelties at the novelty price pay a great 
penalty for their enthusiasm. We are not in the habit 
of saying one thing and meaning another, and we state 
most distinctly, that there never was a period in which the 
amateur was more at the mercy of the dealer, nor has 
there been any period within the last twenty years in 
which there was such a thorough want of confidence. 
The consequence of this will b e, first, a general feeling 
among amateurs against new flowers until they are 
proved to be good; because, by avoiding the purchase 
of everything until the second year of coming out, they 
will get everything at a fifth of the price, besides know¬ 
ing what they buy, and the only disadvantage is waiting 
: a season. The second consequence will be the esta¬ 
blishment of societies of amateurs only for mutual 
information and protection. A gentleman has shown 
us his garden-book, in which is set down all the novel¬ 
ties he has bought during the last year, with liis remarks 
on their qualities ; and the money of which he considers 
himself completely robbed amounts to a frightful sum ; 
because, as he justly observed, he bought nothing which 
had not been distinctly recommended, and, to a certain 
extent, guaranteed by persons considered respectable 
dealers, or by the editors of papers or magazines; and 
that deception, under such circumstances, ought to pro¬ 
claim to the floral world in language not to be misun¬ 
derstood that abominable ignorance, or scandalous want 
of principle, is always opposed to the interests of the 
amateur. The papers and periodicals professing to lead 
the public, with the solitary exception of The Cottage 
Gaedenee, have been monopolized by the dealers. We 
confess we should like to see a society of amateurs got 
up for the mutual information and protection of all; and 
we do know that hundreds have determined that while 
periodicals and papers are prostituted in the way they 
are, that the best policy will be to abstain altogether 
from the purchase of anything that is offered the first 
year. The party to whom we alluded as exhibiting his 
book, lias shut it up for the season with the exception of 
a few things which he thinks he may depend on from 
the hints we publish. Not a plant will he buy till they 
are out, and reduced in price; for of more than one 
hundred pounds expended last year on novelties, and 
I those of only three or four tribes of plants, eighty he 
.considers thrown away. 
Acacias (P.). —Nos. I and 2, although seedlings, ex¬ 
hibit no peculiarity. They are quite true Armata lan- 
Decembee 25. I 
elfolia. It can hardly be expected that seeds of green- | 
house plants will give a progeny that varies much. 
Their early bloom is nothing; there is no telling when 
seedlings will flower, so much depends on the culture 
they receive while, as it were, in their minority. 
Geranium (AT. F.).—If its white leaves remain con¬ 
stant, it will be a great addition to our bedding-out 
plants, because the bloom is equal to that of Tom 
Thumb ; but we doubt the constancy of the white foliage 
altogether. 
W. P.—We have already noticed /Eschynanthus; we 
are not slow to mention a good thing. 
Anemone Blooms (J. S.). —There is nothing extra- [ 
ordinary in the Anemone blooming all through a mild 
winter, especially if it is a seedling. The semi-double 
flowers—that is to say, those with two and even three 
rows of petals—will, we hope, in time, produce much 
more double varieties ; we cannot consider the so-called 
double Anemones at all in the nature of a double florists’ 
flower. They are simply composed of florets in the 
centre of a disk of single petals, and are, as it were, 
another class of flowers. Now, the multiplication of the 
large petals, to form a bloom like a Ranunculus, is 
approaching to the doubleness we require; and as some I 
of those sent have three complete rows of broad petals, 
there is every hope that the desirable model may be 
attained. Save seed from those with three rows of 
petals, and hope for four rows; cultivate highly. We 
value the specimens sent, because they are steps in the 
right direction. 
Me. Buegess. —Devoniana, Madame Deprez, Fallen- 
burg, and Madame Laffay, are the names of the Ruses 
blooming in the open air. They arrived in good con¬ 
dition. It is the character of these roses to continue 
blooming until the frost is severe enough to cut them 
off altogether. Frost will destroy flowers already opened, 
but mild weather will advance the buds, which take 
little or no harm; and there are many localities besides 
Farnham where they may be seen in flower now 
(Dec. 16), with every prospect of continuance. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS CULTURE. 
The Yeebena. —In writing on such florists’ flowers as 
the Verbena , Calceolaria, Petunia, and others that are 
used as bedding-out plants, we are sometimes in fear of 
encroaching on the province of able coadjutors in The 
Cottage Gaedenee. For instance, our good friends 
Mr. Beaton and Mr. Fish write well and pleasantly, and 
very instructively about Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Roses, 
and so forth; but then the one writes for the Flower- 
Garden on arranging and growing flowers to be ad¬ 
mired on the spot, and the other confines himself to 
teaching the growth of plants generally for the Green¬ 
house, both irrespective of exhibiting purposes in such 
plants as are deemed Florists’ flowers. These we con¬ 
sider to be our peculiar province, and we disclaim any 
intention of infringing upon or stepping over the boun¬ 
dary lines which our editor lias drawn for us. 
The above remarks were forcibly impressed upon our 
mind in commencing to write about that useful and 
lovely flower the Verbena ; in writing on which, we shall 1 
confine our remarks entirely to it as for exhibition 
purposes. 
For the sake of perspicuity, its culture will be divided 
into—1st. Soil. 2ndly. Situation in the open ground for j 
plants to produce cut-flowers, and in pots to be exhibited i 
therein. 3rdly. Planting and potting. 4thly. Protection 
when planted or potted, and when in bloom. 5thly. Pre¬ 
paring for exhibition, whether as cut-flowers or in pots. ! 
Othly. Propagation, including winter storing and raising j 
new varieties from seeds; and lastly, Insects ancl 
disease 
