January  9,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEN 
33 
BEGONIA  FRCEBELI  INCOMP ARABILIS. 
At  the  second  of  the  November  meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  held  in  the  Drill  Hall,  Westminster,  Mr.  J.  T.  Bennett  Poe, 
Cheshunt,  staged  a  plant  of  this  hybrid  Begonia,  remarkable  alike  for 
its  flowers,  the  time  of  their  production,  and  the  leafage.  It  is  the 
result  of  a  cross  between  the  well-known  B.  Froebeli  and  the  lesser 
known  winter-flowering  B.  polypetala,  of  which  the  former  was  the  seed 
this  feature  alone  the  plant  would  be  well  worthy  the  extended  attention 
of  growers,  but  combining  with  that  beautiful  flowers  it  becomes  a 
veritable  acquisition,  and  cannot  fail  to  be  popular  when  the  stock 
has  increased  and  the  plant  is  widely  known.  The  woodcut  (fig.  5) 
depicts  the  character  of  growth  and  the  manner  in  which  the  flowers  are 
borne.  The  Floral  Committee  of  the  R.H.S.  showed  its  appreciation  of 
B.  Froebeli  incomparabilis  by  according  to  it  a  first-class  certificate,  an 
honour  that  was  justly  deserved. 
FIG.  5.— BEGONIA  FRCEBELI  INCOMPARABILIS. 
parent.  In  appearance  there  is  a  remarkable  resemblance  to  B.  Frobeli, 
both  in  respect  of  the  leafage  and  the  inflorescence,  but  dissimilar  to  it 
in  its  time  of  flowering,  which  has  apparently  been  governed  by  the 
pollen-bearing  parent.  The  flowers,  borne  on  long,  upright  footstalks, 
are  much  larger  than  those  of  the  type,  in  fact  many  of  them  measured 
decidedly  over  3  inches  in  diameter.  The  colour  is  an  intense  scarlet 
crimson,  which  will  always  render  it  welcome  at  the  dull  period  of  the 
year  when  the  blooms  are  produced.  Descending  the  2-feet  long  foot¬ 
stalks  we  are  Btruck  by  the  remarkable  foliage,  of  which  one  leaf 
measured  18  inches  in  length,  with  a  breadth  of  fully  12  inches.  For 
FLOWERS  FOR  CHRISTMAS. 
( Continued  from  page  569.) 
CALLAS  (Richardia  ^Ethiopica).— These  are  exceedingly  useful,  and 
aDpropriate  for  Christmas  and  the  new  year.  If  only  a  few  they  add  to 
the  variety,  and  make  an  agreeable  change  ;  in  fact  every  endeavour 
should  be  made  to  obtain  some  of  their  commanding  spathes  which,  with 
their  own  foliage,  can  be  used  most  effectively  in  many  positions.  The 
spathes,  as  well  as  the  foliage,  last  well  if  secured  in  wide-necked  bottles 
filled  with  water  and  held  in  position  by  a  little  moss.  When  used  in 
this  way  the  bottles  can  be  readily  bidden,  which  would  not  be  so 
easy  were  7  or  8-inch  pots  employed.  When  the  stock  of  these  plants 
