April 21, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
537 
was greatly enhanced by the almost black disk in the 
centre of it. Perhaps the blossoms of this variety may 
be regarded as a little too large to secure refinement 
of form, but perhaps this will come with a generation 
or two of propagated plants. The founders of the old 
National Floricultural Society were always right in 
insisting upon the presence of the dark disk as one of 
the most important points in the quality of a Cineraria. 
—R. D. 
Polyanthuses. 
It is worthy of note that many inquiries are being made 
after named varieties of the charming gold-laced 
What sort of display of these Polyanthuses there will 
be in London on Tuesday, one can only conjecture. 
My own plants are very late in flowering, and at present 
I have two only in bloom, and those two of the earliest 
—Prince Regent and William the Fourth ; the others 
come on very slowly indeed. At the end of February 
they promised to flower early, and I wrote to that effect 
at the time ; but I had not calculated upon the long 
spell of cold winds and such retarding weather. All 
growers of gold-laced Polyanthuses are agreed that 
cold east winds are injurious to the plants, and such 
a long spell of them—if not from the east, from 
of the varieties. It is not well to allow a stem to carry 
too many pips—seven or eight are enough to make a 
good symmetrical truss, therefore they should be 
thinned out to this number, leaving only those likely 
to be the most perfect ; and when this is done, the 
practice of the old growers of plants for exhibition might 
be followed, by inserting a little cotton-wool between 
them just before they begin to open, so as to allow 
them free room in which to expand. As the sun is daily 
acquiring power, the expanding blossoms should be 
shaded from its rays when hot, at the same time not 
depriving the plants of a free circulation of air.— E. L. 
Varieties of Cineraria, natural size. A, Marie ; B, Coquette ; C, Favourite ; D, Gaiety ; E, unnamed; F, Irene. 
Polyanthus, which point to a reviving interest in this 
refined flower. If anyone might be said to find 
refinement in a flower, it is in a perfectly marked pip of 
Cheshire Favourite, George the Fourth, or Prince Regent. 
I have now a small expanded truss of bloom of the last- 
named, and the marking is so good, that it appears like 
an artistic setting in gold on a ground of rich crimson- 
maroon velvet. It is true there is not a great deal of 
variety in the gold-laced section—although there is 
much more than is generally supposed by casual ob¬ 
servers—but there is a peculiar fascination about well- 
marked flowers to which a devotee, with a keen eye for 
beauty, is compelled to submit. 
the north and north-west also—appeared to have a 
benumbing effect on them. They may be said to 
have stood still for a lengthened period ; and it is 
only within the past three weeks that they have put 
forth a kindly growth. At this stage a free circulation 
of air is necessary, provided that anything in the way 
of cold chilling winds are not permitted to blow on the 
flowers, or it will affect their perfect development. 
Nor should they be suffered to want for water. In the 
case of plants that are thoroughly established in their 
pots, a little weak manure-water will be beneficial, but 
it should be given with great care, and only when the 
grower is pretty well acquainted with the requirements 
Emmerton’s Treatiss on Florist’s Flowers. 
I am pleased to think that the information concerning 
this work has proved of service to “R. V.”, but what 
astonishes me is that he, having access to our great 
national library, failed to find the book in the official 
catalogues. I never heard of the work in question 
until it was inquired for by “ R. V.”, and being at the 
Museum on other business, thought I would look it up. 
As I am somewhat accustomed to the arrangement of 
the enormous catalogue there, I can assure “ R. V.” 
that I found the reference to Emmerton’s work in less 
than three minutes from the time of starting, and had 
the book before me in about a quarter of an hour. 
