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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND CO 
ing from July (o October. Requires raising in gentle heat, and 
planting out in May. 
laoPmra Nasturtium (New dwarf crimson, Scarlet, and 
Spot tec).— These arc all garden hybrids, blit come true from 
seed. Free to bloom, and useful for bedding. 
Whitlavia grandiflora. —A hardy annual, from California, 
of a dark-violet colour, growing a foot'high. Well adapted for 
pots, rocku ork, and bedding. Should be sown early in May. 
It flowers from July to October, and is a free bloomer, and very 
handsome. 
The New Annuals for 1859, arc— 
Calliopsis bicolor nana. —Though not quite new, this dwarf 
has proved to be a valuable annual for bedding. It is of a dark- 
red colour, grows only a foot high, and is very hardy. Sow early 
in May. 
Coilinsia multicolor marmoeata (marbled). — A. garden 
variety, growing nine inches high, with flowers of a white and 
rose colour, perfectly hardy. May be sown in April. Flowers 
from June to October. 
Fenzlia dianthifloea. — A rose and lilac-coloured annual, 
with dark eye, half hardy. Height six inches, flowering from 
July to October. Well adapted for bedding, and to grow in pots 
for the greenhouse. Very beautiful. Requires to be sown in a 
gentle heat early in April. 
IPOJAEA HEDERACEA SUPEIiBA. GRANDIFLORA, I. UEDERACEA 
xilacinea, I. iiedebacea ATRO-viOLACEA.— All these are green¬ 
house annual climbers, with white margins, and arc exceedingly 
beautiful. In a warm situation they will grow well, and flower 
profusely in the open air. 
Lupines nanus albus. — The dwarf Lupin, with white 
flowers. Novel in colour, and very pretty. To be sown early in 
May. A garden ijariety. 
Nolana pakadoxa yiolacea. —This is a low creeping annual, 
with violet-coloured large flowers, well adapted for baskets in a 
greenhouse, or for roekwork in the open air. The colour is rich 
and beautiful, Sow in May, in the open border, or in pots, if 
required for basket culture. 
GUnotiieea BISTOKTA Veitciiii.— A half-hardy new annual, 
from California. The flowers arc yellow, with a dark spot at the 
bottom of each petal. It grows a foot high, and flowers from 
July to October most profusely. This will be a favourite bedding 
plant, and docs well on roekwork. Sow in pots, place in gentle 
heat in April, and plant out in June. 
Salpiglossis sinuata ATKO-cocciNEA. —A new dark scarlet 
variety, of great beauty, growing a foot high. Suitable for green¬ 
house decoration. Sow in pots, in gentle heat, in April. I’ot off 
singly in small pots, and repot twice afterwards. Worthy of 
every care and general cultivation. A garden variety. 
Tiior.EOLUM Nasturtium — Tom Thumb (Carter’s).—This 
is a very useful variety, bright scarlet, like the Tom Thumb 
Geranium, and is well suited for beds, pots, or vases. The flowers 
are large, and stand above the foliage. Very showy, and free to 
flower. 
Viscaeia oculata Dunettii. —A lovely variety of a lovely 
species. Flowers rosy blush, with a very dark eye. A beautiful 
hardy annual, growing a foot high, and blooming profusely. May 
be sown the first week in May, on a border or a bed. 
Chrysanthemum tricolor Burridgii. —This is a beautiful 
variety, raised by Mr. Burridge, the noted flower-seed grower, at 
Colchester. The colour is white, with crimson-and-yellow circles 
at the base of each petal. Suitable for a large bed, or for the 
back row of a ribbon border. May be sown in April, in the open 
border. 
The second part of the query refers to such annuals as may be 
sown in pots, for, as our Correspondent says, to bloom in masses, 
or in twos and threes in the greenhouse. 
The following may bo sown to bloom in masses ; but they should 
not be allowed to stand very much crowded. On the contrary, I 
would advise them to be thinned out, so as to allow each plant 
at least an inch square : — 
Acroclinium roseum. For description, see preceding list. 
Clinlonia elegans. Blue. Six inches high. 
,, pulckella. White and yellow. Six inches high. 
Fenzlia dianihflora. See preceding list. 
Grammanthes gentianoides. Scarlet. Six inches high. 
„ „ crocea. Yellow. Six inches high. 
Leptosiphon androsaceus. Various-coloured. One foot high. 
„ densijlorus. Purple. Nine inches high. 
Mesembryanthemum tricolor. Pink. Six inches high. 
lihodanihe Manglesii. Rose and yellow. One foot high. 
NTRY GENTLEMAN, March 29, 1859. 
The following should be sown in the autumn, and potted ono 
or more in a pot, to flower as soon as the greenhouse plants are 
placed out in the open air:— 
*Brachgcome iberidifolia. Blue. Six inches high. 
Browallia demissa. Blue. Nine inches high. 
,, data. Pale blue. Eighteen inches high. 
Calandrinia discolor. Rose. One foot high. 
„ grandiflora. Purple. One foot high. 
„ umbcllata. Crimson. One foot high. 
Cleome speciosissima. Purple. Very showy. One foot high. 
Didiscus coendeus. Pale blue. Eighteen inches high. 
Eucnida Bartonioidcs. Yellow. One foot high. 
Gaillardia hybrida grandiflora. Crimson and yellow. Very 
fine and showy. Two feet high. 
Humea elegans. Biennial. Sow in June, to flower the foliow- 
_ ing year. 
*Linum grandflorum tcermesinum. 
Martynia fragrans. Pule purple. Very fragrant. Two feet high. 
Phlox Drummondii. Various-coloured. One foot high. 
Portulacca: Many varieties. Various colours. Six inches high. 
* Salpiglossis sinuata. Various. One foot high. 
*Schizanthus retusus. Scarlet and orange. Very showy. Two 
feet high. 
„ pinnatus Priesiii. White. 
* Thunbergia alata and varieties. Climbers. 
Tropceolum Lobbianum and varieties. Climbers. 
Besides these there are Balsams, Cockscombs, tree Mignonette, 
Globe Amaranths, &o. 
All these latter should be sown in March, potted off singly, 
and grown on in heat till they are fully grown and in flower ; 
then to he removed mto the greenhouse. Those marked * are the 
best for this purpose. 
“3rd. For the sake of those not over-rich, would you kindly 
mention the best varieties of the twenty-four and thirty-six 
colours of German Asters you see advertised iu the seed-lists of 
the present year.” 
The fact is, the seed-lists do not give the different colours of 
there flowers sold in sealed packets; but there are smaller 
packets of twelve varieties; and some of the best new varieties 
only contain six. Some seedsmen only charge for these smaller 
packets 1.?. 6 d. Surely that is cheap enough, even for those that 
are not over-rich. A good plan would be, for such as have small 
gardens, for two or three to join in purchasing different packets 
of different sorts ; they would then have more varieties, and not 
in such quantities. 
“4th. Will you try to induce seedsmen, &c., to make the 
packets smaller, and charge less ? We do not want to sow our 
gardens like our fields with one crop; but like variety, even as 
regards scarce seeds. A few of a moderate price would, I think, 
pay better than more than is really wanted, at a price that people 
will not give.” 
Older annuals may he had in small quantities at a low price; 
but new kinds, I fear, the seedsmen will not part with at less 
than they advertise. The last year’s annuals ave offered froiA -id. 
to ('id. per packet; but this year’s new annuals are generally from 
(id. to lv. per packet. The expense of procuring them from 
abroad renders this charge necessary. However, most of the 
seedsmen will read this paper and the queries ; and if they choose 
to make an alteration next year, our correspondent will bo glad 
he has sent these queries. As I said before, let two or three join, 
and then the price will be reduced individually.—T. Appleby. 
HISTORY OF THE VERBENA. 
Verbena melindres, the first scarlet, was introduced into this 
country (America) by the late Mr. T. Hogg, of New York —the 
man of truth —and by him distributed at a reasonable price, to his 
customers. I purchased a small plantathis nursery in 1832 or 
1833. In 1834 it was sold by the wagon-load in the Philadelphia 
market; and was, for two or three years, the leading plant. In 
1837 Verbena Tweediana was introduced simultaneously, and on 
board the same ship, by a Philadelphia nurseryman and Mr. 
George C. Thorburn, of New York. It was considered a superb 
affair, and sold readily at three dollars a plant. In 1838 Mr. 
Eyre, supercargo of the ship “ Globe,” brought from Mr. 
Tweedie, of Buenos Ayres, a paper of Verbena seed, from which 
were raised the white, rose, pink, and purple varieties. The 
flower of the White Verbena was exhibited before the Pensyl- 
