I 308 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. [August 14. 
between green leaves—a bloom between every leaf. We 
have had twelve blooms—a card, which just held four 
| without touching, had a leaf cut to its form and laid on 
it; another leaf cut the same size was laid over them, 
and a second layer of Pansies; another leaf, and a third 
layer of flowers, and then a leaf to cover; a second card 
of the same dimensions was put on the top, and these 
tied together and put into an envelope to be sent as a 
common letter. These came to us by post four hundred 
miles, to all appearance as good as when they were 
gathered, but of course pressed. In an hour they were 
perfectly revived. 
Hollyhock, King of Roses {Bragg). —The best of its 
class. It is a bright rosy pink; the ground petals 
thicker and smoother, and more circular than any even 
bordering on the colour; the face fuller and better 
• formed than most of the best varieties. We noticed 
this variety last autumn, and it fully comes up to our 
expectations. The floral world ought to know that the 
entire credit of the great advance made on the Holly¬ 
hock, belonged to the late Mr. Baron, of Saffron Waldon, 
who, for years, kept improving upon the flower by raising 
seedlings from the best of his batch each season, and 
destroying all that were no better than he already pos¬ 
sessed, until he had a score varieties, the worst of which 
was better by many degrees than the best of all others 
in cultivation. We urged Mr. Baron to let them out, 
both plants and seed from plants, and then everybody 
who chose to grow the flower could be even with Mr. 
Baron in a single season; but, except in Mr. Baron’s 
hands, the flower made no advance the last half century, 
until he let out what has been the foundation of all the 
present fine race. There is no ai’t whatever in the cul¬ 
ture, and, like the Dahlia, it sports so much, that all the 
pretence about crossing is mere nonsense—an attempt 
to claim credit for ingenuity or originality, and make a 
fuss about that which requires no trouble. As we saw 
the march of the Hollyhock under the command of Mr. 
Baron, the most unpretending, but meritorious, florist of 
his day, we know that the only thing the plant wants 
is plenty of room, plenty of air, and plenty of dung; 
and if an amateur, or a dealer, wants to advance 
still in the quality or variety of his flowers “by raising 
seedlings, let him select half-a-dozen of the most striking 
colours among the best kinds, not such as we have seen 
recommended as the best, but the fullest flowers with 
the thickest petals, say white, black, maroon, blood-red, 
rose, and yellow; plant these together, that is to say, 
form a clump of them away from all others, and when 
there are three or four pods of seed set on a plant, cut 
the rest of the spike oil', and, also, any side spikes that 
may push. Three or four pods will be enough on each 
plant, and there is no fear but that novelties will reward 
the effort. We saw the best collections that could be 
found in the whole country before Mr. Baron let out the 
result of his pains-taking, and the best was not even an 
approach to his worst; but all those who bought his 
set and seeded from them continued to advance; and 
Bragg’s King of Roses, as well as some other of bis 
new flowers, are better than several popular favourites, 
but in the same way. If we had hastily to decide, we 
should be apt to say that the King of Roses was the 
best in cultivation ; but we are quite certain there is no 
pink or rose-colour to touch it. 
Verbenas {No. 1 and No. 2, from Devon). — These 
flowers are too narrow on the petals to be worth pre¬ 
serving. The Verbena, to be perfection, should be 
circular; but as it is naturally a fingered flower with 
five projecting portions, all we have at present accom¬ 
plished is to get these divisions wider until some nearly 
join; consequently, we have only approached the best 
quality. In the two varieties sent, the divisions are as 
wide as the five joints of the petal; far better ai’e con¬ 
stantly thrown away. Let Mrs. Mills be put by the 
side of one of these, and they would appear, by compari¬ 
son, weeds. 
Phlox Drummondii {Ib'ul). —Very good; flowers large 
and round, and not a bad colour;—by pulling up j 
all best round flowers from any batch of seedlings and 
saving from them, you may always secure good sorts. 
It is useless to save from the best, if they are allowed to 
grow among the worst; for all seeds have a tendency. 
Petunias {Nonvich.) —Only one which shows the least 
improvement on what we possess, and that is in the 
thickness of the petal. It will not sell as a new variety, 
but will be good to seed from, for the chance of pro¬ 
curing better with the same good quality. The divisions 
are too conspicuous, and the colour common. 
ELORISTSj FLOWERS CULTURE. 
the pelargonium —(Continued from page 273). 
Propagation: Bg Buds.— By this term we do not 
mean budding, but putting in single buds or eyes as 
cuttings. This is a new practice, and is thus jmrformed : 
First, make a shallow pan ready for them, by first put¬ 
ting in a portion of pure loam and sand, then a covering 
of pure sand alone, give a gentle watering to settle it, 
and then prepare the buds. Take a shoot of moderate 
strength, cut off the leaves, but not quite close to the 
stem, then cut off the two lowest buds, leaving about a 
quarter-of an-inch of wood below each bud. After that, 
split the shoot containing the two buds down the centre. 
If the two buds are not exactly opposite, but one a little 
below tire other, the upper one must be shortened below 
the bud to the proper length. The upper cut should be 
very nearly close to the bud. Make a sufficient number 
ready at once to fill the pan or pot. When that is done 
proceed to plant them, using a short blunt stick a degree 
thicker than the bud-cutting. Insert them deep enough, 
so as only to leave the bud just above the sand. Plant 
them close to, and round the edge of the pan, placing 
the cut side close against the pot, which will of course 
place the bud side inwards. Then fill up the holes with ] 
a little dry sand, and water gently again. Place them 
either in a propagating-house, a shady part of a stove 
near the glass roof, or in a frame placed under the cir¬ 
cumstance described at the page referred to above. 
Shade from bright sunshine in whatever situation they 
are placed, and water as required. The buds will soon 
break and show leaves shortly to be followed by a shoot. 
This will soon require roots to support it, and will send 
down sap, which will cause, first, a callosity or swelling, 
and then roots. Now, this method has the advantage 
over a cutting with leaves, of having a less surface for 
evaporation, and for damp to take hold of, consequently 
the bud is not so liable to perish from the juices drying 
up, or from the moisture acting upon the non-growing 
leaf, and so causing it to decay before roots are produced. 
At the same time, we candidly confess that this way of 
increasing Pelargoniums is new, and its success, as our 
northern neighbours would say, not proven ; but reason¬ 
ing from analogy in the well-known successful practice 
of raising vines from eyes or buds; we judge there is 
little fear that it will be completely successful, we invite 
our readers to give it a fair trial, and communicate the 
result. The buds that have been put in, have, at Pine- 
Apple Place, so far, progressed satisfactorily, not one 
having, as yet, perished. 
Bg Roots. —Some kinds of Fanog Pelargoniums, and 
most of the Cape original species, are difficult to increase 
by any of the above methods. In such extreme cases 
there is left the mode of increase by cuttings of the 
roots. This is almost certain of success. Take an old 
plant, shake off carefully all the soil, and cut the roots 
into short pieces, retaining as many fibres as possible to 
each. Put each root-cutting singly into as small pots as 
