Of this, William Bull says: "Whilst the predominating colors in the principal groups of early spring-flowering bedding plants are either white or yellow, the family of Aubrietia offers the most | desirable and beautiful exception, in the varied shades of purple and violet-blue, merging into still higher tints, which its species"now offer to the cultivator, in forming the most chaste and elegant designs in spring flowers. The higher shades of rich blue and purple were realized in A. graeca, and A. Campbelli, especially in the latter, but it has proved too delicate in its growth to produce certain bloom without artificial protection at the required season.

A. Hendersoni is offered as one of the most valuable of early spring-flowering plants, and a great improvement upon all the species in its group, being perfectly hardy, of vigorous growth and compact dwarf habit, 3 to 4 inches in height; its flowers are a deep violet-purple hue in their first stage, and maturing into a permanent rich plum color, presenting a sheet of bloom throughout the spring months. It forms a very chaste and beautiful front belt or edging in its own self color, and a charming effect as a broader verge where evergreens form a background screen. It is equally effective where a front line or foil of silvery-grey is added, formed of elegant miniature plants, as Sedum acre ele-gans, S. glaucum, or Achillea umbellata. The great display of the paler-flowered Aubrie-tias, which were so much admired during the spring of last year by thousands of visitors to the gardens of Mr. Quilter, near Birmingham, may be cited in proof of th*e still higher interest to be produced by the much finer forms of this valuable and effective plant.