338 
the CO I i AGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 1, !8o9. 
Treatment before and whilst in bloom. —If the plants are 
intended for exhibition, the great point is, so to manage, 
that the plants should be in their best condition at the 
time. To accomplish this, no flowers should be allowed 
to open till about ten days before the day of exhibition. 
To retard the bloom, shade the house and keep it rather 
cool. If they are rather backward, then the obvious 
remedy is, to give a little more heat to bring them for¬ 
ward ; but this must be very carefully attended to not to 
overdo it. When in bloom, they must be shaded, and 
plenty of air given to keep the flowers from spotting or 
falling, and to prolong the period of flowering. 
Treatment after blooming .—Plants that are not too old, 
or too large, should (after the blooming season is over), 
be set out of doors for a short time, to harden the wood. 
If the weather should prove very wet, the plants should 
be protected from heavy rains ; and water should be given 
in small quantities when no rain falls, in order to 
check growth and ripen the shoots. When the wood is 
well hardened, then cut the plants down pretty severely, 
leaving the branches so arranged as to form a good bushy 
plant the year following. After they are cut down, the 
plants should have no water, and should be exposed to the 
sun and the air. A cold frame, or pit, is a good position for 
them whilst in that sl ate ; but the lights should be drawn 
off every day, except during rain. The plants will push 
their fresh shoots in four or five weeks. They should 
then be shaken out of their pots, all the soil removed, 
and be repotted into small pots, placed under a frame, and 
kept close and shaded for a week. Then give a gentle 
watering, and gradually harden them to bear the open air. 
Should any shoots appear to take the lead, the tops of 
such should be nipped off, to check them and encourage 
the weak shoots to grow stronger. 
Forming specimens. —Considerable art and constant 
attention are requisite, in order to produce handsomely 
formed plants. One great point is, not to overpot them. 
Large pots may produce large leafy plants, but they will 
not produce, when wanted, a blaze of bloom. The pots 
should be well filled with roots by the time the plants 
come into bloom. After winter is over, put them into 
their blooming pots, and shift no more till they arc cut 
down. 
The next point is, the formation of the plant, so as to 
make a handsome bush. —To do this perfectly, the training 
operation should commence whilst the plant is young. 
Supposing, then, it is a nice, young, healthy plant, with one 
stem; that stem should be stopped by nipping off the centre 
bud. It will send out three or four side-shoots. As soon 
as these will bear it, tie them out nearly horizontally, or 
flat across the pot at equal distances. This must bo done 
carefully and by degrees, or they will slip off close to the 
main stem. When they have advanced a few inches in 
the new position, stop them again: each shoot will send 
forth two more. These should bo tied out the same as 
the first. Most likely a shoot or two more will spring 
out near to the main stem. These should be stopped as 
soon as they have attained a few inches in height: the 
plant will then present the appearance of a specimen in 
embryo, and will soon require repotting. There are three 
ways of tying-out these shoots. The most common is 
that with short sticks ; the second, with hooked pegs ; 
and a third, by tying round the outside of the pot, close 
to the rim, a piece of string or mat, and tying the shoots 
down to it with other pieces of mat. I prefer the sticks 
myself, because they can be placed exactly where the 
shoot requires bending ; but in careful hands, any of the 
three ways may be used. The string round the pot has 
the advantage of concealing the means by which the 
training is done. Very little care after this laying of the 
frame of the future specimen is needful. Keep the shoots 
equal in length on every side, and the centre shoots a 
little above those of the sides, and the specimen will be 
symmetrical; and when in bloom will look like a globe of 
flQwers. Every season, as long as the plants continue in 
health and manageable as to size, the cultivator will take 
care, when he cuts them down after the wood is hardened, 
that the branches forming the framework of the specimen 
are left so as to continue the shape of the plauts. 
TWELVE SELECTED NEW VARIETIES. 
Ariel (Fellowes’).— Lower petals pure white; top petals 
dark, rich carmine spot, with a margin of pure white. A good 
grower, dwarf habit, and good substance. Has gained several 
prizes. , . , 
Bride, The (Beck’s).—Lower petals pure white, keeping the 
colour to the last; the upper petals have a large, rosy, carmine 
blotch, margined with white. Greatly admired wherever it has 
been exhibited. 
Blink Bonny (White’s).— Bright crimson lower petals ; 
black blotch on the upper petals, with scarlet margin. Good 
shape, excellent habit, and a free bloomer. 
Brilliant (Foster’s).—Scarlet. Lower petals medium sized ; 
black blotch on the upper petals; margined with scarlet. The 
best of its class. 
Fire Queen (Foster’s).—Fiery scarlet. Crimson lower petals ; 
dark blotch, with crimson margin on the upper petal. A rich 
bright variety. 
Lady Canning (Hoyle’s).—A largo rose-coloured flower. 
Dark spot on the upper petals shaded with scarlet, and a broad 
margin of rose. This will bo a favourite from its pleasing colour. 
Leviathan (Hoyle's).—Lower petals rich purple; upper petals 
dark blotch, with broad margin of purple. Good form and sub¬ 
stance. Distinct and novel. 
Mrs. Ellice (Laing’s).—A spoiled variety. Lower petals 
bright rose, with deep crimson spots; upper petals blotched 
w ith maroon. Good shape; stiff petals. A fine, distinct 
variety. 
Prince of Wales (Hoyle’s).—Tinted rose. Lower petals 
dark maroon blotch, with a narrow margin of rose on the upper 
petals. A fine, well-shaped variety. 
Slotted Pet (Dobson’s).—Lilac, with maroon spots on the 
lower petals ; dark spots on the upper petals, shading off to lilac. 
Distinct and novel. 
Ringleader (Dobson’s).—Pale rose. Lower petals white eye; 
upper petals blotched with maroon, shading to pale rose. A 
large, bold flower, quite distinct. 
Peacock (Turner’s). 1 — A rose-coloured flower, with dark 
maroon spots on each petal; white centre. A large, bold, gay 
flower, striking and effective. 
Twenty-one shillings each. 
EIGHTEEN SELECTED OLDER VARIETIES. 
These are all distinct, finely coloured, and of good form. 
Aurelia 
Ardens 
Admirable 
Bcllona 
Charmer 
Conqueror 
Eclipse 
Fancy 
Fairest of the Fair 
Gem of the West 
Governor General 
General Williams 
Mazeppa 
Meteor 
Mr. Hoyle 
Mr. Maruock 
Queen of Beauties 
Rosalie 
SIX SELECTED NEW FANCY DELARGONIUMS. 
Beauty.— Bright rosy lake; white throat, and white margin. 
Distinct, novel, and fine. 
Caetitator. —Violet crimson, with light throat and edges, 
i Bright and showy. 
Formosum. —White centre; top petals violet maroon; lower 
I petals white, mottled with lilac. 
! Marchioness oe Tweedale. —Bright crimson, shaded with 
violet; white eye and margin. An excellent variety, and a good 
grower. 
Modestum. —’White, with bright rosy spots; lower petals 
mottled with silvery rose. A delicate, distinct, novel variety. 
Negro. —The darkest variety known, being nearly black; 
white throat and margin. A well-contrasted, striking variety. 
TWELVE 
Acme 
Bridesmaid 
Carminatum 
Claudiana 
SELECTED OLDER VARIETIES. 
Helen Faucit Mrs. Column 
Madame Rougiero Princess Royal 
Moonlight Rosabella 
Mrs. Turner Sir Joseph Paxton 
These twelve are all distinct and good kinds. I can confidently 
recommend them. All the fancy varieties seem to have fallen 
into Mr. Turner’s possession. He has either raised them him¬ 
self, or bought the stock from the raiser. 
