DF.cF,:\inER ll. 
COUNTRY GKNTLEAfAN’S COAI PANION. 
179 
{ the red. Some of my friends have never succeeded with 
1 the wliite. A great gardener, wdiose place lias been de- 
I scribed in these pages, contends that the white and the 
rod are never found good in the same place, and adduced 
many instances. 'J'his seems strange. What say our i 
subscribers and correspondents in general? Would 
some be good enough to beat up their memory and ob¬ 
servation. I can recollect seeing both at one place ; j 
but 1 really do not recollect of seeing both in lirst-rate 
order. One of my friends says, “Bother the double 
red;” and another says, “PTang the white, it gets over 
me.” So there may bo something more than a w’him i 
in it. 
PASsrFT.oRA cffinuLKA, P. ccemlea raeemosa, OolvUJi, 
and others, will he hanging from the rafters, if not 
dressed and pruned back. 
Salvia splendens, S. ftdgens, coccinea, &c.—These 
require to be struck late in spring; grown on in sum¬ 
mer; hardened off in autumn; and housed by the 
middle of October. Fine plants, with little trouble, will 
be secured by planting out in June; cutting the roots 
gradually in August, and repotting in September. 
Statice. —Several species of these are real beauties in 
a greenhouse in winter. An article was given on their 
culture some time ago. For iJiese I should have no ob¬ 
jection to use soda for cleaning the pots in which they 
are to grow; but for many things 1 should be afraid 
to use it for cleaning pots, thougli recommended by an 
able coadjutor, Air. Beaton. 
Vioi.ETS.— Neapolitans, Tree, Double Tlussiun, &c., 
are best divided into small pieces in spring, planted out 
on a rich border, kept well stirred and free from runners i 
all the summer, and potted or jdanted in a bed in 
September. The tree seems to flourish in the lowest 
temperature. ' 
WiTSENiA coiiYMBOSA aud W. nuiura. —In a warm 
greenhouse these bloom in the midst of the winter. 
I’reatment, a good deal the same as Statice, requiring 
sandy-peat and a little fibry-loam; a corner in the green¬ 
house, where the air does not come right upon it, would 
suit it best in winter, and a cold pit in summer. 
In this hurried list, I perceive that, among others, I 
have omitted Daphnes, lldbrothamnus elegans, Tree or 
Perpetual Carnations, Cinerarias, Cgelamens, and Oxalis ; 
such as O. niarginata, sanguinea, tnhijiora, tricolor, and 
variabilis, the culture of most of which has been given 
in full. R. FtsH. 
For a large bed, or one row, in the ribbon style, there is 
no plant surpasses it. Several years ago,' 1 saw, in 
various places in Shropshire, this Dahlia planted out 
in beds, covered with bloom, aud so conspicuous that 
it could be seen in full splendour at a considerable 
distance. It is true, it does not produce a flower fit for 
exhibition in a stand, but that does not detract from its 
merits as a bedding-out plant. I hope, now that it is j 
grown so largely at the Crystal Palace, tliat cultivatoi's ! 
of bedding-out plants will be induced to grow it more | 
freely than they have done hitherto. I can assure them ! 
it will give satisfaction, providing it is planted in poor j 
soil, not too liglit. 
It is seldom exceeding a foot or fifteen inches high; ! 
flowers a deep purple, very double, standing up just 
above the foliage, and produced most abundantly from 
August till the frost destroys it. The price is now verv 
moderate—good, strong plants may be had for six shil¬ 
lings the dozen. Each jrlant re(^uires a foot square to 
grow in, so that a large bed will not require such a very 
great number of plants to fill it. No Dahlia propagates 
I more readily, or produces more shoots from one ground 
root. I have propagated, by cuttings from one strong 
root, as many as two dozen plants early in the season. 
Daiili.v Br.ioii.—I have to inform the admirers of 
the Dahlia Zelinila, that there is another variety, with 
all its gooil^ properties for bedding-out, with this differ¬ 
ence, that the flowers are of a bright scarlet colour! 
ibis has been long a desideratum. 1 grew it this season, 
and found it a really useful plant. The stock of it at 
the Victoria nursery is but small, but I trust sufficient 
to supply any that may feel inclined to older it. I have 
named it 77//my, and a truly little gem it is; it flowered 
with me when no more than nine inches high, and pro¬ 
duced many fine double flowers of a better form than 
Zelinda. Tlie average height is about the sa.me as 
that favourite variety ; if any difference, I tliink it is 
more dwarf. I have no doubt, many florists, in the habit 
ot raising seedling Dahlias, have thrown away many a 
dwarf variety that would have been bigldy useful lor 
bedding-out. AVe want, yet, a dwarf white, and a dwarf 
yellow. Should any raiser have a seedling dwarf, with 
a tolerable good flower of cither of these colours, he 
should take care of it, and increase it. I will warrant 
it will repay him equally as well as if it had all the 
points required by the most fastidious florist. 
THE PETUNIA. 
Paulownia Impekialis. —In The Cottage Gap.deneh 
for November 13, page 109, it is mentioned that this fine 
plant did not flower at the Duke of Devonshire’s villa 
at Chiswick, being cut off by the autumn frosts, but that 
it was known to blossom admirably at Idsbon. The 
writer of this saw a large specimen in full flower in a 
garden in the Promenade des Anglais at Nice, close by 
the sea, in April last, and a splendid object it was, with 
its numerous spikes of pale blue or lilac blossoms.— E. 
Copland, Chelmsford. 
NEW OR GOOD BEDDING PLANTS. 
{Continued from page 12H,j 
DAHLIAS. 
A QUESTION may be asked, “ AVhat are the properties 
required in a Dahlia for bedding purposes i*” The 
answer is, dwarf habit, abundance of bloom, and a rich 
self-colour, with double flowers. All these properties 
are found in the variety known by the name of /eltnda. 
This variety has been spoken of in the highest terms, 
both by myself, Mr. Fish, and Mr. Beaton, and wher- 
over it has been grown has given great satisfaotion. 
This cla.ss of flowers lias, hitherto, or till very lately, 
succeeded very moderately as bedding-out plants, and for 
this reason; just when a bed of them was com-e into full 
flower, several plants die off just where the stems of 
^ the plants end and the roots begin ; then deaths take 
‘ jilace, after a long drought succeeded by a wet season. 
The best variety, previous to this year, able to resist 
this fatalit}', was our friend Mr. Beaton’s Suuublan-d 
Rose, an old favourite variety. 'J’he following are also 
‘ e.xcelleut, and have stood the vicissitudes of the weather 
this season well. 
Favourite. —A very dark rose-colour, with white 
centre, good, stout petals, and a free bloomer, and very 
hardy. Decidedly a hit as a bedding-out variety. 
1 Gem. —I saw, this summer, two or three beds of this 
I Petunia jn the jileasure-grounds at Kew, and exceed- 
I ingly handsome and effective they were. I think Mr. 
: Beaton mentions them in his report of the flower 
! gardening at Kew. Colour dark rose, free flowered, and 
very hardy. 
Montreal Purpj.e.— Tliis is an excellent variety for 
bedding. 'Though the flowers are large, they are stout 
also, and keep their colour (which is a dark, rich purple) 
nearly to the last. Every grower of Petunias should 
procure this for one of his stock plants for bedding, 
out- 
