DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 
Balsam. Camellia flowered. 
Bachelor's Button. 
Balloon Vine 
BALSAM. 
The Balsam, or Lady’s Slipper, is an old favorite, but 
has been so much improved by cultivation as to be 
scarcely recognized. The blossoms arc double, though 
some semi-double and single ones will be pretty certain 
to appear, and such plants should be removed. The 
prevailing colors are red and white, the former running 
into all shades of crimson, scarlet, rose, and purple, 
spotted and striped. The flowers will be improved by 
planting in a hot-bed, and transplanting when two leaves 
have formed, one to two feet apart. Pinch off a portion 
of the shoots, which will increase the size of the flower 
and vigor of the plant. Needs good, ich soil, and good 
cultivation, well repaying for both with the abundance 
of its magnificent flowers. 
Balsam, double Solferino, satiny white, streaked 
and spotted with crimson and lilac. Very 
cheice . .io 
44 double camellia, as double as a camellia, which 
they resemble ; white blotched with various 
colors. . zo 
Double Solferino. 
Balsam, mixed double rose. The peculiarity of 
this variety is its perfectly double, rose-like 
blossoms, of almost every shade of color. xo 
“ double dark red, ( atrosanguinea plenissitna) 
a very double, dark red variety, highly recom¬ 
mended . io 
“ double pure white, well adapted for florists, 
for bouquets ; nearly every flower is perfectly 
double, and pure white. 20 
■** double white perfection. A special strain of 
perfectly double, round,\large blossoms of 
great solidity, and almost as useful to florists 
as the camellia.25 
Balsam, mixed double dwarf, grows only about 
one foot high. Twelve best colors mixed . 10 
mixed double tall, grows about two feet high, 
and embraces twelve 0/ the best colors . 5 
BARTONIA. 
A very pretty flowering plant, from California, of the 
Gentian family, producing a profusion of fine, bright 
metallic-yellow blossoms, about two and a half inches 
across. The leaves are thistle-like, and dark green, 
covered with down. It succeeds best when planted in 
a hot-bed, and transplanted into rich, moist ground, but 
suffers from dry weather. Tender annual ; about one 
foot high. 
Bartonia, aurea, golden yellow . 5 
BEGONIA. 
Ornamental foliage green-house and stove plants, with 
many-colored, succulent leaves, oblique at their base. 
Very useful for ferneries green-houses, and parlor dec¬ 
oration. Some of the varieties, in addition to their 
beautiful foliage, produce magnificent blossoms. They 
have been so much improved, and so many new flower¬ 
ing sorts introduced, that we almost fail to recognize 
the species. Some are propagated from seed only, others 
lrom cuttings ; all require a rich soil. 
Begonia seeds are so very small as to be scarcely per - 
ceptible to the naked eye y besides being exceedingly 
costly there/ore a very large quantity 0/seed cannot 
be afforded to a single packet, but by actual count 
more are sent than in many large-seeded varieties. 
Begonia, Non Plus Ultra, ( Benary ). New variety, 
introduced by a celebrated florist in Prussia; 
flowers bell-shaped, gracefully pendulous, of 
enormous dimensions, and of a dazzing light 
scarlet ; they are produced by threes, and each 
flower stalk is terminated by this number of 
blooms. . 25 
“ Pearcei, beautiful,variegated foliage, and bright 
orange biossoms. Two feet high. Propagated 
from seed only. .25 
“ Sedeni. Flower buds on the point of opening, 
measure an inch and a half in length, and the 
developed flowers are over three inches in di¬ 
ameter, in clusters of five to ten, of a beauti¬ 
ful, rich carmine; one of the finest. . 25 
“ Sedeni Victoria, splendid hybrid of B. Sedeni; 
flower of bright carmine scarlet, susceptible of 
producing a gorgeous effect when planted in 
masses; admirable acquisition for bedding 
purposes, and remarkable alike for dazzling 
color, and persistent blooming.25 
