UNIV. OF

THE

FLORICULTURAL CABINET,

JANUARY 1ST, 1846.

PART I.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS

AND

EMBELLISHMENTS.

ARTICLE I.

CALCEOLARIAS, SEEDLING VARIETIES, RAISED BY MR. JOSEPH
PLANT, FLORIST, CHEADLE, STAFFORDSHIRE.

IN former volumes we have figured several of the fine seedling Cal-
ceolarias, raised by Mr. Plant, and remarked too upon his great per-
severance and success in raising some of the best kinds which have
been produced. We have now the pleasure to introduce an entire new
section of these lovely flowers, viz., a striped class. Specimens were
sent us during the past summer, consisting of several varieties, from
which we selected those now figured; and we have no doubt the
great beauty and novelty they possess will soon conduct them into
every good collection. They are, we believe, shrubby kinds, which
renders them more valuable. An intermixture of these with some of
the large self-coloured varieties, will, no doubt, furnish additional
beauties. We hope Mr. Plant will meet with that encouragement his
industry entitles him to, in an extensive sale of the varieties we now
figure.

Some judicious remarks upon the culture of Calceolarias was given in our last volume, p. 132, to which we beg to refer our readers; also to p. 118 in the same volume, and to several other communications inserted in previous volumes, giving ample particulars of the entire routine of treatment.

VOL. XIV. No. 155.

A

ARTICLE II.

ON THE NORTHERN FLORISTS' TREATMENT OF THE
POLYANTHUS.

BY MR. JOHN SLATER, FLORIST, CHEETHAM-HILL, MANCHESTer.

No flower can more justly lay claim to the title of being beautiful than the Polyanthus. Its varied tints, the richness of its colouring, the grace and elegance of its form, agreeable fragrance, easy propagation, hardy nature, and being one of Flora's earliest visitors, it is welcomed with no ordinary feelings of satisfaction by every one who possesses the least taste for flowers. To the industry and zealous attention of the northern florists we are much indebted for the rapid and progressive improvement it has made during the last few years. It is supposed to owe its origin from both the Primrose and the Oxlip.

The Polyanthus is grown to the greatest perfection in an airy situation, yet sheltered from the rays of the sun, as its excessive heat has a tendency to impair its strength. In the spring it is necessary to examine the plants and pots minutely early in the morning, as well as in the evening, to destroy all slugs and snails which may be found upon them, as they are very great enemies to this plant. The Polyanthus has also another formidable enemy, though small; this is the acarus, or red spider. When the plants are infected with this destructive insect the leaves become yellow and spotted. The best remedy is to remove the infected plant immediately from your collection, and place it in a more distant situation, and soak it in a strong infusion of tobacco-water. A sprinkling of quick-lime upon the plants has been found beneficial and effectual.

The young florist is recommended to select his plants in bloom. The Polyanthus grows best in a light sandy soil, and some florists add peat when a yellow sandy soil cannot be got. The following compost will grow them well:

The properties of a fine Polyanthus are as follow:

The stem ought to be strong, elastic, and erect, of such a height that the truss may be above the grass or leaves of the plant. The foot-stalks should be stiff, and of a proportionable length to the size and quantity of the pips, and not less than five or more in number, that the truss may be close and complete. The pipe, tube, or neck of the petal should rise above the impalement, be short, and finish fluted in the eye; the antheræ should cover the neck of the tube: this is what the florists call a thrum eye. When the style perforates and shows its stigma above the antheræ, this is called a pin eye, from its resembling a pin head. Such a flower is rejected by all modern florists, let its other properties be what they may.

The tube should be round, of a bright yellow colour, well filled with anthers, bold and distinct. The eye should be round, of a bright clear yellow, and distinct from the ground or body colour. The ground or body colour should be a dark rich crimson, resembling velvet, quite free from speck or blemish of any kind. The pips should be large, and of rich and lively colours, and nearly all of one size, and lie quite flat and smooth, as free as possible from ridges or fluting, and as round as they well can be to preserve their peculiarly beautiful figure, which is circular, excepting those small indentions between each division of the limb, which divide it into five or six heart-shaped segments. The edging should resemble a bright gold lace, exactly the same colour as the eye, and go perfectly round each petal, also down the centre of each division of the limb to the eye, and the lacing or edging to be all of one breadth.

The best period for potting plants is after blooming, which will be in June, when especial care should be taken to make a good drainage, The plants must be dressed, and all offsets or heads which have roots should be detached. After potting, water well, that the soil may be the better settled to the roots, and place them in a shady yet airy situation, and water them only when it is actually necessary, else there is a probability of their perishing by the rot. They will require protection during the winter months; a frame is the best, taking care to let them have the advantage of all fine weather. In March you may give them the benefit of all gentle showers of rain that may fall. Top dress them with a strong compost. The compost generally used is cow-dung and horse-dung, very old, and a very small quantity of coarse sand. If you intend to exhibit, you must

thin out all superfluous buds; those in the centre are the best to be

taken away.

New varieties are raised from seed; and, if you wish to be successful, take seed only from those kinds which possess good properties. When the seed-vessels begin to open the seed is nearly ripe, and every day you must gather such heads as are brown, or else you will in all probability lose the best of your seed. The seed should be spread upon paper, and perfectly dried before it is laid by, to be kept in that state until the last week in January or first week in February, when it must be sown in small pots, and the seeds covered with soil about the thickness of a shilling, then covering the pot over close with a glass. The plants will make their appearance in about six weeks. When they are large enough, transplant them into other pots, about one inch apart, and in June or July transplant into other pots. When they require watering, do it with a brush by rubbing your hand over it, so that it may fall upon the soil like a heavy dew.

ARTICLE III.

ON THE DISPOSITION OF FLOWERS IN MASSES,

BY LUCY.

THE system of disposing plants in masses, so frequently and ably advocated in the FLORICULTURAL CABINET, is becoming very general, and certainly produces a much better effect than the tedious monotony of an indiscriminate mixture. In the practice, however, of this superior method, it should be remembered, that the groups and masses ought to be considered as parts of a whole, and as such, should harmonise and unite with each other, with regard to form and colour. Without attention to this point, the several disunited and independent parts will no more form a gardenesque landscape, than the colours arranged on the painter's palette will of themselves form a picture. I have known more than one small garden spoiled by a disregard of proportion, the shrubs and flowers being disposed in groups of far too large a size. In such a situation, a single plant, or a group of two or three, must be considered to bear the same proportion to the whole, as much larger masses or groups bear in the case of a park. Although I approve, as I have said above, of the principle of placing different species in groups and masses, I think that there are cases in which,