One of the many things that will make the summer of 1879 memorable in the experience of gardeners is the comparative, indeed total, failure of many tender plants that in ordinary seasons have done well in flower gardening, after the fashion which has been so popular for the last forty years. Any plants, therefore, that have done anything approaching to "well," in spite of the unprecedented rain, absence of sunshine, and consequent cold which has prevailed this year, are certainly worthy of being noted as plants that will be most likely to give satisfaction in ordinary seasons.

Tuberous Begonias have sprung into a very prominent place as decorative plants in pots under glass. For this purpose they are superb; and from our own experience of the behaviour of some 500 or 600 planted out this wonderful summer in by no means a favoured locality, we do not hesitate to pronounce them superb bedding-plants as well. Through storm and rain and dull weather they have grown and flowered much better than anything except Violas and Harrison's Musk. The impunity with which they stand long downpours of rain is such as we would not have credited had we not proved it. We do not know of any bedding-plant - not even excepting Violas - that sustain less damage from heavy rains; and notwithstanding the coldness of the season, they have grown better than Geraniums have done. On the 1st of September they were stiff with frost, and in bending the leaves, ice as thick as a threepenny piece scaled off them, and neither in leaf nor flower did they suffer from it.

For wet localities we consider that they will become invaluable for bedding, and take to some extent the place of Scarlet Geraniums. Begonias are so easily raised from seed, that they can be quickly got up, - a pinch of seed sown in heat the last week in January, and forwarded by the usual system of pricking; and if the plants are ultimately potted singly into 4- and 5-inch pots, they can be planted out early in June - strong plants that will make an early display. They like rich soil, and wherever planted this condition should be seen to.

Sedenii is what we consider the best type of a bedding Begonia, and all our seedlings raised from it are of good habit and the most productive of flowers of a telling colour. Consequently we are saving seed carefully from this variety for bedding next season. Charles Raes are equally good; and for a deep rich scarlet, Monarch must be a good parent.