a vigorous grower, a very prolific bloomer, and being of a bright and lovely rose colour, which is delicately softened off towards the margin of the lip, it cannot fail to please all who grow it. It can be had at any of the principal nurseries near London.

ARTICLE II.

ON HYBRIDIZING.

BY J. E. M.

If we knew a person anxious for the attainment of some pastime combining dexterous manual management with considerable intellectual exercise, we do not know of one to whom we could more confidently point him than the pursuit of horticulture and floriculture. There is in the cultivation of flowers a charm for the most vacant mind; they also open up a field of study for the man of most auster thought; here, also, the most refined mind, alive to loveliness in every form, and beauty in every phase, finds ample scope for admiration; true, indeed, "Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

One of the greatest pleasures attendant on the pursuit of this art, consists in raising new and improved varieties of flowers; for, however beautiful flowers naturally are, there is no denying that they are doubly so when they come from the hands of the skilful hybridizer. In doing this, we are only taking advantage of the known laws that govern vegetable reproduction; it is on a small scale, art dictating to nature, and to that, in a great measure, we owe our many improved varieties of fruits and flowers. The field of experiment is boundless as the extent of nature itself. Thousands of flowers that our fathers looked upon as the pride and glory of their gardens, we now look upon as almost worthless as plants of ornament; were some old amateur of half a century ago to have a look at our gardens now, he would be bewildered by the blaze of beauty that would meet his eye; the change is not greater in form than in substance; the style of laying out gardens has advanced as well as the productions with which they are enriched. For the majority of our most beautiful varieties of flowers we are indebted to the skilful hydridizer; he soon gains a wonderful power over the colour and form of vegetable existence.

We shall suppose him admiring some beautiful flower, but, alas! it is too delicate for our surly climate; it comes from some country where frost never congealed its flowing sap, or blighted its opening beauties; still he admires and covets it; he has some of the same family in his garden, hardy fellows, that brave every blast; but they want the beautiful colour and form of their exotic relations. Our amateur is one who has studied the structure and functions of plants, and the laws by which those functions are governed in their operations; he thinks he may transfer the beautiful inflorescence of the exotic to its more hardy relations in the garden. And he does so; art triumphs over all, his skill and forethought are abundantly crowned with success. In thousands of instances has this transfer of inflorescence taken place, to the gratification of every admirer of nature's most lovely productions. The skill of the artist is rapidly changing the face of the floral world; a standard of perfection has been laid before the florist, and all are bent on its attainment. The art, however, is but in its infancy; there is not that precision and certainty in results which we think will yet be attained. However, much has been done; it is an employment full of the most pleasant excitement, and one to which we would invite all amateurs to share in.

As the object of hybridizing is to improve in form and colour, only the most perfect varieties of flowers ought to be chosen for this purpose; little advance need be expected, unless that rule be strictly attended to, as flowers that have been artificially improved are very apt to run back to their originals, unless urged on by the same superior attention that has brought them so far as they are. The plants to be operated on must not only be of the best and most perfect varieties, but they must also be in a high state of health, otherwise good seed cannot be obtained. When the flowers of a plant, intended for the seed plant, are about to open, and just before they expand, the petals must be gently opened, and with a fine pointed scissors cut out all the stamens, taking care not to hurt the stigma. thus early cutting out the stamens, is to prevent the from coming in contact with the stigma, which would defeat any attempts at cross impregnation by being done in the natural way. The plant to be operated on, and the plant to be operated with, must both be in the same state of forwardness as regards their blossom; very soon after the petals are expanded is the proper time to apply

The reason for

pollen on them

the pollen of the one to the stigma of the other; this may be done in various ways; either by bringing the flowers in contact, or by transferring the pollen on the point of a fine camel-hair pencil; for various reasons we prefer the former way when carefully done. After the operation is performed, which may be done two or three times to make sure, it is important that no contact with any other flower be permitted, either by flies, bees, or otherwise; to prevent that, we advise a covering of very thin gauze, or other similar materials, until the petals have faded, then to be discontinued. The plant must all the while be in such a situation as light, air, &c. will have free access, and due attention to watering, so as to keep it in full health.

In trying to gain a flower to the garden, it in general holds good, that seedlings from crossed flowers assume more of the blossom of the male plant, and in general character and hardiness the features of the mother, or seed plant, prevail; that is worth recollecting, when endeavours to produce the inflorescence of an exotic to stand our climate is the object of crossing. The above rule will also apply i the case of plants of bad habit, as many fine flowers often turn out. By attention and perseverance the flowers of a plant of bad habit may be transferred to one of the same family of fine habit, by impreg nating the one of fine habit with pollen from the one of bad habit. The exact flower, in form and colour, may not be produced, but a near approach may, and often does turn out, and very frequently something much superior.

Now will be a good time to cross the many varieties of the calceolarias, some of the best shrubby ones may be impregnated with the finest formed and marked of the herbaceous ones, as they are not only more easily kept, but with good management make finer specimens, and the herbaceous and shrubby ones cross quite freely. Fuchsias may now be done also, operating with those having flowers of the largest size, of very clear distinct colours, and marked con We would recommend the amateur to cross many of his perennials of distinct and opposite colours, such as Phloxes, Mimulis, Pentstemons, &c.; we need not mention Geraniums, Roses, Bouvardias, &c. However, in following this art, the amateur should be in possession of the standards of perfection for the different flowers as laid down, and acknowledged by the leaders in floral cultivation, so as he may be able to judge as to the relative value of flowers; other

trast.

wise, he may toil away, and when he sends the product of his pains and perseverance for the inspection of some competent judge, he may perhaps find out that they are all worthless. How often is this the case? And in most cases, it proceeds from using inferior varieties as breeding flowers, those far behind the standard of excellence.

ARTICLE III.

REMARKS ON THE DISPOSING OF EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS.

Ir yews be planted in proximity to a mansion, for the sake of valuable shelter from bleak winds, they should not assume a prominent position, but should be interspersed with groups of Weymouth pine or bay, and be faced with laurels of luxuriant growth. By such contrast, the gloom of their dingy leaf is relieved with vivid and glossy green; or, if the contrast appear too strong, it may be mellowed by blending Portugal laurel in an intermediate position. In short, the recommendation cannot be too frequently reiterated, to substitute a studied assortment of tints for tasteless indiscriminate admixture. Let but the pictorial artist be permitted, or the amateur condescend, to transfer his principles of taste, the one from his easel, the other from his gallery, to occasional superintendence of English landscapegardening, and he would contribute to the production of a living vegetative picture, constituting incalculable improvement in style, and commanding inevitable commendation from the spectator of cultivated taste. Nay, pleasure-grounds thus constructed would excite universal admiration, and impart universal gratification. Picturesque effect, copying and harmonising with natural scenery, elicits pleasurable emotions, even in such as "know not why, and care not wherefore." But, for accomplishment of such an important desideratum, science must be suffered to acquire unlimited confidence, in exercise of control; while prejudice must cease to plead for senseless " custom, more honoured in the breach than in the observance." An individual proprietor, or a public association, might rest assured of the anticipation of a result decidedly warranting the experiment.

In resumption of the topic of evergreen trees, for formation of a

ore-ground, it may strongly be recommended, while collecting perennial foliage of every species, to permit each variety of the beautiful ilex to predominate. Single or combined, from elegance of shape, delicacy of leaf, and duration of mantling, the ilex constitutes an embellishment almost unparalleled, yet too frequently neglected. Of faster growth than the deciduous oak, it attains expansion competent to the gratification of the painter's eye, with not less certainty, in the ordinary calculation of life's duration, than to please and profit posterity. It should, then, on various accounts, abound in the proximity of a decorated mansion, blended with masses of bay, backed by cypress, yew, and pinaster, and faced with laurel, laurestinus, Portugal laurel, privet, phillyrea, arbutus, with other flowering or variegated shrubs.

In similar relative situation, but in prominent advance from trees and unblossomed shrubs, flowering evergreens should invariably rank. Defying "the icy fang and churlish chiding of the winter's wind," the gay, cheering, precocious laurestinus anticipates the lingering arrival of an English spring. Tenacious of florage and permanently retentive of foliated decoration, it is entitled to numerical predominance over every blossoming shrub. By seasonable intervention and flowering profusion, it compensates for temporary diminution of ornament, in other component ingredients of a shrubbery, thus transferring to nipping winter's gloom the exhilarating semblance of summer's embellishment. Productive of such interesting impression in pleasing the eye, it certainly merits conspicuousness by prominent position.

The arbutus is a shrub peculiarly elegant and eligible, from perennial decoration, rapid growth, and superior beauty in shape and tint of leaf, from delicate blossom, and glowing berry. If suffered to remain unpruned, by gaining height, it becomes hollow and leafless beneath, retaining, like other evergreens, only two years' leaves, except about Midsummer, when the third years' are annexed, some weeks previous to the decay of the first. If not surrounded by evergreens more stunted in growth, for concealment of its lower leafless branches, it should biennially be deprived of a few long shoots, by application of the pruning-knife, the shears being calculated to render a shrub hideously cabbage-poled. Any shrub judiciously pruned will retain resemblance of its natural form. Artificial treat