A SEW BEGONIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2859, 30 December 1908, Page 10

A SEW BEGONIA.

Messrs Lemoine and Sonc, Nancy, the well-known .plant-breeders, have cent out (says the Field) a new hybrid begonia which

[ is likely to become a rival to Gloire de I Lorraine, a hybrid raised by them 15 years ! ago. and now generally considered to be the most decorative of all winter-flowering greenhouse plants. It was raised by crossing B. sccotrana, a pink-flowered species with peitate leaves, and B. dreggei, a white-flowered-one from South Africa. The new hybrid is the kesult of crossing B. socotrana «nd B. pearcei, a tuberous species with velvety green leaves and yellow flowers,' which was introduced about 30 years ago from the Bolivian Andes. The hybrid has the same .Habit as Gloire de Lorraine, but is a more vigorous grower, with larger, thicker leaves, and flowers more vivid in colour. These are produced in thick clusters so as to completely cover the plant, and they are almost all male, their colour being a deep coppery ealmon red, with a, paler reflex. They are so numerous that a plant lOin high and wide bears several hundred iJowers at a time, and as thej^last a long while,* remaining fresh on the plant for a month or more, it is clear that in this new .hybrid, which Messrs Ijemoine have named Begonia Patrie, we have a winterflowering .plant of a very high order of merit. Messrs Lemoine say that they have had plants of it in flower*" from November to April. It is a noteworthy fact that every hybrid begonia in the production of which B. sccotrana has been used has proved a useful garden plant, far more* useful than B. socotrana itself. This may be due to the peculiarities of this species, which is quite different in tuber, stem, foliage, and flowers from all others of the genus. It was brought in 1880 by Dr J. B. Balfour from the dry, hot island of Socotra, in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Arabia, one of the last places in the world Jn which a begonia could have been exto occur. The magnitude of the Tasmanian apple , trade may be- gauged by the following ex- ■ tract from the Mercury : — " In connection j with the forthcoming apple shipments to London, space has been booked in four of the Orient Royal Mail steamers ac follows: — Ortona, due at Hobart March 5, 10,000 cases; Orontes, March 19, 10,000 oases ; Asturias, April 2, 18,000 cases ;, and Ororah, April 16, 10,150 cases. The following steamers <rf the P. and O. line are to load at Hobart : —China, due February 26; Moldavia, March 12; Malwa, March 26; Mongolia, April 9, and Marmora, April 23. Threo steamers of the Whidl Star line, will also load at Hbbart. A correspondent of the Press states that in some districts of Canterbury the ladybird beetles have been very busy this season, dealing with the aphis upon roses and other plants. Upon one aphis-infested tomato plamt ac many as -*0 of the 15usy t little red ladybirds were ixotii«od hard at j work. , j