small, nearly circular, and the stems as well as the under side of the leaves are covered with stiff brown hairs. The flowers are small, white, which are succeeded by reddish-purple berries. Messrs. Veitch have received plants of it from their collector Mr. Lobb. (Paxton's Flower Garden.)

GRAMMATOPHYLLUM SPECIOSUM. N. O. Orchidea.-It is a stove Epiphyte, which inhabits Java. "The vigour of its growth and extraordinary size of its flowers render it the Queen of Orchids." The late Mr. Griffith found it with a scape six feet high, and an inch through its stem at the base, bearing a profusion of blossoms, for half its length. Each flower is nearly four inches across and somewhat leathery; the outside is a pale lemon colour; inside a bright yellow, marked very regularly, with numerous roundish-brown spots. is a magnificent plant, and has bloomed in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges's. (Figured in Paxton's Flower Garden, 69.)

It

GRINDELIA GRANDIFLOra. N. O. Compositæ-asteroideæ. - A native of South America. Seeds were received at the Royal Gardens of Kew, and during last summer and autumn up to November it bloomed in the open flower-bed. It appears to be either annual or a biennial. The plant we saw was four feet high, having a stout stem, numerously branching all the way up, and at the end of each a flower is borne. The entire branches thus adorned composes a corymbous head two to three feet across. Each blossom is of a rich bright orange colour, with a sulphur centre, and three inches across. It is one of the most ornamental flowering plants for the flower garden, and ought to be in every garden. (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4628.)

IMPATIENS CORNIGERA. N. O. Balsaminæ. Seeds of it were sent from Ceylon to the Royal Gardens of Kew, where the plant bloomed all last summer and autumn in the stove. It grows three feet high, branching much. Each blossom is single, about an inch across, yellowish, deeply tinged with pink. (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4623.)

IMPATIENS PLATYPETALA.—A similar habited plant to the above, with larger flowers, of a violet-purple colour. It is named I. pulcherrima, by Sir William Hooker. It is the finest of this class of Balsams.

LOBELIA COMPACTA.-One of the upright growing, a profuse bloomer, and the flowers of a pretty light blue. Ought to be grown by all.

LOMATIA FERRUGINEA. N. O. Proteads. A half-hardy shrub from South Chili, obtained by Messrs. Veitch, in whose nursery it grows in the open air. The leaves are doubly pinnate, each, when mature, being from six to twelve inches long. When young, of a beautiful rust colour, afterwards of a deep green. The shrub grows in its native country three yards high. The flowers are produced in short erect racemes, are green outside, and crimson inside.

MACHERANTHERA TANACETIFOLIA. N. O. Compositæ-asteroideæ. -A native of New Mexico. It is a half shrubby plant, with tansylike foliage. It is a tender biennial, flourishing in the open ground in

of a

suinmer. The flowers are aster-shaped, about two inches across, purple colour, with a golden-yellow centre. They are pretty, and produced at the ends of the shoots. (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4624.)

MIMULUS ELEGANCE. velvet blotches, very fine.

Lemon-coloured ground, with crimson

ONCIDIUM SCHLIMII.-Thomas Brocklehurst, Esq., of the Fence, near Macclesfield, purchased this new species at a sale of Mr. Linden's Orchids. A tall rambling plant. The panicle of flowers is long, borne on short racemes along each side of the main stem. The flowers are an inch across, of a bright yellow, having irregular bars of brown. (Paxton's Flower Garden.)

PELARGONIUM, SHRUBLAND PET. This very pretty bedding variety has been raised by Mr. Beaton. Its habit is in the way of Purple Unique, but is very dwarf, a free grower, leaves sweet-scented, and much jagged at the edges. A charming addition.

P. QUEEN OF PORTUGAL.-This is like the Purple Unique in most respects, but a more vigorous grower, and the trusses of flowers are larger, having nearly double the number of blossoms in a truss. Their fine heads of rich purple-velvet flowers are very showy.

PODOCARPUS NUBIGENA.—Mr. Lobb sent this beautiful hardy evergreen bush, or tree, to Messrs. Veitch. It is a native of Southern Chili. It belongs to the Taxads (Yews), having linear-shaped, stiff, deep-green leaves. It is a valuable acquisition.

POTENTILLA BICOLOR-GRANDIFLORA.-Flower very large, goldenyellow, with a broad scarlet border, very superb.

PENTSTEMON BACCHARIFOLIUS. -A native of Texas, seeds of which were sent by Dr. Wright to the Royal Gardens of Kew. Plants of which bloomed in the open beds during last summer and autumn, where we saw it in beautiful bloom. It is an annual, growing from half a yard to two feet high. The flowers are borne in large terminal panicles. Each blossom is tubular, funnel-shaped, an inch and a half long, of a bright-scarlet colour. It is a very pretty addition to our garden annuals, and merits a place in every one. (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4627.)

RANUNCULUS CORTUSEFOLIUS (Synonym, R. grandifolius). — The handsomest of all the Buttercups. A native of the Canary Islands and Madeira, which is quite hardy. The stem rises two to four feet high, and the flowers are produced in terminal, cymose-panicles. Each blossom is about three inches across, of beautiful glossy-yellow colour. (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4625.)

SALVIA CANDELABRUM.-A native of the South of Spain. It is a hardy perennial, with leaves much like our common Sage, and the floral stem rises a yard high, branching, producing numerous large blossoms, having a greenish-yellow upper lip, and a rich violet lower one. Each blossom is an inch and a half long and an inch across the expanded mouth. (Paxton's Flower Garden.)

ROSE PRUNING.

BY MR. H. STILWELL, OF PINE APPLE NURSERY, EDGEWARE ROAD, LONDON,

(Continued from page 14.)

In the January Number I stated the disadvantages of late planting the Rose, and the disappointment resulting therefrom to the extensive cultivators. I shall now notice the old custom of Rose pruning at Christmas or even previous to that time.

First, on pruning (so called) the last year's wood, generally left from sixteen to eighteen inches long. To see it thus performed is not a new thing with myself, my almost daily calls at gardens in and around London, supply specimens. The result of such pruning is, that in two or three years the plants are unsightly objects, even past recovery, unless they be cut closely back to the origin of their first shoots, and by so doing, the consequence is the production of a quantity of luxuriant shoots without any flowers. With such improper pruned plants we ought to cut back freely only the worst parts first, and leave the others till the following season. By this method, we shall have some flowers each season, and the defective form may in time be repaired.

I now notice the best time for pruning the Rose, especially Standard and half Standards generally.

I have found, from six years' practice, that the plants never failed in producing a good supply of flowers, being pruned in February, and some of the later pushing in the early part of March. By this time the most severe weather is usually past, and the buds below where I cut to are unmoved and consequently uninjured, but when the plants are pruned at Christmas or earlier, the buds upon the shoots left begin at a proportionate early period to push, and when thus excited, and severe weather occur, the buds are generally injured or wholly destroyed.

Rose pruning is susceptible of three divisions:-First, long pruning; second, moderate; and third, close pruning.

Such

Long pruning should be applied to all strong growing kinds. should have six of the strongest shoots retained at as regular distances apart as circumstances admit, and be cut back so as to leave four buds, or if the wood be very vigorous, five buds. At the same time cut clean away any dead parts, &c. These remarks more particularly apply to most of the Hybrid China; H. Bourbons; H. Provence ; H. Perpetual; H. Damask; and to the Moss, Gallica, or French, &c. The second or moderate pruning requires to have the knife exercised more freely, and only three buds be left on the last year's shoots, care being taken to have the shoots at about equal distances, so as to make the head round and compact.

The third, or close pruning, is applied to some of our latest new kinds, for as many of them make but little wood the closest pruning is essential with such.

Under this head may be classed some of the weaker of the Moss Roses, &c.

FUCHSIAS AND VERBENAS.

BY ORION.

(Continued from page 12.)

VERBENAS stand very high in the estimation of the flower-loving world. and deservedly so, for what rival have they for filling beds on lawns? What is there that will make a grander display, from early in the season to quite the close? So various are the shades of colour that a splendid parterre may be laid out consisting entirely and exclusively of the Verbena; almost any coat of arms may be copied, yellow is the only decided colour wanting; though new ones described as yellow, have been, I think, dishonestly sent out, only to prove dirty whites or pale Primroses. But no more need be brought forward to prove the superiority of this many-coloured flower over every other, for bedding and other out-door purposes, but is this position maintained, when brought into contrast with other pot plants for conservatory and sitting-room ornament? We fear it will not then be found to rank so high. It is a flower that is very rarely exhibited "done well " in pots, some few gardeners have succeeded; as, for instance, Robinson's Defiance, when first exhibited, was grown and flowered in a very beautiful manner, but the few cases we could give form the exception to the rule that Verbenas are never seen to advantage at Horticultural Exhibitions. They are sometimes seen in cut bunches, but that is a very absurd manner of displaying floral productions, perhaps forty or fifty trusses huddled promiscuously together into one tube, all individuality gone, swallowed up in one mass of scarlet, blue, or white as the case may be. The generally established rule is to exhibit one truss of each variety, which is very good in its way, but is this a fair exhibition? can the merits of "bedding plants" be judged by a single truss, or even three being staged or boxed? the answer is No, and this will account for the large number of weeds which have been of late years honoured by a name. A Verbena may justly take a prize as a seedling, and yet, afterwards, be thrown away as an absolute worthless bedding plant. A very eminent florist, a worthy successor of one who did much for Verbenas in years gone by, showing the writer last summer his collection of upwards of seventy new varieties obtained from every raiser, said, to console himself for buying so many, there would not be more than ten, or one-seventh part, which he should keep to sell out the forthcoming spring," this should be looked into. Very many of the seventy had prizes awarded, or were distinguished in some way, but as bedding flowers they failed to come up to the descriptions which had been so liberally accorded them. The fact is, Verbenas have been dragged in of late years to take rank as a "florist's flower." Heliotropes, Phloxes and other plants are new recruits, and the end of it will be, species will soon become rarities; florists enlisting all seedling flowers and hybridizing them to an unlimited extent. This may be done to advantage, provided the habit and uses of the plants be borne in mind, but as instanced in the Verbena, striving to get a perfectly round flower with compact truss (not by any means a hopeless case), the required free blooming habit

"that

REMARKS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF CAPE HEATHS.

333

is abandoned, merely to force nature to assume rotundity, if we may thus express what Mr. Glenny has been so long labouring to lay down as the only perfection of beauty. It is a curious fact that the better habit the flower the less rotundity of petals is there, and vice versâ, the rounder the flower, the worse becomes the habit; to instance this, Smith's Vixen, perhaps the best formed flower yet seen, is of very bad habit, and difficult of propagation, in good sense, well deserviug its appropriate name. To sum up, though Verbenas may have progressed as regards form, it is to be feared no advance has been made in colour, habit, &c.; the year 1848, when Mr. Bell, of Norwich, sent out a set which did him honour, has not yet been eclipsed; besides Vulcan, Edmundiana, Duke of Norfolk, Marquis of Douro, Supreme, White Giant, and Petoiana, "all sent out by Mr. Bell," the same season there first appeared, Lady of the Lake, St. Margaret, Captivation, Emperor of China, Anacreon, Defiance, and many others equally good, all of which proved themselves on the bed well worthy of general cultivation. A few good novelties as Eclipse, Princess Alice, Apollon, Wonderful, Sunset, Magnificent, and last, not least, Madame Buenzod, have since been sent out, but not sufficient in the "bedders aggregate as to equal those of the year 1848. This will go far to prove, that in awarding prizes, habit and freedom of bloom is not sufficiently considered, and before flowers do have rewards, it should be satisfactorily proved that they are, in every respect, worthy of them, that is, when grown either for exhibition, bedding in masses, or ornamental display. Without something of this scrt is actually done, amateurs, and even most nurserymen, will avoid buying new advertised flowers, though ceived four prizes and six certificates from the National," be appended to each name. In conclusion, the two best scarlets for general purposes are Defiance and Sunset; purple, Heloisa and Apollon; white, Wonderful and Giant; lilac, Lilac Rival and Queen; cherry and pink, St. Margaret and Anacreon; while Princess Alice and Madame Buenzod distance all others I have seen in the fancy, or dark eyed, class. The best formed flowers, "habit, &c., not considered," have been Model, Comte de Paris, both very old, Vixen, Marquis of Douro, Queen of Summer, Junius, and Exquisite. The French varieties possess more novelty but are generally deficient in shape. The best of them are Chauverii, John Salter, Gloire de Paris, Pauline, Morphee, Niobe, and Reine Hortense. A new one named Auricula is likely to be in great request, being distinct from anything yet in cultivation, a light blue, with very striking white centre.

66

re

REMARKS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF CAPE HEATHS. BY MR. CHARLES SUTHERLAND, "FOREMAN OF THE EXOTIC DEPARTMENT, AT MESSRS, LEE'S NURSERY, HAMMERSMITH.

OBSERVING that a correspondent recently requested some brief remarks. on the management of Cape Heaths, so as to have them in a "bushy" state, I forward a few particulars relative thereto, which I trust will be of some service to the individual, as well as other growers of this