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MAGAZINE OF BOTANY. 


PAX TONS 


MAGAZINE OF BOTANY, 


AND 


REGISTER OF FLOWERING PLANTS. 


‘ Plowers of all hue,” 


LONDON: 
PUBLISHED BY W. S. ORR & CO., PATERNOSTER ROW. 


MDCCCXXKXVITII. 


LONDON: 
BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN, 
WHITEFRIARS. 


TO HER EXCELLENCY 


THE 


MARCHIONESS OF NORMANBY, 


WHO, 
NOTWITHSTANDING THE VARIED DUTIES OF HER EXALTED STATION, BOTH IN THE WEST INDIES 
AND IN IRELAND, HAS CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO ADVANCE THE INTERESTS 


OF SCIENCE BY HER ENTHUSIASTIC LOVE AND STUDY OF 


PRACTICAL BOTANY, 


Chis SFitth Molume 


OF 


THE MAGAZINE OF BOTANY 


With the courteous permission of her Excellency, 
MOST DEFERENTIALLY AND RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, 
BY 


HEB MOST OBLIGED AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, 


JOSEPH PAXTON. 


ie 


(NG 
veh 


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2) ‘ 
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ADVERTISEMENT. 


Av the close of another year’s labours, the author of the Macazinr or 
Borany begs to congratulate the friends and patrons of Floriculture on the 
noble and talented accessions. which are constantly accruing to their ranks ; 
but, more especially, on the enlightened spirit of research and inquiry which 
is daily diffused and manifested, to an extent hitherto unprecedented. 


The period is yet very recent, when the devotees of this delightful 
science were comparatively few in number, and the works written for their 
use presented only the uninteresting and unedifying routine of culture 
prescribed for the different kinds of plants. In the present age, and parti- 
cularly during the past year, cultivators have exhibited an anxious desire 
to be furnished with something beyond the mere dicta of experience. Un- 
erring scientific principles—rather than uncertain and unsatisfactory precepts 
—have now become the chief desiderata in the horticultural world. And 
although, in lauding science, we by no means undervalue experience, we 
rejoice now to witness these two important auxiliaries reciprocally eluci- 
dating and confirming each other as they proceed in the great work of 
renovating, establishing, and advancing horticultural art, and imparting 


additional interest to its pursuit. 


Yn the volume which is now concluded, the author flatters himself that 
he has not fallen behind any of his contemporaries in the work of improve- 
ment. Attempts have been made to base the whole system of plant 
cultivation on the sure foundation of general science, conjomed with accu- 
rate knowledge of physiological structure and natural habits; while the 
details have been elaborated, and the superstructure completed, from 


actual and assiduous observation and experience. The continued extensive 


Vul ADVERTISEMEN'. 


circulation of the work, and the approbation of many eminent individuals 
connected with the science, afford the most gratifying and convincing testi- 
mony that these efforts have been duly appreciated, and stimulate the 
author to pursue those inquiries, for which an unrestricted access to the 
most magnificent collections of plants in England offers such peculiar 


facilities. 


The Embellishments of the present volume will be found to consist of 
drawings of some of the most valuable plants, both new and old, which 
have yet flowered in this country. Considerably more than half of these 
are entirely new ; and although the author possesses, perhaps, unequalled 
opportunities of figuring none but new plants, he prefers selecting such 
only as contain sufficient merit to entitle them to extensive distribution, 
and general and permanent esteem. For this reason, figures of many old 
and beautiful plants, which have become almost lost to our collections, or 
are little known and rarely met with, have been introduced, in the hope of 
again installing them in popular favour. The designs for flower-gardens, 
and other ornaments, will, it is hoped, prove useful in attracting public 
attention to these most interesting departments; and, in the ensuing 
volume they will be continued on a yet more liberal scale. Arrangements 
have likewise been completed for improving the execution of the coloured 
figures of plants; and it is confidently trusted, that this feature of the 
Maeazine or Borany will now be brought to the highest possible per- 


fection. 


This opportunity is embraced for gratefully acknowledging the many 
favours the author has received in connexion with the work, and for assur- 
ing those who have hitherto patronised it, that his best energies will be 
unremittingly exercised m rendering it increasingly interesting and 
valuable. 


CHATSWORTH, 


December 20, 1838. 


THE 


Aconitum Chinense, 3 


A#schynanthus grandiflorus, 241 


Angelonia salicarizefolia, 75 
Anigozanthus coccineus, 271 


LATIN 


Antirrhinum majus caryophylloides, 55 


Aotus ericoides, 51 
Astelma eximium, 103 


Camellia Pressii rosea, 171 
Capsicum ustulatum, 197 
Cattleya crispa, 5 

Chilodia scutellarioides, 195 
Chorizema cordata, 97 
Comesperma gracilis, 145 
Coryanthes macrantha, 21 


Delphinium Barlowii, 265 

~ Dendrobium densiflorum, 12] 
— Gibsonii, 161 
Kchium giganteum, 149 
Epidendrum bicornutum, 245 
Epimedium macranthum, 151 
violaceum, 123 
EKutoca Wrangeliana, 199 


Fuchsia fulgens, 221 


Gesneria rupestris, 53 
Gloxinia maxima, 219 


YOL. YV. 


INDEX 


TO 


COLOURED FIGURES OF PLANTS. 


Helichrysum macranthum, 247 
Hemerocallis Sieboldii, 25 


Ilicium floridanum, 147 
Impatiens scapiflora, 101 


Liatris borealis, 27 

Lilium lancifolium roseum, 267 
speciosum, 1 

Loasa lateritia, 77 


Nemophila atomaria, 99 
Nuttallia grandiflora, 217 


Oncidium papilio, 175 


Phaius albus, 125 
Physostegia imbricata, 173 
Potentilla ferruginea, 223 


Solanum Herbertianum, 269 


Telopea speciosissima, 73 
Tropeolum Jarrattii, 29 
tuberosum, 49 


Vanda teres, 193 
Verbena teucrioides, 243 


Xl 


TO 


ENGLISH INDEX 


THE COLOURED FIGURES OF PLANTS. 


ACONITE, Chinese, 3 
AAschynanthus, large-flowered, 241 
Angelonia, willow-leaved, 75 
Anigozanthos, scarlet, 271 
Anise-seed tree, florida, 147 
Aotus, Erica-like, 51 

Astelma, fine, 103 


Barren-wort, large-flowered, 15] 
— violet-flowered, 123 
Butterily plant, 175 


Camellia, Press’s rose-coloured, 171 
Capsicum, burning, 197 

Cattleya, curled-petalled, 5 

Chilodia, scutellaria-like, 195 
Chorizema, heart-shaped-leaved, 97 
Cinquefoil, rusty-brown flowered, 223 
Comesperma, slender, 145 
Coryanthes, large-flowered, 21 


Day Lily, Dr. Siebold’s, 25 
Dendrobium, dense-flowered, 121 
— Mr. Gibson’s, 161 


Epidendrum, two-horned, 245 
EKutoca, Baron Wrangel’s, 199. 


Fuchsia, brilliant, 221 


Gesneria, rock, 53 
Gloxinia, largest-flowered, 219 


| Helichrysum, large-flowered, 247 


Larkspur, Mr. Barlow’s, 265 
Liatris, northern, 27 
Lily, showy Japan, | 

— spotted, lance-leaved, 267 
Loasa, brick-red, 77 


Nemophila, speckled, 99 
Nightshade, Mr. Herbert’s, 269 
Nuttallia, large-flowered, 217 


Phaius, white-flowered, 125 
Physostegia, imbricated-flowered, 173 


Snap-dragon, carnation-like, 55 


Touch-me-not, stemless, 101 
Tropeolum, Mr. Jarratt’s, 29 
—_ tuberous-rooted, 49 


Vanda, cylindrical-leaved, 193 
Vervain, teucrium-like, 243 
Viper’s Bugloss, gigantic, 149 


Warratah, the, 73 


xii 


WOODCUT AND COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS. 


VOLUME THE FIFTH. 


GARDEN STRUCTURES, DESIGNS FOR FLOWER- | Flower-vase, a cast-iron ornamental, 64 


GARDENS, AND OTHER ORNAMENTS. Fountain, design for a dolphin, 9 


Boer, plan of a new egg-shaped Sun-dial, design for a horizontal, 41 


Front elevation 30 Vase, plain Etruscan, 41 


s — ] 4) 
Transverse section, 39 SHSGIET WOE, 


Longitudinal section, 39 = Gusotan wugulltled 


Plan of the furnace and lower part of the = Cilertell Worms, 2 
boiler, 40 
Section of boiler, with an additional flue, 40 
Flower-garden, design for a, of a quarter of an ee 


acre in extent, 136 Loasa lateritia, 78 


Flower-garden, ditto, ditto, 254 Verbena teucrioides, 243 


not, 


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ZAM MAMI. Ties CLDILA 


LILIUM SPECIOSUM. 


{(SHOWY CRIMSON JAPAN LILY.) 


CLASSe ORDER. 


HEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


LILIACE ZL. 


* Generic Cuaracter.—Corolla campanulate, six-parted, with a longitudinally honey-line, reflexed. 
Capsules, valves connected by a mesh of hairs. 


Sreciric Cuaracter.—Bulb scaly. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, from three to four inches long, vernose, 
somewhat reflexed. lowers terminal, varying in number. Perianth divided into six segments, 
of a beautiful ros@eolour, richly spotted with purplish-red. Segments much reflexed. Ovarium 
ob] ong, three-celled. 

A most magnificent species of lily, “not only handsome, as Dr. Lindley 
observes in the Botanical Register, p. 2000, beyond all we before knew in gardens 
(among lilies), on account of the clear, deep, rose-colour of its flowers, which seem 
all rugged with rubies and garnets, and sparkling with crystal points, but it has 
the sweet fragrance of a Petunia. The flowers are produced in August and 
September. Native of Japan, from whence it was introduced by Dr. Von Siebold, 
about the year 1833. It is a greenhouse species, and succeeds best if planted in 
the border in a rich compost. We saw a plant of it at Messrs. Loddiges’, in 
September, with five flowers all expanded at once; the number of flowers was 
obviously occasioned by its being planted in the open border of the greenhouse ; 
for the plant at Messrs. Rollison’s, from which our drawing was taken, and which 
was kept in a pot, only produced one flower ; however, it might doubtless flower 
well in a pot if it had an “ abundance of pot room,” which seems to be the most 
important feature in the cultivation of it. Increased by offsets. 


The drawing was made in August 1837, from a plant then in flower in Messrs. 


VOL. V.—NO. XLIX. B 


) LILIUM SPECIOSUM. 


Rollison’s Nursery, Tooting, where plants may be procured; also at Messrs. 
Loddiges’, Knight’s, and at Young’s, Epsom. 


The generic name is taken from the Celtic word Li, signifying whiteness, of 


which colour the lily has always been considered the emblem. 


The specific name has been most appropriately given by Dr. Lindley; the 
plant has usually gone under the name of L. lancifoliwm, which, Dr. Lindley says, 


is a different species. 


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CORAM INL 


ACONITUM CHINENSE. 


(CHINESE ACONITE. ) 


CLASS. : ORDER. 


POLYANDRIA. TRI-PENTAGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


RANUNCULACEE., 


Generic Cuaracter.—Calyw of five petal-like irregular, deciduous or macescent sepals, with the upper 
sepal concave and helmet-shaped. Petals two (or hollow nectaries), hidden within the heimet on 
long stalks, expanded into a hollow inverted tube at the apex, drawn out at the ends into a spur, 
which is either straight, hooked, or twisted.—Don’s System of Gardening and Botany, p. 55. 


Specivic Cuaracter.—Plant an herbaceous perennial, growing from four to five feet high. Stem erect, 
slightly branched. Leaves alternate, nearly sessile, partially divided into five unequal lobes, some- 
what trapeziform, acute, deeply toothed, the upper surface of a deep green, assuming, when old, a 
purple cast, the under surface ofa very light green. Flowers produced terminally, as well as on short 
lateral shoots at the axil of each leaf. Calyx deciduous. Corolla a deep blue. Ovaries five, 
many-seeded. oot napiform. 


Tus is a new and highly ornamental species of Aconitum, said to be a 
native of Japan, whence it was introduced by Dr. Von Siebold, about 1833. 

Messrs. Young, of Epsom, who obligingly furnished the drawing, received it from 
two different persons on the Continent, both giving it the same name, and affirming 
that it was introduced there by Dr. Von Siebold, at the same time as his Clematis, 
Lilies, &c. ; and from the name, it would appear that it is a native of China, not 


of Japan, to which latter place however China is almost contiguous. 


It is remarkably bold and handsome in its habits, and the flowers are very 
large, and of a most beautiful blue colour; the terminal flowers expand first, and 
shortly after a great number of flowers are produced, from the axil of every leaf, on 
short lateral shoots, even down to the base of the stem, which gives it a very 


interesting appearance. It remains in flower about two months, and will no doubt 


prove perfectly hardy- 


4 _ ACONITUM CHINENSE. 
The plant from which our drawing was taken flowered with Messrs. Young, 
of the Epsom Nursery, in September, 1837. 


It is of very easy culture, and from its ornamental character is well adapted 
for the flower border. It ripens seed freely, and is also easily increased by 
separating the roots. 

The generic name is said to be derived from Acona, a town in Bithynia; some 


species are found plentiful there. 


Poison is present in all the species, residing most powerfully in the roots. 


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CATTLEYA CRISPA. 


(cCURLED-PETALLED CATTLEYA.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDACEZ. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. i. page 151. 

SpeciFic Cuaracter.—An Epiphyte. Stems many, subcylindrical, slightly angular, from eight to nine 
inches long. Leaves dark green, solitary, oblong-lanceolate, notched at the end (emarginate). 
Spathe upwards of three inches long. Flower-spike arising from the crown of the stem at the 
axilla of the leaf, supporting three, or five, and occasionally seven, flowers. (see fig.) Sepals white, 
linear, lanceolate, acute, narrower than the petals, which are wavy (undulate) and curled at the mar- 
gins, white Labellum ‘(lip.), undivided, acuminate, curled at the edges, of a beautiful rich purple 
colour. 

Tuis superb specimen of Cattleya crispa was produced in the orchidez-house 
at Chatsworth last summer, in the manner here represented ; and from the unusual 
number of flowers produced, it may be regarded as a striking illustration of the 
high degree of perfection to which orchidzous plants may, and will eventually, 
be brought, when their habits, and the treatment they require in cultivation, 
become understood among the admirers of this the most beautiful, and by far 
the most interesting family of plants known in the vegetable world. When seen 
with three and four flowers on a stem, the usual number produced, it is a splendid 
object : but when, as in this instance, with seven, it is much more so; the fan-like 
arrangement of the flowers upon the stalk, the depth of richness in the velvety 
purple of the lip, and the snowy whiteness of the undulated petals and sepals, 
contrasted with the deep green of the leaves, produce a display of beauty rarely 
seen in the orchidee-house. 

How admirable is the beauty of these flowers! how bountiful the Almighty Hand 


which formed them! But 
‘“ what know we more 
Of Thee, what need to know, than Thou hast taught, 
And bidd’st us still repeat at morn and even ? 


6 : CATTLEYA CRISPA. 


God! Everlasting Father! Holy One! 

Our God, our Father, our Eternal All! 

Source whence we came. and whither we return, 
Who made our spirits, who our bodies made, 

Who made the heaven, who made the flowery land, 
Who made all made, who orders, governs all!” 

It is a native of Rio Janeiro, whence it was sent, in 1826, to the London Horti- 
cultural Society, by Sir Henry Chamberlayne, Bart. Since that time many plants 
have been introduced, and now, although not common, it may be found in most of 
the leading collections, and will, ere long, doubtlessly be in the possession of every 
zealous cultivator in the kingdom. 

The genus Cattleya is less difficult of cultivation than most growers imagine. 
The majority err in keeping the plants in an atmosphere too hot and humid ; others, 
equally in the wrong, give too much water to the roots in winter, when the plant is, 
or ought to be, dormant. By the practice of the first, the plants grow delicate and 
weakly, and are unable to push flowers; while the result of the second is, rotten or 
greatly injured roots, so that the plant cannot make a good growth the succeeding 
season for want of good roots. Now as Cattleyas thrive best in a degree of heat 
below that required for the major part of orchidzous plants, and as they are too 
few in number to have a house appropriated to themselves, the best place is to set 
them at the coolest end of the house in which they are grown, when they will 
thrive and flower much finer than before. 

At Chatsworth, the degree of heat given to Cattleyas, as near as we can tell, 
varies in the growing season from seventy to seventy-five degrees, and in 
the winter from sixty to sixty-five degrees. During the growing season the 
roots are liberally supplied with water, and the whole plant is, say once a week in 
fine weather, sprinkled over in the evening with a syringe or fine rose. In the 
winter the rootsare kept nearly dry, and the top of the plant is not watered at all. 
It is customary, towards three or four o'clock during summer, to throw a little water 
on the path and flue, which renders the atmosphere moderately humid, and greatly 
refreshes and strengthens the plants. For further particulars on potting, &c., see vol. 
iv. page 122. | 

The drawing was taken from a plant that flowered in the orchidez-house at 
Chatsworth last summer. 

The generic name is explained vol. iv. page 122. 


The specific name crispa, or curled, refers to the ringlet-like undulations of the lip. 


SHRUBBERIES—(Vinca mrvor). 


a 


THERE is a class of persons whose attachment to ornamental gardening deserves 
the utmost degree of pleasure which it can afford, but who, from the restrictions 
of a limited income, or want of time, cannot keep their borders, plots, or shrub- 
beries, in a high state of order. Sometimes, indeed, a man becomes possessed of a 
garden so laid out that its arrangement cannot be conveniently altered ; all he has 
to do therefore is to make the best of his pleasure-ground, and to turn it to the 
utmost account. 

We will presume that a sweeping narrow lawn is in front of a cottage, or neat 
country villa ; its figure is irregular, and its extreme verge—the one most remote 
from the dwelling—bounded by a laurel hedge, and an irregular border ; in parts 
very narrow, in others swelling toa plot of considerable extent—the whole, how- 
ever, planted with evergreen and flowering shrubs. Now, all this, if well arranged, 
is extremely pretty and rural; but it is in vain to attempt the proper cultivation 
of flowers, annual or herbaceous, among shrubs, unless a few primroses, violets, 
hepaticas, and the like, be excepted. While the shrubs are young and small, the 
surface soil may be kept in neat and trim condition by the Dutch hoe; but time 
goes on, the shrubs become large ; digging or hoeing is with difficulty effected ; 
the surface becomes neglected, and dank grasses, or ugly mosses, disfigure that 
department which of all others 1s the most beautiful, if its order and keeping be 
thoroughly maintained. Every one who possesses a numerous acquaintance, and 
is in the habit of seeing many gardens, must be sure that the above picture is not 
overdrawn. ‘To a country person who is his own gardener, and whose time is 
quite occupied, we would with all deference suggest the following hints— 

Let the surface be entirely covered with some permanent evergreen of humble 
erowth: common iy will do very well, but we have selected a plant which 
greatly surpasses it. About the end of October, or in the middle of February, 
as the case may be, after trimming and pruning the shrubs, and bringing the 
plantation to an orderly condition, let the soil be dressed (if the material can be 
procured) with half-reduced screenings of leaves from forcing-houses, or with the 
earth of garden weeds, mixed some weeks before with about a quart of salt to the 
barrow-load, to prevent the germination of seeds. In default of these, any 
decayed littery manure, or old sawdust with sand, and some soot, will do. Three 
inches of some such dress forked into the soil will prepare it to receive a root of 
Vinca minor, the lesser periwinkle, in every convenient space between shrub and 
shrub. The plants will rarely fail to adapt themselves to the soil; and as the 
trailing shoots extend, roots will be developed at the joints, and thus the entire 
surface will become covered with a mass of never-fading verdure. 

Vinea minor is a native of England; its botanical characters, according to the 


3 SHRUBBERIES. 


English Flora of the late Sir J. E. Smith, are,—Class v. order i. Pentandria 
Monogyma. Flowers monopetalous, inferior, with numerous covered seeds, con- 
tained in “two follicles, erect. Corolla salver-shaped, oblique. Seeds simple.” 
These are essential to the genus, which by Linneus was referred to his Natural 
order, Contorte ; and by Jussieu, to Apocinew. 

The specific character:—‘* Stems procumbent. Leaves elliptic, lanceolate, 
smooth-edged. Flowers stalked. Segments of the calyx lanceolate. Root 
creeping. Herb very smooth. Stems round, trailing; the flowering branches 
simple, leafy, erect. Leaves dark, shining, green, on short stalks, opposite with- 
out stipulas. Flowers solitary, an inch wide, and of a fine violet blue. Fruit 
scarcely seen in England. There is a white-flowered variety in gardens, having 
variegated leaves ; and another with double, more purple flowers.” Season May. 

The plant is said to be found, but rarely, about hedges and banks. By 
Honingham Church, Norfolk, on a bank facing the south, plentifully ; also in 
several lanes in that parish, undoubtedly wild ;—Mr. Crowe. Abundant at 
Raleigh, Essex ;—Rev. R. B. Francis. Near Rippon, Yorkshire ;—Rev. James 
Dalton. 

The foregoing were Dr. Smith's authorities. 

““ We found it growing abundantly in one of the woods on an eminence, near 
Bath, the white variety being equally plentiful as the azure; but the leaves were 
not variegated. The double puce-tinted was seen only in a garden at Frome ; 
with us it was not a free grower. We brought home several plants of the white 
and blue-flowered, and on one occasion, and one only, when they flowered in the 
garden, a blossom or two was produced, the ground of which was a pure white, 
blotched with a lovely azure. The spot was purely accidental, as seven or more 
years have since elapsed, and each variety remains quite true to its character. 
This charming plant possesses every requisite to make a shrubbery complete ; 
it creeps over and fills up every blank space, yet, though humble, it is not 
prostrate; bold, but unobtrusive masses of lively verdure, are quickly formed ; 
and there, early in the year, are relieved with the numerous blossoms of white or 
azure, gracefully distributed among the rich foliage. When once the ground is 
covered, there is an end to hoemgs and diggings; all the trouble required will 
consist in scattering a little leaf-mould, or light earth, over the plants at the 
approach of winter; and in occasionally curtailing the shoots, if they attempt to 
encroach upon the lawn or gravel walks. The dwarf periwinkle thrives under the 
closest shade of trees or shrubs, but in no degree interferes with their progress ; 
the China rose will thrive and bloom in the midst of its masses, and thus add 


variety to beauty.” 


fi 


eh 
Ma 


4 a gi 
NA 


Kf 


Ea 


RW iit 


Range 
Ra ninick 
i ia if 


hy 
shite) 


Decay 
AUN N A 
as 0) 


Ie 4 
HE 


FLOWER GARDEN. PLATE 2. 


Fig.3. 


te 
oo 
pa 
o 
40 
~~ 


Feet 


GARDEN ORNAMENTS. 


o—— 


Fiower or pleasure gardens are susceptible of many ornaments besides those of 
vegetation. They are places designed expressly for the exhibition of every thing 
which is pleasing to the senses; forming an harmonious association of objects 
delightful to the eye and interesting to the mind. They are traversed by walks 
either in rectilinear or curvilinear directions ; and whether composed of grass, gravel, 
or other material, they are so disposed as to be pleasing to the eye, as well as 
commodious to the feet. A carpet of turf is spread over the surface, whether that 
be level, undulating, or varied by elevated terraces, and regularly sloping banks. 
Every feature, whether of the plan or of its details, whether of the variety of plants 
or of the disposition—all must be attractive. 

To heighten the effect, and give greater interest to such scenes, the art of the 
sculptor and architect have been employed. Italian gardens owe much of their 
grandeur to the works of these artists. If their gardens be divided or bounded by 
walls, these are highly ornamented with piers at regular distances—balustrades 
between, and the coping of the piers surmounted by elegant sculptured figures of 
various designs and devices. The area is embellished with alcoves, temples, 
statues, obelisks, vases, and urns. Grottoes built of or lined with fossils, petri- 
factions, scoria, and the common minerals, are also fit appendages to flower 
gardens ; but of all such ornaments the fountain is the most common and most 
appropriate. 

The refreshing and splendid effect of water, even in a state of rest, among beds of 
flowers is particularly pleasing; but to see it rising in elegant jets, sparkling in 
iridescent hues, and to hear its cooling murmurs in warm weather, greatly enhances 
the beauty and adds to the interest of the artificial scene. 

The annexed plate is an isometrical view of a highly classical fountain, orna- 
mented with figures of dolphins, large shell-rocks, and basin, with sculptured rim, 
suitable for the centre of a parterre, or for the front court of a public or private 
building. 

Although fountains are more suitable for warm than for cold countries, and 
more commonly executed in the south than in the north of Europe; yet even in 
_ this country they may be introduced in many places with good effect and at a very 

moderate cost. The want of fountains in London is regretted by every one who 
has visited France and Italy ; and it is a wonder that, amidst all our metropolitan 
improvements, fountains have not been ere now projected for the embellishment 
of the larger squares, especially as a command of water from the water companies is 
so easily and cheaply obtained. It is true that in order to have a grand display, 
Jorcing machinery would be required for some situations. But as these displays 
VOL. V.—NO. XLIX. C 


10 A SINGULAR FACT CONNECTED WITH AN ‘OAK TREE. 


would only be required in the summer months, no unnecessary waste of water 
would be incurred, nor any danger from frost feared. 

It is said, a very costly fountain is intended to be formed in front of the new 
National Gallery—an excellent situation for such a work, and a most appropriate 
accompaniment to such a building. 

There are many noblemen and gentlemen’s seats in the country where fountains 
might be judiciously introduced as garden ornaments ; and in addition to the several 
beautiful designs for such things heretofore given in this magazine, we shall con- 
tinue to figure any others which we may think worthy of the notice of our readers. 


A SINGULAR FACT CONNECTED WITH AN OAK TREE THAT GREW 
IN CHATSWORTH PLEASURE GROUNDS. 


SkeETcH of a fine oak tree (see 
accompanying figure) that grew in 
Chatsworth pleasure-grounds, the 
top and part of the bole of which 
were blown off by the remarkably 
high wind of the 29th of December, 
1798 ; by which it was found to 
be hollow, owing to a large branch 
having been broken or cut off at 
an unfavourable season for its 
healing over, and that occasioned 
internally the dry rot, when a 
branch bent into its trunk, and 
shot into roots instead of branches, 
as here represented, and grew 
down into the ground for a con- 
siderable depth. Is it not proba- 
ble that in time the trunk would 
have decayed away, and _ this 


branch have formed a succeeding 


tree 2 


Warttrrt WATSON. 


Il 


“DECOMPOSITION OR PUTREFACTION OF VEGETABLES. 


Tue following extract is taken from Hugh Reid’s “ Chemistry of Nature,” 
lately published, a little work of great merit, calculated to be extremely useful, not 
only merely to those who desire to acquire some knowledge of the chemistry of 
natural objects, but also to those who have not the means or opportunity of pro- 
secuting chemical experiments, and as well, highly edifying to the general reader ; 
‘* containing upwards of 300 pages.” 

“‘ All vegetables, when the principle of life has departed from them, begin 
spontaneously to be decomposed (to putrefy). The elements which enter into the 
composition of plants, when left entirely to the disposal of their chemical affinities, 
have a tendency to separate from each other, and form new compounds, very dif- 
ferent from those which compose the living plant. This is termed the ‘ spontane- 
ous decomposition” of vegetables. The substances formed by the new arrange- 
ment of the elements of the vegetable are acrial and colourless ;—hence the 
entire disappearance of the vegetable, as if it had been totally annihilated when 
life ceased to preserve its particles together in the vegetable form. 

“The compounds formed, when the vegetable dies and putrefaction goes on, 
are, carbonic acid, water, carbonic oxide, and carburetted hydrogen. The two 
former are the chief results of the decomposition ; the two latter are formed more 
sparingly, and principally when there is not a free supply of oxygen to the 
substance undergoing decomposition. The carbon and hydrogen of the plant have 
a constant tendency to unite with oxygen, and form carbonic acid and water. 
Now there is never present in the vegetable a sufficient quantity of oxygen to 
convert all the carbon into carbonic acid, and all the hydrogen into water ; hence, 
if there be not a sufficient supply of oxygen to produce these compounds presented 
from external sources, as from the air, the two other matters are formed, one of 
which (carbonic oxide) requires a less quantity of carbon than the carbonic acid, 
while the other (carburetted hydrogen) requires no oxygen, consisting of carbon 
and hydrogen.” 

*‘ In vegetables which decay under water, carburetted hydrogen is abundantly 
formed ; hence arises the gas which is found so plentifully in summer in stagnant 
waters containing quantities of putrefying vegetables.” 

“‘ The spontaneous decomposition of vegetables goes on most rapidly when they 
are exposed to the air, kept moist, and preserved at a degree of warmth higher 
than the usual temperature of the atmosphere. Putrefaction is retarded or almost 
prevented if the vegetable be dried, so that its own moisture is expelled, carefully 
excluded from air and moisture, and kept cold. The influence of heat in pro- 
moting the decay of vegetables depends upon the repulsive power it possesses, by 
which it disposes the various elements to assume the gaseous form. Animals and 
vegetables are frequently found in snow or ice, in a high state of preservation.” 


12 METHOD OF NATURALISING PLANTS. 


“‘Such are the changes which go on in the dead plant. That mysterious agent, 
Life, is able, by its peculiar power, to control and overcome the chemical attrac- 
tions which tend to produce these changes, and retains these elements in that state 
of combination best adapted for the performance of their proper functions: at the 
moment, however, in which life ceases to superintend the exercise of these functions, 
they cease, and the chemical attractions, no longer restrained by the vital prin- 
ciple, obtain full sway. The carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, formerly existing in 
the state of wood, bark, leaves, fruit, or seeds, obey the laws of chemistry, return 
to the state of carbonic acid, water, or inflammable gas, mix with the earth and 
atmosphere, afford nutriment to new plants, again form leaves, flowers, and all 
the beautiful and diversified organs of the vegetable creation—again wither and 
decay, and return to the soil to supply new generations, and continue the same 
series of unceasing revolutions.” 


A SUCCESSFUL METHOD; OF NATURALISING NEW HOLLAND 
PLANTS, &c. 


We trust the following remarks, the favour of a correspondent, will be useful 
to such of our horticultural brethren, who may be interested in the subject of 
acclimatising or naturalising plants :— 

‘¢ Having for the last ten years annually introduced to the pleasure-ground 
such of my New Holland plants as I judged most ornamental, it may not prove 
uninteresting to notice my mode of enabling them to resist the winter. I prefer 
the month of March.to any other, making sure that vegetation shall not take place 
before they are planted out; I then support each plant with four or five stakes, 
reaching to the top in an angular position. Thus surrounding them from bottom 
to top with hay-ropes,—not too close; I then cover the surface for several feet 
round with fine sand to prevent the frost from entering: having succeeded in this 
way the first winter, they fearlessly encounter every succeeding winter, and vie 
with our common laurels.— Amongst those alluded to the following are a few :— 


Vistea Lyccoides, 6 ft. by 12 in cireumfe- | Laurus indica, 12 ft. by 18. 
rence. Hakea florida, 12 f.t by 20. 

Hakia saligna, 8 ft. Crategus glabra, 18 ft. 

Fuchsia arborea, 9 ft. in flower. &c. &e. &e. 


“* [reland, October 12th, 1837.” 
Being interested in this subject, we should be glad to receive lists of such New 


Holland plants, or any particulars connected with them, as have been brought with 
success to endure the open air.—Ep. 


13 


FIRES WITHOUT SMOKE. 


—_@———— 


An article has appeared in Blackwood’s Magazine, and been copied into the 
Farmer's Journal, and elséwhere, which calls the public attention to what it styles, 
the smoke nuisance: from it we collect that an attempt has again been made, 
which promises to effect the desired object of making a fire consume its own smoke. 
We propose to offer a few pertinent remarks on this subject, but cannot refrain 
from previously extracting the few following lines, which refer to the philosophy 
of combustion. , 

‘‘The perfect combustion of any inflammable substance depends upon two 
circumstances—the presence of a sufficient quantity of pure air to afford oxygen, 
and a degree of heat sufficiently high and steady, to bring about the perfect union 
of all the inflammable particles with oxygen.” 

In volume ii. of this magazine, p. 244, there is a paper on hot-houses, to 
which we beg to refer: the wood-cuts will exhibit the action of the smoke, and 
the profile of a furnace constructed originally by Mr. Witty, which had been 
announced with high promises. We know that such furnaces are extremely 
expensive in the first instance, have all but failed to obviate the nuisance of smoke, 
and have given little comparative or efficient heat to the flues. Now, were it 
possible to decompose coal in the common furnaces, and to bring the gases it yields 
into contact with burning and bright fuel, the hydro-carbonous matters would be 
ignited, and the action of the flues rendered extremely strong. In the gas-works 
the volatile products of coal are carried off by the process of distillation: a great 
quantity of water and of liquid tar are produced, and the gaseous fluids, after 
being purified by lime, are converted into that highly inflammable air that supplies 
our streets and houses with a splendour of light which they who recollect what 
the lighting of by-gone years was, can alone duly appreciate. 

As is the dluminating, such also is the heating power of this wondrous agent. 
This fact we now desire to impress upon the mind of every one who contemplates 
improvements of heating forcing-houses without smoke ; but shall not say more on 
the subject till we have paid some little attention to the improvement of ordinary 
fire-places. 

The open furnace can never be made to furnish the same products as the close 
retorts of the gas works ; but the more closely the action of that furnace can be 
made to approach that of the retort, the more efficient will its products become. 
At page 186 of the fourth volume, we recommended a form of grating which 
certainly might be rendered a great improvement. The direct object in heating 
a flue is to render that black smoke which lines the brickwork with soot, a 


14 _ FIRES WITHOUT SMOKE. 


medium of diffusible heat. If then every grate were constructed with a thick 
plate of iron in front of the bars, so as to leave a space of from five to ten inches 
between them and the door, it is plain that, when once that plate was heated to 
redness, and the coal thrown upon it, it must be acted upon by the hot iron, and 
made progressively to yield up its gaseous products; which, passing over the 
bright fire upon the bars, would become ignited. In the Remarks on Fuel, at page 
186, there is the following passage: ‘‘ A grate so constructed contains the ignited fuel 
in the part open to the ash-pit (that is, it lies upon the bars, through which the 
air from beneath rushes) ; the solid plate next the door being destined to receive 
the cold fuel, which thus is gradually acted upon by the hot iron from below, and 
by the heat reflected from the brick-work above it, till it gives forth a stream of 
gas, which, passing over the burning mass beyond it, becomes inflamed, and raises 
a great heat.” We repeat this passage, because we are certain that, although pre- 
pared to admit the impossibility of perfectly producing pure inflammable gas 
without a retort, the plan which we adopt combines all the requisites of greatly- 
improved and economical fire work. 

The efficiency of the apparatus is just in proportion to the degree of heat 
required ; but all depends upon the principle of pushing forward towards the neck 
of the flue, the red, or rather white, hot fuel, and of always casting the cold fresh 
coals upon the hzated plate, so as to induce distillation. Small grates in greenhouses, 
where perhaps one hour’s fire may suffice, will afford no evidence of the feasibility 
of the operation ; but large furnaces, wherein a constant fire is maintained, will 
demonstrate the correctness of our views. 

Let the amateur weigh these suggestions, and compare the cost of a furnace so 
simple with that of some others, which, after an outlay of forty or fifty pounds, 
have led to nothing but failure and disappointment. 

But we have reached our limits, and have said nothing of a method of heating 
the houses of large establishments, which will assuredly remove, or rather obviate, 
the smoke nuisance effectually. As it is, we will defer our observations a month 
longer, hoping by the delay to acquire a more extensive knowledge of facts which 
may convert our expectations to certainty. Our readers then must excuse us if we 
prefer to say nothing more till we can give a detail of the matter in full, rather 
than to garble or curtail it. Suffice it to observe, that we believe one single furnace 
would do the work of any dozen, and with a comparative reduction of fuel. 


NEW AND BEAUTIFUL PLANTS 


FIGURED IN LEADING PERIODICALS FOR DECEMBER AND JANUARY. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONEZ.) 


THE ASTER TRIBE (Asteracee), 


CosmMus TENUIFOLIUS. Fine-leaved Cosmus. <A beautiful annual Mexican 
plant, not unfrequently raised from imported seed, but always flowering so late in 
the year that it is unable to ripen seeds, and perishes. It grows froma foot and a 
half to two feet high, and is a most striking object when its rich purple flowers are 
well contrasted with the bright fennel-like leaves. It is hardly likely to be preserved 
over the winter. The only way to keep it in our gardens will be to raise it so 
early as to enable it to ripen its seeds before the close of the autumn. Bot. Reg. 
for December, 2007. 

THE MALLOW TRIBE (Malvaceae). 

Hrpiscus tinactnus. Lilac Hibiscus. A beautiful new Hibiscus with lilac- 
coloured flowers of a good size, obtained from seeds sent home by Sir James 
Stirling, and raised by Mr. Robert Mangles. Dr. Lindley thinks it will succeed 
in the open border in summer, but will require protection in winter. Bot. Reg. 
for December, 2009. 

THE ROSE TRIBE (Rosacea). 

SPIREA BARBATA. Bearded Meadow Sweet. This is beyond all comparison 
the handsomest herbaceous Spireea yet in our gardens; for to all the pure and 
brilliant whiteness of S. jilipendula, it adds the graceful plume-like appearance 
of the American S. Avuncus, discovered originally in Nepal, and since introduced 
to Europe by Dr. Von Siebold. In its natural state it grows from three to four 
feet high ; the snow-white plume of flowers alone is two feet long. It will 
doubtless prove perfectly hardy. Bot. Reg. for December, 2011. 


THE JASMINE TRIBE (Jasminacee). 

JASMINUM GLAucUM. Privet-leaved Jasmine. It is an old inhabitant of our 
gardens, but now neglected for newer favourites. Nevertheless this Jasmine is 
sweet, pretty, easy to cultivate, and not growing more than five or six feet high ; 
its slender branches are particularly well adapted to be wreathed round some of 
those moveable trellises which gardeners now employ with so much advantage for 
their tender climbers. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and is therefore hardy 
in the greenhouse, where it flowers all summer. Bot. Reg. for December, 2013. 

THE LOBELIA TRIBE (Lobeliacee). 
LoBELIA HETEROPHYLLA. Various-leaved Lobelia. This is a beautiful Lobelia, 


q 
4 


a native of Van Diemen’s Land. The flowers are of a particularly clear rich blue, 


16 NEW AND BEAUTIFUL PLANTS. 


and so large as to produce a very rich and gay appearance, either when the plant 
is grown singly or in beds. It was sent to Dr. Lindley by Mr. Veitch, of the 
Mount Radford Nursery, near Exeter, with a memorandum that the plant had 
been hung up in the stove for more than a month without the least soil, and 
without ceasing to flower ; this property of continuing to grow after being gathered 
renders it invaluable to those who grow flowers to decorate their sitting-rooms. 


Bot. Reg. for December, 2014. 


THE CAMPANULA TRIBE (Campanulacee). 


CAMPANULA BARBATA; var. CYANEA. Dark-blue bearded Bell-flower. This 
is a good plant, received in this country from the Imperial Botanic Gardens at 
Vienna. The flowers are of a deep blue; indeed the character of the whole plant 
is good. It is well adapted for rock-work, and thrives well in a sunny situation in 
dry soil. Brit. Fl. Gar. for December, 409. 


THE PRIMULA TRIBE (Primulacee). 


DoDECATHEON INTEGRIFOLIUM. LEntire-leaved American Cowslip. A very 
distinct and beautiful species of this small genus: it was found by Mr. Drummond 
in the Rocky Mountains. The flowers droop, and the segments of the corolla are 
reflexed quite back, which look very pretty. Bot. Mag. for December, 3622. 


CLASS II.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONES. ) 


THE AMARYLLIS TRIBE (Amaryllidacee). 


STERNBERGIA COLCHICIFLORA. Meadow Saffron-flowered Sternbergia. This 
is a charming little autumn-flowering bulbous plant, troduced by the Hon. W. 
F. Strangways ; it is described as perfuming the fields of the Crimea, especially 
about the Bosphorus, with its ‘fragrant jasmine-scented flowers in the months of 
September and October. The flowers are yellow, rise about the height of a crocus, 
and look very pretty. It will probably prove hardy. Bot. Reg. for Dec. 2008. 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidaceae). 


ANa@mcTOcHILUS sETAcEUS. Fringed Aneectochilus. A most interesting little 
plant, with white and green rather inconspicuous flowers, and very handsome leaves ; 
these latter are admirably and singularly painted with transverse yellowish lines 
upon a rich brown purple ground, and the leaf being of an ovate figure, renders 
them very conspicuous and pretty. It is said to be a native of Java, and Ceylon ; 
but his Grace the Duke of Devonshire’s collector found it in small quantities on 
the Khoseea Hills, from whence he brought living plants, which are thriving in 
great beauty in the hothouse at Chatsworth. It thrives well with the treatment 
of Neottia, Goodyera, and other similar terrestrial kinds. Bot. Reg. for Dec., 2010.. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. i W/ 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONEZ.) 
THE GENTIAN TRIBE (Gentianea.) 

Listantuus Russevuianus. Duke of Bedford’s Lisianthus. An exceedingly 
handsome new plant, probably an annual, sent home by the lamented Douglas, 
from San Felipe de Austin, Texas, in 1635. The plant grows from one to two feet 
high, and has rich purple flowers as large as a tulip, which continue in beauty for 
a period of three weeks. Sir William Jackson Hooker thinks there can be no 
doubt but under proper management, by flowering early in the spring, and planting 
out in the epen border, this plant will then perfect its flowers as readily as the 
Phlox Drummond. Bot. Mag. for January, 3626. 

THE CACTUS TRIBE (Cactee.) 


Ecuinocactus. tusirtorus. Tube-flowered Spine Cactus. This is a fine 
species, with large white flowers, from Mr. Frederic Mackie’s nursery at Norwich. 
Its affinity with FE. Eyriesti will be at once perceived ; but from that species it 
differs remarkably in the flower and much deeper angles of the stem, in the very 
much longer and stronger and black spines, collected into fewer fascicles. The 
flower is larger, the tube longer and slender, and clothed with much longer tufts of 
hairs. It is in all probability a native of the same country as E. Eyriesii, namely 
Mexico. Bot. Mag. for January, 3627. 


THE VERVAIN TRIBE (Verbenacee.) 


VERBENA INcISA. Cut-leaved Melindres. Another bold and handsome South 
American Verbena of the Melindres group, for which we are indebted to Mr. 
Tweedie. The stem grows erect but weak,—three feet high, the leaves, deeply 
lobed and cut, especially near the base; and the flowers a fine rose crimson with a 


yellow eye. Bot. Mag. for January, 3626. 


THE EVENING PRIMROSE TRIBE (Anagracee. ) 


Fucusia Fruteens. The glowing Fuchsia. This is a lovely plant of Mexican 
production, which Dr. Lindley speaks of in the following words: “It is difficult to 
conceive anything more brilliant than the appearance of this species, when its rich 
vermilion-coloured flowers are formed beneath the influence of a Mexican sun ; 
but if it is grown in a shaded situation, with too much heat and moisture, the 
bright colours inevitably fade, and the plant is deprived of half its beauty. It will 
no doubt prove a robust shrub, of easy culture, growing freely in a mixture of 
loam and peat in the greenhouse: cuttings of the young wood will strike freely 
in sand under a bell-glass on a moderate hotbed. It is probably as hardy as H. 
Arborescens, and perhaps like that species not enough so to stand the winter, or 
to flower well in the open border, but it will certainly grow and flower freely in 
the greenhouse, and it is by no means impossible that it may even succeed in the 
open air in good summers, in a warm sheltered situation. Bot. Reg. for January, 
New Series, 1. 


VOL. V.—-NO. XLIX. D 


18 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


THE GESNERIA TRIBE (Gesneriacew.) 


Drymonia BicoLtor. Two-coloured Woodwort. A West-Indian plant, of 
easy growth, in loam and vegetable mould in a moist stove, where it fixes itself 
upon the wall in great luxuriance. It is not a showy plant; the flowers are of 
the shape of those of a Gloxinia, and of a light colour. It does well in the atmo- 
sphere of an orchideous house, where it spreads with the rapidity of ivy on the 
open wall. Bot. Reg. for January, New Series, 4. 


CLASS II.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONEZ.) 
THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidee). 


MAXILLARIA AUREA-FULVA. Golden-brown Maxillaria. This is certainly an 
interesting addition to the genus Maxillaria, the flowers having much of the colour 
and appearance of those of Trigonidiwm obtusum, except that the orange of the 
former is brighter. The plant seems to have much the appearance of M. racemosus. 
Bot. Mag. for January, 3629. 

EpIpENDRUM PAPILLosuM. Warty-fruited Epidendrum. A rich addition to 
the already many fine species of Epidendrum, remarkable for its warty fruit and 
very pretty flowers. It was discovered by Mr. Skinner. The bulbs are broadly 
ovate, dark-green, the scape rises one foot long, bearing a terminal raceme of eight 
or ten rather distant flowers. The sepals and petals are a yellowish green, the 
column is tipped with orange, and the lip is white with three deep pink streaks. 
It is of easy culture. Bot. Mag. for January, 3631. 

CattteyA Perrinu. Mr. Perrin’s Cattleya. This species is a native of 
Brazil, and is not unlike C. dabiata, although inferior to it in beauty. The species 
has been named after Mr. Perrin, Mr. Harrison’s (Aigburgh) intelligent gardener, 
under whose care so many fine South American Epiphytes have been for the first 
time brought into flower in this country. For culture, &c., see the account 
accompanying the plate of C. crispa in the present number of this magazine. Bot. 
Reg. for January, New Series, 2. 

STANHOPEA QUADRICORNIS. Four-horned Stanhopea. An exceedingly pretty 
species of Stanhopea, allied to S. ocwlata, from which it ditfers very obviously in 
the general want of spotting upon the flower, and especially in the two short horns 
which project from the crimson base of the lip. In some circumstances it also 
approaches S. insignis, especially in the colour and form of the sepals and petals, 
but the lip is altogether different. It was received by Sigismund Rucker junior, 
of Wandsworth, from the Spanish Main, who describes the pseudo-bulbs and leaves 
as extremely like those of 8S. grandiflora. Bot. Reg. for January, New Series, 5. 


19 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE LEADING NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


pe Ns 


Owi1ne to the extreme severity of the weather during the past month (which 
perhaps has not been so intense cold for some years), our readers, we should 
think, would not be surprised when we inform them that there are very few new 
or interesting plants now in flower in the London nurseries. Indeed, at this 
period of the year, our stoves and greenhouses are generally barren of interest ; and 
though here and there a solitary flower may occasionally develop itself, it seems 
rather to discover the general gloom, than to enliven the scene, and delight the 
eye, as at other times. To this rule, however, we may except orchideous plants ; 
the cultivator of which has constantly some beautiful and charming plant in 
flower, to attract his attention and excite his admiration ; and, even in the depth 
of winters like the present, orchideous plants wear the aspect of health and 
vigour, and are continually sending forth their elegant and varied blossoms, which, 
while they are preserved by an artificial temperature from the attacks of frost, seem 
to smile at all the mclemencies of the external atmosphere. Were there no other 
inducement to cultivate this beautiful tribe than that which is here held out, we 
should imagine that no person who possesses the means would any longer deprive 
himself of such an unfailing source of gratification and delight ; and we will venture 
to assert, that in a tolerably good collection of orchideous plants, there is not a 
period of the year in which some plants of this charming tribe are not displaying 
their curious and interesting blossoms in the highest degree of perfection. But we 
proceed to notice such plants as are in flower in the various nurseries. 

Messrs. HEenperson’s, Pine-Apple Place. Upon entering the show-house of 
Messrs. Henderson, we were agreeably surprised to find a most striking contrast to 
the external appearance of vegetation. Here are Azaleas, Syringas, Primulas, 
Camellias, and a great variety of other beautiful plants, all flowering in a truly 
splendid manner, and presenting to the eye a rich and varied mass of beauty, seldom 
seen at this season of the year. We notice, especially, a fine plant of one of 
Messrs. Henderson’s, hybrid Cinerarias ; we have before had occasion to remark 
that these gentlemen have raised some of the most beautiful varieties of this 
interesting genus we ever witnessed, and the one to which we now allude has flowers 
of a most brilliant blue colour, and certainly for its novelty and beauty it surpasses 
all others that we have previously seen, and would be a most valuable and beautiful 
ornament to any collection. Great praise is due to these gentlemen for the neat 
and elegant manner in which their greenhouse and other plants are potted, supported, 
and arranged. 

Mr. Kniaut's, Chelsea. Mr. Knight has recently flowered a new stove plant, 
which will no doubt prove valuable ; the foliage of it is pinnated, large, and hand 


90 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


some ; the flowers are produced in clusters, and are of a rich crimson colour; they 
seem to be destitute of petals, and have the appearance of a bunch of beautiful, 
delicate, thread-like stamens; it 1s without doubt new, and is a very ornamental 
plant, and probably a climbing one. Mr. Kmight has also some excellent new 
species of various genera of Coniferous plants, and he has recently made a new 
importation from New South Wales of orchideous and other plants, many of which 
are new, and will probably prove good and valuable. : 

Messrs. Loppicrs’, Hackney. Cologyne Gardnertana. This new and highly 
beautiful orchideous plant has recently flowered in the rich collection of the above 
gentlemen; it is an East Indian species, and was received last year from Dr. 
Wallich, of the Calcutta Botanical Garden, having been previously collected and 
sent there by Mr. John Gibson, His Grace the Duke of Devonshire’s Collector. 
Lelia anceps. This splendid plant is now beautifully in flower at the above 
nursery, and may be considered as one of the most lovely ornaments ‘of 
the orchidez-house. Messrs. Loddiges, likewise, have a new orchideous plant 
now coming into flower, the bulbs of which bear some slight resemblance to 
the genus Evia ; the flower-spike is pendulous, and the flowers will be large, and 
of a white or cream colour; it will doubtless prove a valuable plant. Corrwa 
speciosa grandiflora. This is, we believe a new variety of this much esteemed 
species, and it is in every respect superior to the species to which it is allied ; it is 
now flowering profusely in the greenhouse of the above nursery. 

Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Oncidiwm Henchmannii. ‘This is a new and exceedingly 
pretty species of Oncidium, which Mr. Low has imported from Rio del Monte ; it 
has been named by J. Bateman Esq., of Knypersly, after Mr. Henchman, of the 
Clapton nursery ; the leaves are about nine inches in length, fleshy, oblong, acute, 
and the flowers appear to be produced very freely and abundantly ; the predomi- 
nant colours in the latter are pink and yellow, beautifully mottled with brown, 
and they are nearly as large as those of O. Cebolleti ; it is a truly elegant addition 
to this already extensive and interesting genus, and should be in the possession 
of every admirer of this beautiful tribe. Mr. Low has recently obtained many 
new and valuable greenhouse and other plants, among which we noticed a fine speci- 
men of Cowania plicata, which is represented as a truly excellent half-hardy shrub. 

Messrs. Rouutson’s, Tooting. Pheleonopsis amabile. ‘This is a new and highly 
interesting and beautiful orchideous plant, which Messrs. Roilison received a few 
months ago from Manilla; the generic name is given from the resemblance the 
flowers bear to a moth; the flowers are composed of five petals, which are remark- 
able for being most distinctly marked with numerous httle nerves or veins, and the 
labellum is one of the elegant and interesting objects, both as regards structure and 
colours, we have before seen amongst the plants of this beautiful tribe, and com- 
pletely baffles description ; the foliage is handsome, and the flowers are produced 
abundantly on long slender flower-stalks.’ It appears to delight m growing on a 
block of wood. This is certainly one of the most valuable additions which our 


ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 91 


collections have received for some time. There is also at this nursery a very fine 
specimen of Lelia anceps Barkeriana, now most splendidly in flower, and we 
think that this variety is superior to the species in some respects. A curious 
phenomenon is occurring also on a plant of Peristeria Parkert, which is now 
producing one spike of flowers from the summit of the pseudo-bulb, and there is 
evidently another spike protruding itself from the base of the same bulb; but as 
it is not yet in flower, we reserve further notice of it till a future number. 

Mr. Youne’s, Epsom. Genista monosperma. This delightful and fragrant 
plant is again producing its delicate blossoms at this nursery, and recommends 
itself to a place in every collection. Mr. Young possesses also some new and 
truly valuable greenhouse and other plants, which he has received from Scotland 
and the continent. He has likewise received some highly valuable ones from 
Philadelphia. amongst which is a California plant, called Anemia Californica ; from 
the description sent, this will prove a most desirable addition to our present stock 
of half-hardy herbaceous plants, and great expectations are entertained of it. 
Besides the above, many other good new plants may be expected to emanate from 
tlis nursery in the ensuing season. 


Oe 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 
IN THE LEADING NURSERIES AND PRIVATE GARDENS IN THE 
VICINITY OF LONDON. 

On the culture of Laucula gratissima. This charming plant, which was intro- 
duced to this country from Nepal in 1823, is yet comparatively scarce and valu- 
able. A mistaken notion generally prevails in the treatment of this plant with 
regard to temperature, as we frequently find it amongst a collection of stove plants 
in the hothouse or stove. The two great evils attendant on this system are, first— 
that plants so treated grow so luxuriantly, that they are incapable of producing 
more than a few flowers, or in many instances do not flower at all, and those 
flowers that are produced too generally become mildewed, or otherwise damp off, 
owing to the excessive moisture necessary in the stove; and, next, that in this 
situation, they are extremely liable to the attacks of the red spider, which always 
render the plant unsightly, and frequently cause the leaves to fall off entirely. 

To obviate these evils, Mr. Young, of Epsom, had recourse to a system of 
placing this plant in a house the temperature of which was kept intermediate 
between the stove and the greenhouse, and the most complete success has resulted 
from it. The heuse in which it was placed was kept at a temperature a little 
above that of the greenhouse, with an atmosphere not too dry, but very slightly 
humid, and very little air was admitted, except in the summer months. To pro- 
pagate it abundantly, it is advisable to place it for some time previous to taking 
off the cuttings in the heat of the stove, where it will produce an abundance of 
young and vigorous shoots, which may be taken off at almost any season, and they 


22 ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


will strike freely in sandy loam under a bell-glass, in the stove. The plants from 
which the cuttings have been taken may be retained in the stove till they have 
formed new shoots, when other cuttings can be taken off if required ; if not, they 
should be removed to a house of the temperature before named. The cuttings, 
after they are struck, should be potted off into small-sized pots, and repotted as they 
may require. The soil best suited to this plant is a compost of heath mould and 
rich loam. Well-established plants kept in the temperature before proposed, will, 
about the months of November or December, when our plant-houses are almost 
devoid of interest, produce a fine cluster of beautiful pink-coloured blossoms from 
the termination of every shoot, which will remain expanded for some months, and 
exhale a most delightful and agreeable odour. When the flower-buds begin to 
appear, and till they are fully expanded, it is important that they should be fre- 
quently fumigated with tobacco-smoke, as at this period of their growth they are 
extremely subject to the ravages of the green fly. Plants now in the possession of 
of Mr. Young, treated as above proposed, are flowering from the extremity of every 
shoot ; while such as have been kept in the stove rarely produce more than two or 
three clusters of flowers. We recommend our readers to try this proposition, and 
we feel assured that they will be amply rewarded by a rich profusion of the delight- 
ful blossoms of this truly excellent plant. 

On the winter treatment of Pentstemon Murrayanus. We have elsewhere observed, 
in a former number, that to flower this plant in the greatest perfection, it should be 
planted out into the open border ; but it is necessary to remove it from this situa- 
tion after the flowering season is over, in order to preserve it through the winter 
from the attacks of frost, mildew, &c.; to effect this, the plants should be taken 
up and potted into pots of sufficient magnitude to contain the roots, and these plants 
thus potted, together with such young ones as may have been taken from them, will 
require the greatest possible care and attention during the winter season ; for want of 
attention to this particular has been almost the sole reason why this plant is still so 
scarce in thiscountry. The shelf ofa greenhouse as near as possible to the glass, and 
where free circulation of air can be obtained in mild and fine weather, has been found 
by experience to be the best situation for them at this season ; every precaution. 
must be used in order to preserve them from damping off ; water must be administered 
seldom and judiciously, and never over the leaves ; whenever the leaves are observed 
to become spotted with brown it is a sure indication that either the atmosphere of the 
house has been kept too humid, or that too much water has been incautiously given 
them ; and if these symptoms are passed by unheeded, the plants will gradually sicken 
and eventually be irrevocably lost ; but if these things are properly and imme- 
diately attended to, if water is withheld, and a free circulation of air is obtained 
if possible, this plant may be safely preserved through the severest winters, and 
form in the succeeding year: one of the most brilliant and showy ornaments to the 
flower-garden at present known to our collections. Weare indebted to Mr. Young 
of Epsom for the above hints, who, owing to his judicious management, has ensured 
perhaps the best disposable stock of this splendid plant in the kingdom. 


ON GRAFTING CACT AL. 

ALTHOUGH great success has already resulted from, and great progress has been 
made in, the practice of grafting various species of Cactw on others of stronger and 
more succulent habits, as well as on stocks of Pereskia aculeata, there can be little 
doubt that much yet remains to be done, and many experiments yet remain to be 
tried in this interesting subject. Every person who is at all conversant with 
Floriculture, or who is accustomed to visit the gardens of noblemen, gentlemen, 
or nurserymen, in the spring season of the year, must have been struck with the 
peculiarly curious and beautiful appearance of many species of Cactw which have 
been ingrafted into other sorts of opposite characters; and, by the judicious 
management of the cultivator in placing weak and slow-growing sorts in those of 
stronger habits and more rapid growth, the great superiority and extraordinary 
beauty of the flowers produced cannot fail to have been noticed and admired. 
But, we presume, few persons have yet practised the system we are about to 
detail, or have yet made the experiment of grafting the different species of 
Echinocactus, Mammillaria, &e., on stocks of Pereskia aculeata. This has, how- 
ever, been effected by Mr. Knight, Chelsea, and the plants so treated have grown 
in the most luxuriant manner, and have a very novel and highly interesting 
appearance. To all persons acquainted with the habits of the various species 
of Echinocactus, Mammillaria, and other cactaceous genera which do not produce flat 
or angular-leaf-like stems, but form themselves into spherical heads, it is a well- 
known fact that they produce their roots so scantily, as, in many instances, to be 
almost entirely destitute of them ; and, consequently, the plants make little pro- 
gress in their growth, and seldom attain to any considerable size; but, treated 
according to the system we have just alluded to, the strong and vigorous roots of 
the Pereskia supply them most abundantly with nutritive matter, and accelerate 
their growth in a most surprising manner. The mode of practising it is very 
simple. Having prepared a quantity of stocks of Pereskia aculeata, which have been 
previously divested of all their branches, and have attained the height of eighteen 
inches or two feet, cut the extremity of the stem nearly to a point, and then take 
species of Mamimillaria, or others of a similar nature, and cutting off all the roots, 
make a small hole in the centre of the base of the plant, and simply insert the 
stem of the Pereskia thus prepared into it, taking care to shade it from the 
influence of the sun, and keep it in a moist heat. In this manner the species used 
for the graft, and the plant which is grafted upon, will soon become firmly united, 
and grow and flourish in the most vigorous manner. But, as we have not now 
space sufficient to enter more minutely into the details of this interesting subject, 
we shall embrace a future opportunity of laying before our readers some further 
information respecting it, feeling assured that any particulars relative to the cultiva- 
tion of this curious, extensive, and much-admired tribe, will always prove acceptable. 


OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 


ele 
FLOWER-GARDEN. 


THE operations in the flower garden are now becoming numerous, and in some 
instances pressing. A gentle hotbed might now be made up for tender Annuals ; 
the seed should be sown in light loamy soil and thinly covered. A gentle hot bed 
might also be made up, and covered with old partially decayed tan, for receiving 
some old Dahlia roots in order to duce them to push for cuttings. Seeds of this 
plant may now also be sown in a warm frame, in pots, or drills. Anemones might 
now be planted, and Auriculas, Polyanthuses, &c., will require top-dressing, and in 
other respects examining and renovating. Sow Calceolarias on a moderate hotbed 
towards the end of this month or early in March. Turn especial attention to Tulip 
beds, and all kinds of bulbs; they are exposed to a variety of injuries at this 
season. 

GREENHOUSE. 

Give a little air occasionally in fine weather, as this will be of great benefit to 
the plants. Be especially cautious in watering at this season, particularly such 
plants as Banksias, Ericas, &c. Prune, dress, and regulate creepers before they 
commence growing. Plant new kinds, renew the labels, and set other little 
matters straight, before the general potting season commences. Prepare pots, soil, 


&c., that all may be ready at hand when wanted. 


STOVE. 

Srps should now be taken for potting orchidex plants, &c. ; as the operations 
will soon commence, a sufficient quantity of good peat should be got in readiness 
for such of the orchideous plants as require it, and a good quantity of proper moss _ 
for others. Before any orchideous plant is potted, the soil in which it has been 
growing should be dried well previously, as by so doing the roots are less liable to be 
broken when moved. A quantity of loam of proper quality with other requisites 
should be prepared for other stove plants. Water the plants throughout this month 
with the utmost caution, and give a little fresh air when the weather will admit. 
Introduce bulbs, shrubs, &c., for forcing ; give them plenty of water, both at the roots 
and top, fumigate them the very moment insects appear, and they will flower well 


for ornamenting the greenhouse. 


ines 
Maen 
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MARCH 4 


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HEMEROCALLIS SIEBOLDII. 
(SIEBOLD'S DaY LILY.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


HEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER, 


LILIACEE, 
Generic Cuaracter.—Flowers campanulate, with a cylindrical tube. Stamens declinate. Stigma 
small, simple, villous.— Lond. Encyc. of Plants. 


Sprciric Cuaracter.— Plant, an herbaceous perennial. Rooés fibrous. Radical-leaves spatulate, ovate, 
acute, nervose. Stem-leaves amplexicaul, oblong, acute. FH lower-sialk from nine inches to a foot 
high, roundish. Flowers ofa delicate pink colour, merging to white towards the centre. Perianth of six 
nearly equal segments ; segments slightly reflexed, bluntish. Stamens six, filaments much curved at _ 
the extremities. Style longer than the stamens, also curved at tle point. Ovary oblong, slightly 
pendulous, three-celled. 

Frew hardy plants have a more elegant and interesting appearance when in 
flower, or are more worthy of a place in the flower bed or border, than the one here 
represented ; and it is much to be regretted, that, in a lovely plant like the present, 
the flowers are so exceedingly fugitive; but this is the case with most species of 
the tribe Liliaceze and Amaryllidez, which, were it not for this circumstance, would 
doubtless be more valued than any other family of plants, as they contain some of 
the most splendid objects known to our collections. The present plant, however, 
is not remarkable for the splendour of the colours of its flowers ; but their delicacy 
and elegance are alone sufficient to entitle it to the cultivator’s care and attention. 

In the nursery of Mr. Young, Epsom, from whence our drawing was taken in 
September, 1837, it produced its beautiful blossoms in great perfection. It was 
received by the above-named gentleman from the continent, under the name here 
given, and was stated to have been introduced thither by Dr. Von Siebold, from 
Japan, about the year 1833. Upon this authority alone we have published 


it with the above appellation, and if it should prove incorrect, no blame can be 
imputed to us. 
VOL. V.— NO. L. 


es 


26 HEMEROCALLIS SIEBOLDII. 


It thrives best in a rather rich soil, and is perfectly hardy ; it is also a free 
flowering plant, and may be readily propagated from seeds or offsets; but, unlike 
most of the other species of the genus, it is deciduous. We believe plants of it may 


be obtained at the Epsom Nursery at a moderate cost. 


The generic name is derived from hemera, a day, and kallos, beauty, in allusion 


to the short time the flowers remain expanded. 


The specific name is given in honour of Dr. Von Siebold, by whom it is said to 


have been introduced. 


a. 


3 


VAR EH 1128 


iN 


ee IAI EL PZ) 


LIATRIS BOREALIS. 


(NORTHERN LIATRIS.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


SYNGENESIA. JEQUALIS. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


COMPOSITE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Calyx oblong, intricate. Pappus feathery. Receptacle naked, dotted. Seeds 
furrowed, hairy. 


Sprciric Cuaracter.—Plant an herbaceous perennial, growing from a foot to eighteen inches high. Leaves 
ovate, acute, slightly downy. Flowers terminal, capitate, pink. F'lorets tubular, four or five cleft. 
Roots tuberous. 

Amone the numerous beautiful objects which are continually being introduced 
into this country from the New World, for the purpose of ornamenting our flower- 
gardens and pleasure-grounds, some recommend themselves to our notice on account , 
of the size and splendour of their flowers, while others attract our attention by the 
simplicity and neatness of their general appearance. Of this latter class is the 
plant now before us, which, though it does not possess that brilliancy of colour and 
boldness of habit so remarkable in some species of Pentstemon, &c., inhabitants of 
the same regions, cannot fail to command attention and excite admiration on 
account of the peculiar beauty and delicacy of its flowers, as well as by its elegant 


and interesting habits. 


Mr. Young, of Epsom, to whom we are indebted for our drawing of this plant, 
received it in 1836 from the Glasgow Botanic Garden, and in the absence of any 
specific information on the subject, we presume it was introduced thither by Mr. 


Drummond, as it is doubtless a native of North America. 


It is perfectly hardy, having endured the whole of the late severe winter in the 


open ground, without any protection, and is now vegetating most rapidly. It 


oR LIATRIS BOREALIS. 


appears to thrive well in any soil, but delights most in a mixture of loam and peat, 
with the common treatment of other herbaceous plants. 

The flowers are produced in great abundance, and a strong plant will throw up 
many stems. It may be readily propagated by the tubers, as a single tuber will 


make a very good plant. 


Our drawing was taken from a plant in Mr. Young’s nursery, Epsom, in 
September 1837, where it flowered during the months of August and September. 


Generic name—the meaning of this word is unknown. 


The specific name doubtless alludes to the plant being found in a northerly 


situation. 


ean 
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MARCH 1} 


ope 
" as ofvrolas: aVialtit. 


fens 


29 


TROPAKOLUM JARRATTILI. 


(JARRATT’S TROPROLUM. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


OCTANDRIA. MONOGYNTA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


TROP AOLE AL. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol, ii. p. 193. 


Sprciric Cuaracter.—Root perennial. Stem climbing, slender, but far more vigorous than 7. tri- 
colorum ; much branched. Leaves alternate, six and seven lobed. Leaf-stalk one inch long, slender, 
twining like the branches. lower-stalks from one inch and a half to two inches and a half long. 
Calyx bright orange scarlet, with spots of yellow at the base, five-cleft ; segments blunt. Petals five, 
inserted on the calyx just below the incision of the segments, bright yellow, the two upper 
pencilled with a rich brown. Stamens eight. Style shorter than the stamens. Germen three- 
lobed. 


Tuts new and highly interesting species of Tropzeolum was imported in August 
1636, from Santiago, by Messrs. Youell, nurserymen and florists, Yarmouth ; and 


named by them in compliment to John Jarratt, Esq., of Camerton House, near 


Bath, a spirited horticulturist. 


In general appearance it resembles T. tricolorum, from which however it is obvi- 
ously distinguished, as will appear from the following. The flowers are much larger 
than those of T. tricolorum, far more brilliant in colour, besides the additional yellow 
on the outside of the flower, as well as the two upper petals being pencilled with a 
rich brown ; and last, though not the least point of difference, is its robust habits, 
which will render it no mean object for the flower-garden during the summer months. 
We are strongly impressed with the idea, that it will prove more hardy than any 
of the previously-introduced species, it having produced its flowers in a cool green- 


house which has been heated merely at intervals to exclude frost. 


A more profuse blooming plant we scarcely remember to have witnessed, and. 


30 TROPASOLUM JARRATTII. 


even when it was first excited, before it had produced a shoot twelve inches in 


leneth, flower-buds appeared in considerable numbers. 
It should be grown in a 16-size pot, in equal parts of loam and peat. 


It was sent to Messrs. Youell from a friend of theirs residing in Santiago, 
together with fifty bulbs of the genus, out of which the one in question and T. 
brachyceras are the only two that have yet bloomed, but we expect that others, 


probably new, will flower shortly. 


The drawing was kindly furnished in 1837 by Messrs. Youell, who have a stock 
of fine young plants for sale. It may be propagated from cuttings planted in sand 
and placed in heat under a glass. 


The generic name is explained in vol. 11. p. 123. 


Atte 


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31 


CORYANTHES MACRANTHA. 


{(LARGE-FLOWERED CORYANTHES. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDACE/E. 


Generic Cuaracrer.—Petals five, three exterioi ones most spreading and reflexed, of which the side 
ones are the largest ; the two inner ones much smaller, erect. Column cylindrical at the base, two- 
cleft at the summit, truncate, two-winged, and otherwise prolonged in a ridge oneach side. Label- 
Jum cup-shaped, stalked, appendage very large, helmet-shaped, three-toothed, pedunculate, in part 
enveloping the column. Anthers terminal, their extremities of a cover form. Pollen masses 
two, ovate, with compressed margins. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Leaves noble, lanceolate. Pseudo-bulbs ovately conical, high, furrowed. 
Labellum plaited on both sides, folds deflexed. 


Synonyms.—Gongora macrantha. Hooker’s Bot. Misc. ii. p. 151, t. 80. 
Coryanthes macrantha, Bot. Mag. p. 3102. 


Tue first account we have of this strange species of Orchidaceze is in Sir 
William Jackson Hooker’s Botanical Miscellany, where it is figured from specimens 
preserved in spirits sent him by Mr. Lockhart from the Caraccas. In 1836, a 
plant flowered in Mr. Knight's nursery in the King’s Road, since which flowers 
have been produced in other collections in this country ; and in 1837 a plant at 
Chatsworth flowered in the manner here represented ; and such was the extraor- 
dinary form the flowers presented, that (as was the case with the visitors when the 
blossoms were first seen in Trinidad) wonder and surprise was created in all who 
were favoured with an opportunity of seeing them. The plant and flowers are 
thus described by Dr. Lindley in the Bot. Reg. p. 1841. “The plant has the 


habit of a Stanhopea or a Gongora, and pushes forth from the base of its pseudo- 


39 CORYANTHES MACRANTHA. 


bulbs a pendulous scape, on which two or three flowers are developed. Hach 
flower is placed at the end of a long, stiff, cylindrical furrowed ovary, and when 
expanded, measures something more than six inches from the tip of one sepal to 
that of the opposite one. In colour the sepals are an ochrey yellow, spotted 
irregularly with dull purple ; they have a most delicate texture ; the upper sepal 
falls back from the tip of the ovary, is narrow, and not above one half the length 

of the two lateral ones, which, instead of applying themselves to the lip, as is 
usually the case, turn directly away from it, placing themselves at an acute angle 
with the upper sepal, andrafter a while collapsing at their sides till they look some- 
thing like bats’ wings half at rest. The petals, which are narrowly lanceolate, very 
weak, and much curved at the edge, have the same colour and texture as the sepals 
nearly, and are intermediate in length between the upper one and those at the side ; 
they hang nearly parallel with the column, but are so placed as to conceal in no 
degree the lip, nature taking most especial care to exhibit this strange part in the 
most conspicuous manner. The lip is as fleshy and solid in its texture as the 
petals and sepals are delicate; it is seated on a deep purple stalk, nearly an inch 
long, and forming an obtuse angle with the column, and consequently an acute 
one with the ovary ; this stalk terminates in a hemispherical greenish-purple cup, or 
rather cap, considering its position; and the latter, contracting at its front edge, 
extends forward into a sort of second stalk of a very vivid blood colour, the sides 
of which are thinner than the centre, turned back, and marked with four or five 
very deep solid sharp-edged plaits. These plaited edges again expand and form a 
second cup, less lobed than the first, thinning away very much to the edges, of a 
broadly conical figure, with a diameter of at least two inches at the orifice ; this 
second cup is of an ochrey yellow, streaked and spotted with pale crimson, and 
seems intended to catch a watery secretion, which drips into it from two succulent 


horns, which take their origin in the base of the column, and hang over the centre 


of the cup.” 


The treatment required for this plant is so similar to that given to Gongoras 
and Stanhopeas, that scarcely any alteration is necessary to be made; it may be 
described as follows :—In potting, use free fibrous sandy peat, with plenty of 
drainage, build the bulk of soil a trifle above the level of the pot in consequence of 
the pendulous nature of the flexuous scape; for an illustration of which see wood- 
cut figure. In the spring, when the young buds begin to swell, let it have plenty 


of water and heat, and it will grow and flower very freely. 


CORYANTHES MACRANTHA. 33 


The way of propagating it, is by taking off one or more of the bulbs, potting 
them in proper-sized pots in the above soil well drained, and placing them on 
a hot flue, being careful in watering not to allow any to rest upon the young buds. 
After they have made roots, increase the size of the pots, and in other respects 
attend to them as before described, and they will grow well and soon make flower- 
| ing plants. 

The generic name is taken from sorys, a helmet, and anthos, a flower, in allu- 
sion to the large helmet-like appendage to the lip of the flower. 


The specific name alludes to the size of the flower. 


So! VA fe 
Say <i 


Y GA Gig 
we 
‘i i Va 


VOL. Vie-NO. Lb. F 


34 


ON THE RELATIVE MERITS OF IRON AND WOOD 
ROOFS, FOR STOVES, GREENHOUSES, &c., &c. 


BY J. THOMSON, 
LANDSCAPE GARDENER, NURSERYMAN, AND HOTHOUSE DESIGNER, BEULAH SPA, 
CROYDON, SURREY. 


With Practical Observations and Calculations on the Consumption of Fuel and Breakage of 
Glass under both kinds of roofs, made during fifteen years’ practice as Gardener to the Duke 
of Northumberland at Sion House, Kew, and elsewhere: with an account of several 
years observations made on heating Forcing and other Houses with common Flues, 
Steam Boilers, and with six of the most approved systems of heating by Hot Water. 
Also a description of the Economie Egg-shaped Boiler, the invention of the writer, 
which has given general satisfaction by the efficacy and simplicity of its construction, 
and its economy of Fuel and Labour. 


— 


Str,—Knowing that a great diversity of opinion exists as to what description 
of materials are of most avail in the construction of roofs for stoves, greenhouses, 
and other buildings intended for the culture of fruits, and of tropical and other 
plants; and having had for years the management of the extensive ranges of 
glass at Sion House and other places where the lights and rafters were constructed 
both of cast-iron and wood ; I am induced to submit to your consideration the 
result of my practical observations relative to the two descriptions of houses 
under consideration, as a guide to persons who may be inclined to build, but are 
unacquainted with the injurious consequences of ill-constructed hothouses for 
horticultural purposes. Having had fifteen years’ practical experience, and the 
management during that long period of above three thousand running feet of 
glass designed for the culture of fruits and plants, Iam enabled to speak with some 
decision on the subject: and there are, I doubt not, hundreds of practical gardeners 
who will confirm the truth of the following observations, and agree with me in the 
decided conviction I entertain of the superiority of wood to iron. I feel fully 
Justified indeed in saying, that when the merits of wood and the demerits of iron are 
fully ascertained, the erroneous prejudice in favour of the latter will cease to exist 
in the minds of all candid men who are practically acquainted with the properties 
of the two materials. Every person possessing even a slight knowledge of the 
expansion and contraction of all metallic substances, may form some idea of the 
inevitable expansion of a large iron-roofed house on a hot summer's day, and of its 
unquestionable contraction during a night of severe frost. So powerful have I 
known the action of the sun’s rays to prove in expanding the iron rafters and lights 
of a large roof on a hot day, that I have found the strength of two and sometimes 
three men insufficient to force down the sliding lights for the admission of air. In 
fully equal proportions have I witnessed the contraction of the metal during the 
intensity of winter, when so large have been the apertures between the rafters and 


IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 35 


the lights, as to admit the external air in a degree sufficient to counteract entirely 
the power of two strong fires, when the flues have been heated to the greatest 
excess, before the temperature of the house could be raised to 30°, the ther- 
mometer then standing (out of doors) at 18° of frost: this was in February, 
1830. Now this occurrence took place in a house of no very large dimensions 
compared with the wood-roofed vinery I am about to describe. The dimensions of 
this building were forty feet long by sixteen wide and nine feet high, with a pit in 
the middle for the culture of pines, &c., which very much reduced the cubical 
number of feet of air to be rarified, compared with the wood-roofed house, which 
was fifty feet long, fourteen wide, and fourteen high, without any pit in the 
middle. Having thus stated the dimensions of the houses, I shall now give the 
results of the investigation and calculations made relative to fuel, attention, &c. &c. 
The coals for both houses were measured before being placed for use ; and after the 
consumption of the night’s fuel, the result was as follows :—The iron-roofed with 
18° of frost, required the consumption of nearly six bushels of coals, and unremitting 
attention during the night, or until three o’clock in the morning ; while the house 
with the wooden-roof consumed scarcely three bushels of fuel in order to keep it at 
the same degree of temperature with its iron rival; and no attention was required 
after ten or eleven o'clock at night, when the fires were made up and left. More- 
over, being determined to investigate thoroughly the merits of the two materials, I 
caused a house, constructed of wood, and also one of iron of precisely the same 
dimensions as regarded superficial feet of glass, to be perfectly repaired in the 
autumn of 1632; and on having them examined and repaired in the following 
season, I found that in the cost of repairing, the iron house cost nearly double the 
sum required to repair the wooden one. I do not mean to say that double the 
number of squares were absolutely broken, but including the broken and cracked 
squares there was more than double the number destroyed, and this I attributed to 
the expansion of the iron during the summer and its contraction in winter. 

From these calculations, it is quite evident that wood has the advantage over iron in 
four very essential points, viz., the saving of fuel, glass, and labour, and in the better 
growth of plants and fruits, as I have invariably found plants do not thrive so well 
or look so healthy in an iron as in a wood-roofed house. 'The non-conducting power 
of wood, and the electrical (nay I may say caloric) sensibilities of iron may be 
the cause of this difference. Iron is infinitely more lable than wood to the sudden 
and injurious variations of temperature from heat to cold. I have always found 
during my practice, that no matter how the iron hothouse might be situated, unless 
there was a slight shading on the houses during the hot days in the summer 
months, the leaves of the pines and other plants become very brown and frequently 
scalded ; but whenever these shadings are not used, I would strongly recommend 
that a large cistern or trough of water be placed about the houses in-order to make 
up by the continued evaporations for the deficiency of moisture exhaled by the 
powerful action of the sun. Another important circumstance is worthy of the 


) 


Ae 


518) IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 


¢ 


gardener’s attention :—viz., that iron houses should be ‘painted internally, either 
annually or biennially at the farthest, to prevent the drip from the corroded iron 
injuring the foliage of the plants; for I have always found this ochreous or 
metallic deposit injurious to the leaves. Since these remarks were made, I have 
had sufficient proof of their correctness, and of my former comparisons, through 
having extended my cbservations still farther in the season of 1834; and these, as 
you will perceive, fully confirm the accuracy of my previous calculations. By . 
working two houses at the same temperature, 55 to 60° Fahrenheit, the result was 
as follows :—The wooden-roofed one consumed only one bushel and a half every night, 
while the iron-roofed one burnt from two and three quarters to three bushels; this last 
experiment was made two months later in the season than when my attention was 
directed to the subject before ; but then you will see they bear the same propor- 
tions as to fuel, &c. The dimensions of the houses were as. follows :—the wood- 
roofed house fifty feet long, fourteen wide, fourteen high ; the iron, sixty feet long, 
fifteen wide, twelve high; the latter was a vinery, and had a pit im it for the 
culture of pines, which very much reduced the number of cubic feet of air to be 
heated compared with the wood-roofed one for the culture of peaches, which had no, 
pit in the centre. : 
Notwithstanding however, that, the whole of my observations and calcula- 
tions are unfavourable to iron roofs, yet £ am willing to admit, that for light- 
ness and neatness of appearance in the structure, iron has and always will have 
the preference ; but still I am confident, that if proper attention were paid to 
the construction of hothouses, and to the materials used in their erection, the 
appearance of wooden roofs would not be altogether objectionable. Now, for the 
assistance of persons building houses for horticultural purposes, who may have had 
less practical experience than myself, I will here give a brief description of such 
materials and mode of construction as I think will combine the whole of the 
desired objects. The first thing to be attended to, is to give the roof a proper 
pitch or inclination, so as effectually to carry off the water, and to prevent drip in 
the house, which is highly injurious to all plants, particularly those grown in pots. 
Secondly, to form the roof in the following manner :—the rafters to be of wood, 
varying according to the length of the roof from six to eleven inches, the section of 
the rafter to be wedge-shaped, from three to four inches wide on the upper side 
where the lights rest, and about half an inch wide on the bottom or under side.. 
The ends and sides of the lights to be made of wood, the top from five to six inches, 
the sides two inches and a half, and the bottom from six to seven inches wide ; and 
the sash bars, to prevent as much as possible the obstruction of the sun’s rays, 
should be of copper, which will give the house a light and neat appearance, without 
subjecting the plants to the injurious extremes of temperature, heat and cold, as the: 
small quantity of metal in the thin sash bars, which need not be more than half an 
inch wide and about the same depth, will cause but very little variation in the 
temperature by radiation, and sufier little from expansion and contraction ; neither 


IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 27 


xy 


would it render the expense of the light much more than if made of wood, 
for as copper of that dimension would not weigh more than six ounces to the 
running foot, I should suppose it could be bought at about one shilling and 
eightpence per pound, therefore the expense would be trifling when compared with 
the advantages ; and indeed the extra expense would be repaid in a few years by 
the saving of wood in repairing the glass, as glaziers cannot pick out old putty 
without destroying the sash bars; and this being frequently repeated (as is 
necessary when lights are kept constantly in use) very soon lessens the substance 
of the sash bars. I therefore recommend all persons, about to erect forcing and 
other houses, to have them constructed of the above materials, particularly if they 
are desirous to excel in the culture of fruits and plants, as by the use of copper sash 
bars they obtain all the desired objects :—viz., lightness of appearance, economy of 
fuel, glass, and labour. Moreover, any gentleman, before erecting or deciding on 
any particular plan or dimensions of houses for horticultural purposes, should 
consult his own gardener or some other practical man acquainted with the subject, 
as it is impossible for any architect or surveyor to know the proper dimensions 
and elevation of a hothouse, greenhouse, or other buildings, was to answer all the 
intended purposes to which they are appropriated, so well as the gardener. It is 
true that an architect may make a very interesting external drawing, which to the 
eye appears perfection, without its even answering any one of the desired ends.. 
Convenience of paths or walks, bark or tan beds, stages, flues, cisterns for water, 
ventilation, and innumerable other little requisites and necessaries for a stove, 
greenhouse, or conservatory, may be overlooked ; and as every gentleman who goes 
to the expense of erections of this description expects in due time to have the 
benefit of his outlay in fruit, or the satisfaction of an extraordinary fine individual 
specimen or general display of flowers, should he be eventually disappointed in 
not enjoying those anticipated gratifications through the bad construction of his 
house or houses, I regret to say it too frequently occurs that the industrious, perse- 
vering, and, anxious gardener is blamed for neglect of duty or want of skill, not 
only by his employers but by others equally unacquainted with the cause. But 
upon examination of the house by a competent and practical man, it turns out that 
the blame and ill-success are attributable to the formation and aspect of the house. 
Various genera and species of plants require peculiar treatment and difterent situa- 
tions, so that had the gardener been consulted as to the height of stages, depth of 
tan-beds, and proper situation of the flues (or other modes of heating), all this 
disappointment to the employer and employed, through ill-success, would have 
been prevented. Moreover, it too frequently happens with these pretty plans 
prepared by non-practical men, that there is an insufficiency of means provided for 
the proper ventilation of houses, and want of ventilation in iron curvilinear roofs is 
frequently attended with the most disastrous consequences, which is a confirmation 
of the correctness of my observations, and of the importance of proper ventila- 
tion, and of plants always being liable to be scorched under an iron-roofed house. 


38 IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 


I remember witnessing this last summer, the destruction of the whole of a fine crop 
of grapes as well as the foliage, when nearly full swelled, in a gentleman’s hothouse 
in Kent, which was erected of cast-iron about six years ago. The destruction 
occurred through the architect failing to allow a proper ventilation ; and to prevent 
the second house of grapes, which had then suffered severely, from sharing the same 
melancholy fate, the gardener, who is admitted to be as good a practical man as any 
in the kingdom, caused some holes to be made in the back wall of the house about 
one foot wide and three feet long, where he introduced shutters hung on hinges, 
by which means he fortunately succeeded in saving the second house of fruit, but 
not without great injury to the foliage. This unfortunate and unavoidable circum- 
stance was generally known in the neighbourhood of Seven Oaks, and observed by 
many practical gardeners, who can vouch for the accuracy of this statement. 

Having I think fully shown the advantage possessed by wood over cast-iron 
in these very essential points, the better growth of plants, and the saving of fuel, 
glass, and labour, I shall now give a description of my apparatus for heating by 
hot water, deferring until next month any further observations on the various 
modes of heating houses. 

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are intended for houses of small dimensions, and the 
larger one, figure 5, for extensive houses: this boiler as well as the other is 
oval-shaped, and would be sufficient to heat seven or eight hundred feet of four-inch 
pipe at a trifling expense ; for during the severest part of last winter, all the houses 
I have heated with this plan of boiler were kept up to their respective tem- 
peratures without burning one bushel of coal, the only fuel used being small coke ; 
and during the intense frosty night of January 19th of the present year, when 
at a quarter past six oclock in the morning, the thermometer stood at 12 degrees 
below zero, or 42 degrees of frost, we had not the least difficulty in keeping the 
whole of the stoves and greenhouses at their respective temperatures. Ihave devoted 
much time and attention to heating houses with hot water for several years, but more 
particularly last season, and this winter up to the present time ; and from accurate 
calculations made of the number of superficial feet of glass exposed to the action of the 
weather, Iam enabled, from watching the thermometers both out of doors and in the 
houses with all extremes of weather, to calculate most correctly the number of superfi- 
cial feet of pipe required to command (even with 42 degrees of frost) any given degree 
of heat requisite for stoves, greenhouses, or other buildings; and the want of this 
practical knowledge and attention to this highly important part (the radiating 
surface) has been the cause of so many complaints against the system of heating 
by the circumvolution of hot water, all of which would have been prevented had 
the hot-water fixer devoted a few nights during severe frosty weather to these in- 
dispensably necessary calculations ; but then his remarks should not have rested on 
the observations made during a calm night of severe frost, for I have proved, by 
sitting up and watching the thermometers for whole nights together, that 16 
degrees of frost with a strong wind is more trying to a house, than a severe night's 


IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 39 


frost like that of January 19th, when the thermometer fell to 12 degrees below 
zero, or 42 degrees of frost. J am induced to send you this account of the degree 
of frost at Norwood (which may be relied on, as I sat up the whole of the night 
to make my observations and calculations), thinking it might interest some of your 
numerous readers. 

Figure 1, is the elevation of the front. Figure 2, a transverse section across the 
furnace and boiler ; 3, is a longi- 
tudinal section through the centre. 
4, is a plan of the furnace, a lower 
part of the boiler; the same 
letters refer to similar parts in 
each figure. <A, is the furnace 
in which the fuel is placed, 
entirely surrounded (except the 
under side) with the boiler. 
B is the check draugtht, over 
which the heat, flame, and 
smoke, pass to a small aperture 


C in the back of the boiler, communicating with the flues, D, surrounding the 


= Sa mae 
=== 


GGT: 
Whe 


lower part, which unite and pass through an opening, E, in the flange on each side 
of the furnace door to the flue which surrounds the upper part, and terminates at 
the brick flue G, furnished with a damper to regulate the draught. The boiler, H, 
is in the form of an egg on the plan, with a chamber all round connected by the 
check draught, B, and surrounded with the cover to the flue, I, with an iron cap, 


40 GARDEN ORNAMENTS. 


Q, either fixed or loose as may be required. M M are two outlet pipes commu- 
nicating with the upper part of the boiler through which the hot water circulates. 


AE 
a 
ERIN 


CK )) 
il 


After passing away to the outside of the brickwork, the pipes are ramified into two 
or three branches, as may be required, for warming different houses or separate 
parts of the building. N N are two return pipes, which enter the lower part of 
the boiler. O is the ash pit, with a door, Q, to regulate the draught. ‘The furnace 
has double doors, P, to exclude the external air. In the front of the fireplace, 
between the furnace bars and door, there is a piece of iron one foot wide, by one 
to three long, which acts as a carbonising plate, and when the fire begins to burn 
strong so as to heat the iron, nearly the whole of the smoke is consumed. 

Figure 5, is a section of a boiler, with an additional flue surrounding the lower 
part of it, and used for large buildings, or when several houses are required to be 


heated from the same boiler. 
(To be continued). 


GARDEN ORNAMENTS. 


In some of our late numbers we have adverted to certain architectural an 
sculptured ornaments which are considered suitable for the embellishment of gar- 
dens, or to enrich the scenery of the dressed grounds in the vicinity of noblemen’s 
or gentlemen’s residences. But where architectural or sculptured edifices cannot 
be introduced with propriety by reason of the limited space of garden, or for other 
reasons, there are other substitutes which may very well be admitted, and which 
would answer the same purpose. 


GARDEN ORNAMENTS. 4l 


The Chinese are a people who of all others not only cultivate fine flowering 
plants, but have a pride in growing them in curious and costly porcelain vessels. 
This seems to have been a very general custom among the nations of southern and 
eastern Asia; for in the oldest prints of pictures of oriental scenery, we often see 
represented flowering or fruiting plants placed in pots of various shapes. Vessels for 
this or any other domestic purpose were manufactured by the potter, whose art was 
one of the earliest and most useful of the primitive trades. In those countries 
which were first inhabited by mankind, many of the natural productions required 
the vessels of the potter for containing and preserving them. Milk and honey, 
wine and oil, were, with corn and dried fruit, the principal ingredients of the food 
of man in those days; and various kinds of air and water-tight vessels for these 

viands were particularly requisite. Consequently the trade of the potter, like all 
others, advanced from rude beginnings to productions of the most elegant forms 
and exquisite workmanship. 

Nor were such vessels solely confined to domestic purposes ; they were employed 
in the most sacred ordinances, and on the most solemn occasions. Monumental urns 
were manufactured to receive and preserve the ashes of the dead; or instead of 
books, were impressed with representations of the actions of illustrious men, or of 
memorable historical events. Ultimately, not only were the finest plastic earths 
sought for and employed in such manufactures, but the most precious metals were 
used to give durability and strength to the productions of the artist. 

In process of time these vessels ceased to be made entirely for their original use. 
Instead of vessels of capacity, they became objects of ornament, and used for the 
embellishment of both the interior and exterior of buildings of every description. 
For these purposes the sculptor took up the trade and ingenuity of the potter, 
choosing the hardest material to accommodate his employer the architect ; and the 
elegant figures which had formerly been formed of clay, were now chiselled out of 
the finest blocks of marble. 

It appears that different nations adopted different forms of these ornamental 

vessels, or vases as they are now called. Hence we have Grecian, Etruscan, and 
Oriental vases, each of which have their own characteristic ornaments in relief ; and 
though there are many varieties of each style, all are more or less elegant in out- 
line, and more or less enriched with figures of various flowers and foliage. 

Some of these are very costly ornaments, especially if they be models from the 
antique, for these are more highly valued than any modern design, however merit- 
orious. But that the finest forms of antiquity can be chastely and correctly imi- 
tated, we have only to refer to what has been so successfully done by the ingenious 
and celebrated Wedgwood. Still, his ornamental porcelain was too delicate and 
valuable for common use, and several talented and ingenious potters, of late years, 
have produced most beautiful clay ornaments for architectural and garden purposes, 
highly admirable in design and finishing, and ever worthy the attention of those who 
would embellish their gardens at a small expense. 

VOL. V.—NO. L. G 


42 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


In order that our readers may be able to judge of the faithfulness of the com- 
position of clay ornaments now manufactured for sale, we subjoin a plate, repre- 
senting ; first, a Grecian leaf-vase, No. 1; a plain Etruscan vase, No. 2 ; an 
Oriental Lotus vase, No. 3; a plain Grecian moulded vase, No. 4; and a Gothic 
column for a horizontal sun-dial, No. 5. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR FEBRUARY. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONES). 


THE EUPHORBIUM TRIBE (E£uphorbiacee). 
Kupnorera Venera. Venctian Euphorbia. The specimens from which the 
drawing of this fine half-shrubby evergreen plant was made, were communicated 
by the Hon. W. F. Strangways. It is a trailing plant, growing about two feet 
high, producing its dingy green flowers from the axils of the leaves. It is found 
inhabiting the vicinity of Venice, the country about Nice, Genoa, and elsewhere in. 
the same part of Europe. Flowers during the summer months. Bot. [eg. 6. 


THE MYRTLE TRIBE (Myrtacee). 

CALLISTEMON MICROSTACHYUM. Small-spiked Callistemon. This is a beau- 
tiful New Holland plant, which flowered for the first time in Europe in the garden 
of William Harrison, Esq., of Cheshunt, in March, 1837. The species is readily 
distinguished by its spreading narrow leaves and small spikes of rich vivid crimson 
flowers. Bot. Reg. 7. 

COMPOSITE. 

Morna nivea. Snow-white Morna. <A very pretty annual, producing its 
snow-white flowers in the greenhouse from May to August. It grows about 
eighteen inches high, and was raised in the garden of R. Mangles, Esq., from Swan 
River seeds. This species differs from M. nitida, in the scales of the flower-heads 
being white and quite entire. Bot. Reg. 9. 


THE BEAN TRIBE (Leguminosae). 

CHorozeMA corpata. Mr. Mangless Chorozema. A very pretty plant, 
native of the Swan River colony, and raised in the garden of R. Mangles, Esq. 
It is a rapid growing plant, being two feet and a half high when only twelve 
months old, and appears as if it would produce its yellow purple flowers in abun- 


dance. It flowered in April. Bot. Reg. 10. 


LOASACE/E. 

Loasa LATERITIA. Red-flowered Loasa. A singular and truly beautiful 
climbing plant, mostly hispid and stringing, especially the slender stem, which is 
upwards of twenty feet long. It was raised in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, from 
seeds sent there by Mr. Tweedie, which he collected in Tucuman. The plants 


GARDEN OQRNAMENTS. 


rea " 
a 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. * 43 


survived in the stove through the winter, and produced their bright orange-red 
blossoms in May, 1837; since when plants have been trained against an open wall, 
and produced their flowers in great abundance. Bot. Mag. 3632. 


THE PAPAU TRIBE (Papayacee). 

CARICA CITRIFORMIS. Small citron-fruited Papaw. Plants of this interesting 
species were raised in the Botanic Garden, Glasgow, from seeds communicated by 
Charles Horsfall, Esq., Liverpool, in 1835 ; and so rapidly does the plant come to 
perfection that it produced its flowers and fruit the same year. The stem 1s erect, 
and upwards of five feet high, with leaves on long petioles from the upper part of 
it; the yellowish white flowers are in clusters at the axils of the leaves, and the 
fruit is bright orange, about the size and shape of a hen’s egg. Bot. Mag. 3633. 


THE INDIAN FIG TRIBE (Cactacee). 

Mamitiaria Lenmanni. Lehmann’s Mammillaria. This plant flowered in 
the collection of Messrs. Mackie, of Norwich, who observe that it is a “ distinct 
and remarkable species, bearing dark points in the axils of the mammille, which in 
hot weather exude a dark-coloured viscid matter not observable in any other 
species.” The plant grows about six inches high, with terminal flowers of a deli- 
cate straw colour and red filaments. Bot. Mag. 3634. 


THE PASSION-FLOWER TRIBE (Passifloracee). 

PASSIFLORA NIGELLIFLORA. Nigella-flowered Passion Flower. A species of 
Passiflora, raised in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, from seeds collected by Mr. 
Tweedie, at St. Jago de Estera, in 1835. It is very nearly allied to P. gossypt- 
folia, and two or three others, but may be readily known from them by its five- 
lobed and strongly-serrated cordate leaves; the stem attains the height of several 
feet, clothed with soft spreading hairs; the flowers are a palish green, the germen 
and style slightly hairy. Flowers in September. Bot. Mag. 3635. 

PassiFLorA TucuMANENSIS. Large-stipuled Passion Flower. This is a new 
species of Passiflora, also raised from seeds sent by Mr. Tweedie to the Glasgow 
Botanic Garden, in 1836, which were found by him in Tucuman in Chili. A 
glabrous plant with long twinging stems and dark green leaves very deeply three- 
lobed, with a flower about two inches in diameter ; the calyx and petals are white, 

the inner nectary consists of numerous white filaments tipped with blue ; and 
the filaments of the outer one is white, barred with purplish blue. It flowers in 


the stove in July. Bot. Mag. 3636. 


CLASS II.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONEZ.) 


THE. LILY TRIBE (Lilacee). 
THYSANOTUS PROLIFERUS.  Proliferous Thysanotus. Another Swan River 
plant, raised in the garden of R. Mangles, Esq.; the stem is erect, about two 
feet high, with long smooth linear leaves, and violet flowers, which are not very 


\ 


A4 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


showy, but beautifully fringed, which renders the plant rather attractive. Bot. 
Reg. 8. 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidaceae). 


EPIDENDRUM FLORIBUNDUM. Many-flowered Epidendrum. A beautiful species 
of Epidendrum, communicated by James Bateman, Esq., who obtained the figure 
from a specimen in the collection of the Messrs. Loddiges, by whom it was 
imported from Mexico, some years ago: the plant has a long leafy stem, about a 
foot high, with a terminal branched panicle about four inches long, bearing 
numerous flowers, each on a long pedicle; the sepals are a greenish brown, petals 
white, and the lip is white with a curved line of red dots. Bot. Mag. 3637. 

CrRRHOPETALUM THONARSI. Insular Cirrhopetalum. A very curious plant, 
and one of the most extensively diffused of all the epiphytal Orchidacez, being 
found in the Society Islands, in Java, in the isles of France and Madagascar, and 
in Manilla, whence Messrs. Loddiges received it from Mr. Cumming. The flower 
stem is produced from the small pseudo-bulb, and is about nine inches long, bearing 
an umbel of ten or twelve flowers, and nothing can be more singular than the long 
strap-shaped sepals growing from one side of the flower and almost bearing them 
down with their weight; the petals are yellow, finely spotted with red, bordered 
with bristle-pointed teeth, and terminated in a long awl-shaped point. Bot. 
Reg. 11. 


VICTORIA REGIA. 


“Great interest having been excited by the stories told in the newspapers of 
this extraordinary plant, the following account has been taken from a memoir upon 
the subject, of which twenty-five copies only have been privately circulated. Some 
botanical explanations concerning the genus, not introduced into the original 
memoir, are here given from such materials as I possess.” 

“‘ An undoubted addition to a tribe of plants at once so beautiful and so cir- 
cumscribed as that of the Nymphs, or water-lilies, would be an event of interest 
even if it only related to a distinctly-marked species of some well-known genus. 
But when the subject of the discovery is not only a new genus, but a plant of the 
most extraordinary beauty, fragrant, and of dimensions previously unheard of in 
the whole vegetable kingdom, except in the colossal family of Palms, an interest 
must then attach to it, which can rarely be possessed by a novelty in natural 
history. : : 
“Such a plant is the subject of the following notice :—A Water-lily, exhibiting 
a new type of structure, of the most noble aspect, of the richest colours, and so 
gigantic that its leaves measure above eighteen feet, and its flower nearly four feet 
in circumference. It was met with in British Guiana, in lat. 4° 30’ N., long. 
58° W. nearly, by Mr. Robert Schomburgk, a German gentleman, travelling on 
account of the Royal Geographical Society, assisted by her Majesty’s Government, 
for the purpose of examining the natural productions of that part of the British 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. Ad 


dominions. In an account of the plant transmitted to the Geographical Society, 
Mr. Schomburgk speaks thus of his discovery. 

“Tt was on the first of January this year, while contending with the diipaltios 
of nature imposed in different forms to our progress up the river Berbice (in British 
Guiana), that we arrived at a point where the river expanded and formed a 
currentless basin ; some object on the southern extremity of the basin attracted my 
attention ; it was impossible to form any idea what it could be, and animating the 
crew to increase the rate of their paddling, we were shortly afterwards opposite 
the object which had raised my curiosity—a vegetable wonder! All calamities 
were forgotten; I felt as a botanist, and felt myself rewarded: a gigantic leaf, 
from five to six inches in diameter, salver-shaped with a broad rim, of a light 
green above, and a vivid crimson below, resting upon the water. Quite in 
character with the wonderful leaf was the luxuriant flower, consisting of many 
hundred petals, passing in alternate tints from pure white to rose and pink. The 
smooth water was covered with the blossoms, and as 1 rowed from one to the 
other, I always observed something new to admire. The leaf on its upper surface 
is of a bright green ; in form almost orbicular, except that on one side it is slightly 
bent in; its diameter measured from five to six feet; around the whole margin 
extended a rim, from three to five inches high, on the inside light green, like the 
surface of the leaf, on the outside like the leaf’s lower surface of a bright crimson. 
The ribs are very prominent, almost an inch high, radiating from a common centre ; 
there are eight principal ones, with a good many others branching off from them ; 
these are crossed again by a membrane or bands at right angles, which. give the 
whole the appearance of a spider's web, and are beset with prickles; the veins 
contain air-cells like the petiole and flower-stem. The divisions of the ribs and 
bands are visible on the upper surface of the leaf by which it appears areolated. 
The young leaf is convolute and expands but slowly. The prickly stem ascends 
with the young leaf till it has reached the surface ; by the time it is developed, its 
own weight depresses the stem, and it floats on the water. The stalk of the flower 
is an inch thick near the calyx, and is studded with sharp elastic prickles, about 
three quarters of an inch in length. The calyx is four-leaved, each sepal upwards 
of seven inches in length and three inches in breadth; at the base they are 
white inside, reddish brown and prickly outside ; the diameter of the calyx is from 
twelve to thirteen inches; on it rests the magnificent corolla, which, when fully 
developed, completely covers the calyx with its hundred petals. When it first 
opens, 1t is white, with pink in the middle, which spreads over the whole flower 
the more it advances in age, and it is generally found the next day altogether of a 
pink colour ; as if to enhance its beauty, it is sweet-scented. Like others of its 
tribe, the petals and stamens pass gradually into each other, and many petaloid 
leaves may be observed which have vestiges of an anther. The petals next to the 
leaves of the calyx are fleshy, and possess air-cells, which certainly must contribute 
to the buoyancy of the flower. The seeds of the many-celled fruit are numerous, 


46 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


and imbedded in a spongy substance. We met the plants frequently afterwards, 
and the higher we advanced the more gigantic they became: we measured a leaf 
which was six feet five inches in diameter, its rim five inches and a half high, and 
the flower across fifteen inches. The flower is much injured by a beetle (Trichius 
sp. ?), which destroys completely the inner part of the disk ; we have counted from 
twenty to thirty sometimes on one flower.’ 

“Some drawings were sent home by Mr. Schomburgk, in illustration of the 
previous account. He considered the plant a species of the genus Nymphe, and 
was desirous that it should be distinguished by the name of the Queen, a wish 
with which Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to comply. But it proves, 
upon an examination of the drawings and papers which the Royal Geographical 
Society has placed in my hands for publication, that the plant is not a Nympheea, as 
Mr. Schomburgk supposed, but a new and well-marked genus ; for this reason, it 
appears to me that the object of its discoverer will be best attained by suppressing 
the name of Nymphza Victoria by which he had proposed to distinguish the plant, 
and by embodying Her Majesty’s name in the usual way in that of the genus. 
I have therefore proposed to name it. Victoria Regia. 

‘“‘This noble plant corresponds with the genus Euryale in the spiny character 
of the leaves and stalks, and to a certain extent in the great development of the 
former organs ; but it is in fact most nearly allied to Nymphea itself. 

‘“‘ At the time this was written I knew nothing of the plant beyond what 
could be learned from Mr. Schomburgk’s description and figures ; these however 
contained abundant evidence upon which to establish a genus. I was therefore a 
little surprised to find, soon after the account above quoted had been printed, that 
either this plant or one nearly allied to it had been called Euryale Amazonica, by 
Professor Poppig. In the second volume of the travels of this distinguished natu- 
ralist, mention is made of a Nympheaceous plant of extraordinary dimensions, 
rivalling the Hast Indian Rafflesia in size, but far superior in richness of colour, 
inhabiting the Igarapé River, one of the branches of the Amazons. The leaves 
are described as covered with prickles on the under side, the flowers snow-white,, 
purple in the middle, and from ten to eleven English inches in diameter. It 
flowers in December and January, and bears in Ega the name of Mururu. 

“It is impossible not to recognise a plant extremely like Victoria in this sketch ; 
and I cannot doubt thatthe Mururt is either the very same, or a nearly allied species. 
That Professor Poppig was wrong in referring this plant to Kuryale must have 
been evident to any one acquainted with Roxburgh’s detailed description of that 
genus, and has been rendered still more certain im consequence of the Royal Geo- 
graphical Society having received from Mr. Schomburgk some flowers sent over in 
salt and water. I am indebted to the liberality of the Society for these specimens, 
which although in a very decayed state, in consequence of the manner in which 
they were packed, are botanically examinable ; and they show that Victoria is not 
only quite distinct from Kuryale, but highly curious in structure. They moreover 


OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. 47 


confirm Mr. Schomburgk’s account of the size of the flowers, for one of the ex- 
panded calyxes measured fourteen inches in diameter, and an additional inch for the 
overlapping of the petals is little enough to allow. 

““ With regard to the genus: Euryale is an East Indian water-plant, with very 
large floating leaves, sometimes as much as four feet in diameter, bright purple 
underneath, and there reticulated with numerous very large prominent veins. It 
is moreover covered with sharp prickles on the under-side of the leaves, the leaf- 
stalks, flower-stalks, and calyx. In these particulars it agrees with Victoria, and 
in little else. 

‘¢ Victoria has the inner petals rigid, and curved inwards over the stamens, into 
which they gradually pass; in Euryale there is no transition of this kind. 

‘In Victoria there is no double row of horn-like, stout stamens, curving over 
the stigmas, and adhering firmly to their back ; Euryale has no such structure. 

“* Victoria has 36 cells to the ovary, and about 28 ovules to each of its cells ; 
Euryale has only from 6 to 8 cells, with 6 to 10 ovules in each. 

“* And finally, the ripe fruit of Victoria hes at the bottom of a regularly trun- 
cated cup, which stands high above the water, while the blossom of Euryale sinks 
into the water after flowering, and the fruit whenripe is invested with the irre- 
gular decayed remains of the calyx and corolla.” Bot. Reg. 9. 


eae 


OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. 
~~ 
WE earnestly entreat the cultivator to be more than ordinarily active during this 
and the succeeding month, as his success in the ensuing summer depends in no 
small degree upon the exertion made at this season ; indeed, this may justly be said 
to be the most important and eventful period of the whole season with the practical 
gardener. In the stove, orchidaceous plants require cleaning, propagating, and 
potting ; no part of this family should be shifted till all insects, accumulations of 
dust, &c., are carefully cleaned off. In propagating, take off only the back pseudo- 
bulbs, orstems, and never do this unless the plant be furnished with a good number 
of these, say from six to twelve. In potting, drain efficiently, as nothing can be 
worse for orchidaceous plants than stagnant water, and VIBES peat and 
broken pots with the old roots. 
- Stove or dicotyledonous plants should now be cleaned, dressed, and potted ; 

scale, thrip, and other insects that infest these plants, should be cleared off, and if 
time admits, the plants will be better if cautiously spunged over with soft-soap 
water. Some will require pruning, and cuttings made of the portions taken off, 
and potting will more or less extend to all, in short all should be examined ; the fast 
and strong- growing kinds should have a large shift, and the less luxunant only 
must be potted in’ proportion as they may require; drain cautiously in every 
instance, and modify the soil, as far as experience has taught, to the constitution 


48 OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. 


of the plant intended to grow in it. Sow seeds in pots in very light soil, and 
plunge them in a moderately heating hotbed, taking care not to cover them too 
deep, as they do not vegetate so freely if buried much below the surface; this is 
frequently too lightly thought of, especially by those who are accustomed to sow 
newly imported seeds. Propagation by cuttings, grafting, &c., should now be 
performed where necessary. : 


GREENHOUSE. 


Porrine is of the first importance in this department at this season. Camellias, 
if not potted in the autumn, should now be attended to; they may be placed 
in good sandy loam and peat, the former in the proportion of two to the latter. 
Until they begin growing, they should have very little water, but when they have 
fairly started, they may have a more liberal supply ; they should also be syringed, 
or watered over the leaves and branches with a fine rose: cuttings should now be 
put in under a hand-glass, in a warm close frame, and after they are rooted they 
must be gradually hardened. New Holland plants, Ericas, Rhododendrons, Gera- 
niums, &c. &c., should now be potted if they require it. Mix and proportion the 
soil, according as the plants intended to grow in it require, such as light loam and 
leaf-mould for Geraniums, sandy loam and peat for Rhododendrons, sandy peat 
mixed with free or grit stone for Ericas, and loam, peat, or loam and peat mixed, 
for New Holland plants. Prune, dress, and clean, when required. Propagate 
by cuttings, and sow seeds of desirable kinds on a gentle hotbed. All succulent 
plants should be examined, and fresh potted if necessary. Water this family with 
caution until they commence growing, when they will require a more liberal 
supply. 

FLOWER-GARDEN. 


PLANTING and sowing seeds in the flower-garden, should occupy the gardener’s 
attention during this month. Roots preserved through the winter, such as 
Anemone, Anomatheca cruenta, and Ranunculuses, should now be planted out, if 
not previously done. Self-sown annuals, that have stood the winter, should be 
thinned, and some transplanted to other parts of the garden. . Stocks of all kinds, 
and Mignonette to blow early, should be sown in pots or boxes. Hardy annuals 
may be sown towards the latter end of the month ; and biennials, such as Rocket, 
Alyssum, Hollyhocks, &c. &c., about the same time. Perennials should also be 
sown. ‘Tender annuals should be sown on a mild hotbed, to be in readiness for 
transplanting when the season permits. Provide, by immediately propagating in 
a little heat, a good stock of Verbenas, Petunias, Salvias, Fuchsias, Heliotropiums, 
Scarlet Geraniums, Gesneria Sellowii, &c., for turning out in the flower-garden 
about May, when all danger from frost is over.  Florist’s flowers should be - 
watched, and protected on very severe nights. Dahlia cuttings should be brought 
forward, and all old roots, which are desired to be propagated, should be brought 
from their winter quarters, and placed in heat. 


Be 
ne 


> 


aretha 
Hs) ay 
caren 
eas 
CCN 


shee 


APRIL |, 1838 


C vA i 
ae GE As WL Le ULL 


TROPAOLUM TUBEROSUM. 


(TUBEROUS-ROOTED TROPHOLUM.) 


CLASS. ORDER.» 


OCTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


TROPHOLE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. ii. page 193. 

Sprciric CuaracTer.— oot tuberous, perennial. Stem climbing, strong, of a pale green colour. Leaves 
alternate, of five unequal lobes. Lobes obovate, obtuse, slightly glaucous beneath. Leaf-stalk 
from four to five inches long, curved at the base. #lower-stalk from six to nine inches long, pro- 
duced at the axil of each leaf, of a beautiful greenish purple colour, and transparent. Calyx of an 
orange colour, five-cleft, spurred ; segments blunt. Pezais five, deep orange, inserted in and rather 
longer than the calyx, striped with brown at the base. laments purple. Germen thvee-lobed. 


Or the many elegant and interesting species of this genus already known in 
our collections, some of which, especially 7. tricolorum, have become such 
universal favourites, the one now for the first time figured, far surpasses all others 
with which we are acquainted. Although some years have elapsed since it was 
fixgt introduced to this country, and although during that time it has been culti- 
vated in many collections, we are not aware of its ever having produced its flowers 
in perfection previous to the time at which we obtained the present drawing. 
This can only be accounted for by the circumstance of its never having been pro- 
perly treated ; as most persons who possess it have supposed it to be a greenhouse 
species, and consequently have kept it in pots, ina greenhouse or frame. This 
opinion has now been proved to be quite erroneous, as will be perceived from the 
following facts. ) 

In the early part of the summer of 1837, Mr. Young, of Epsom, from a laudable 
desire of ascertaining the true habits and disposition of this plant, caused a number 
of plants of it to be placed out im a bed in the open ground ; as soon as they began 
to grow, a few bushes were placed in the ground round each plant, and in the 
course of the summer they grew so vigorously and luxuriantly, as completely to 
cover the bushes which had been placed for their support ; and each plant formed 


VOL. V.——NO. LI. H 


50 TROPAOLUM TUBEROSUM. 


a dense mass of verdure, four feet high, and full six feet in diameter. This, com- 
pared with the weak and stunted manner in which they had grown while kept in 
pots, was considered perfectly astonishing ; still not the slightest disposition to 
produce flowers was discovered. . However, about the latter end of September the 
flowers began to exhibit themselves from the axil of each leaf, and in the month of 
October, each plant was most profusely studded with its elegant blossoms. It is 
worthy of remark, that Nature seems to have furnished this plant with long flower- | 
stalks’ for the purpose of displaying the flowers ; for, although the plants might 
truly be said to be literally covered with blossoms, every flower protruded itself 
beyond the leaves and branches, and stood out boldly and advantageously to view : 
it is needless to add that the effect produced was beautiful beyond description. 
Some slight frosts occurring in the latter end of October, without injuring this 
plant, it was considered that it would prove quite impervious to the influence of 
cold ; but a more severe one coming in November, the stems and foliage were 
completely destroyed, just as the flowers had attained the highest degree of per- 
fection; and it was then deemed prudent to remove the tubers from the soil, 
and preserve them through the winter in a dry and dormant state. This should 
teach us, that to ensure an abundant display of flowers without subjecting the 
plants to injury from frost, they should be planted out early in the spring; in 
which case they would doubtless form a most brilliant and attractive feature in 
the flower garden during the summer and autumnal months. 

This plant may be propagated freely from cuttings, although the tubers are 
produced very abundantly, and each tuber will make an excellent plant. These 
tubers are also edible, and Mr. Young informs us, that they are, when boiled, 
superior in flavour to any potato, though they are disposed to be watery, and do 
not boil firm. Plants kept in the greenhouse produced their flowers very scantily, 
and many of them did not flower at all. This is one of the many beautiful plants 
introduced by Mr. Drummond from the Texas, to the Glasgow Botanic Garden, 
about the year 1834, from which establishment it was received by Mr. Young of 
Kpsom, and our drawing was obtained from this gentleman in the month of 
October, 1837. 

Mr. Young possesses a considerable stock of it, from whom it may be obtained 


at a very cheap rate. The specific name alludes to the character of the roots. 


MAYOR 
aN 


Ot i 


M4, 


ee 
as 
OS 


ne 


ey 


SHAT 
Bt 


ai 
i 


Wbeeaaicn Ue! 
4 ke 
Di 


Ma 


yee 
Be DINE 
HAN 


i 


Nes 
MY 
Lay 


‘ 
ay 
Ns 


Ryle tinltsoyste 


CULCOCMHCd | 


Te LE, 


AOTUS ERICOIDES. 


{ERICA OR HEATH-LIKE AOTUS.) | 


CLASS. . ORDER. 


DECANDRIA, MONOGYNIA, 


NATURAL ORDER. 


LEGUMINOS/E. 


Generic Cuaractrr.—Calyw five-cleft, bilabiate, bractless at the base. Petals and stamens deciduous. 
Ovary two-seeded. Style filiform. Legume two-valved. Seeds without a strophiola. 


' Spreciric Cuaracter.—Zéaves linear, very acute, hairy. lowers solitary, axillary, appearing in 
axillary racemose spikes along the branches. Branches clothed with cinereous, spreading hairs. 
Don's System of Gard. and Botany. 


Synonyms. lotus villosa. Bot. Mag. 949. 


THERE is not, we conceive, a more interesting class of plants to the’ general 


3 


cultivator, than that usually denominated “ greenhouse plants ;” among which we 
find objects of the most varied habits, and the most extensive diversity of form, 
colour, and beauty ; but, amidst the almost innumerable species now cultivated in 
our collections, many beautiful and ornamental plants are discarded merely because 
they are old, or, in other words, because they have been known in this country for 
many years. 

Of this description is the plant now before us, which, when in flower, has an 
exceedingly pretty appearance in the greenhouse, as its neat yellow blossoms form 
a very pleasing contrast to the slender heath-like foliage, and is certainly worthy 
of a place in any collection. 

This plant may be cultivated successfully accordingly to the common treatment 
given to greenhouse plants ; but, like the numerous species of the genus Erica; to 
which its foliage bears such a striking resemblance, great care is necessary with 
regard to the operations of potting and watering. In potting plants of this 
description, we cannot too frequently urge upon our readers the importance of 
allowing a sufficient quantity of drainage, and of mingling small pieces of grit-stone 


with the soil; for, unless these points are duly and properly attended to, it is 


| a2 AOTUS ERICOIDES. 


| impossible to attain any degree of perfection in the cultivation of such plants as the 

present, as nothing can be more injurious to them than sour and stagnant water . 
about the roots. Besides: the above particulars, much depends upon the manner 
in which the soil is placed about the roots ; this should neither be pressed down too 
closely, nor left too loose, either of which extremes would be more or less preju- 
_ dicial to the plants. Watering is likewise of great importance, and should never 
be administered unless there is absolute necessity for it, which is usually indicated 
by the appearance of the surface of the soil; for, from some almost indescribable 
cause, the best potted plants will sometimes retain an undue quantity of moisture 
about the roots, and in no case should water be supplied where the soil is already 
wet. . 

Cuttings of the young shoots may be propagated without difficulty, by placing 
them in sand under a glass, with a slight bottom heat. Seeds are sometimes 
produced, and would doubtless vegetate, though multiplication by cuttings 1s a 
far more speedy and effectual method, as the seeds of plants of this description 
frequently require a year or more to induce them to germinate. 

The generic name is taken from a, privative, and oéa, ears, in allusion to the 
absence of appendages in the calyx. | 

The specific name refers to the similarity of the leaves to those of most of the 


species of Kvica. 


Say oie 


es 


a 


» 
My 


ae 


i 


ON 
a 
Na 


ah 


ti 


fl 


Wale 
Wiles 

AIS 

KOA 


ERIM Gelb 


Nee 


i in iy 
MV 


The 
iy i 


Aw 
the 


Bio 
Raven 


Ne 


i 


: 


x 


i 
De 


a ; 
Nn 


ay 
yi, 
am) 


Sie 
Wares 


anny 
fein 


Het 

re a 
uy) 1A 

oy 
LUNA 


hs 
i 


ain 
\ for 


Ua 
‘1 


ise 


i 


as 
Nate 


iy 


Ex 


Sint MifpecoHd. 


GESNERIA RUPESTRIS. 


(ROCK GESNERIA. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DIDYNAMIA. ANGIOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL CRDER, 


GESNERE/E. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. i. p. 224. 


Specivic Caaracter.—Plant perennial. Root tuberous. Leaves radical, roundish, rugose, somewhat 
concave, rarely more than two or three in number. Leaf-stalk round, from three to four inches 
in length, strong. lowers solitary, produced very abundantly. Peduneles radical, slender, from 
two to three inches long. Corod/a tubular, campanulate. Limb five-parted, segments regular. 
Calyx tive-parted. Ovary egg-shaped, many-seeded. 


Numerous as are the splendid species of this genus already known and 
esteemed in our collections, we imagine that the plant from which the accompany- 
‘ing drawing was taken, contains sufficient merit to excite a lively degree of interest 
and admiration in the breast of every lover of floriculture. The peculiar neatness, 


simplicity, and beauty, of its appearance and habits, the. profuse display of its 


__ pretty blossoms, the great length of time they remain expanded, the astonishing 


rapidity with which fresh flowers are produced after the old ones have faded, and 
the striking contrast that is presented between its large and handsome foliage 
and its elegant blossoms, entitle it to more than ordinary attention and regard, 
and render it at once both interesting and valuable. The following admirable lines 


by an esteemed author will be read with interest in this place— 


“ These are thy glorious works, thou Source of good, 
How dimly seen, how faintly understood ! 
Thine, and upheld by thy paternal care, 
This universal frame, thus wondrous fair ; 
This power divine, and bounty beyond thought, 
Adored and praised in all that thou hast wrought, 
Absorbed in that immensity I see, . 
I shrink abased, and yet aspire to Thee ; 


Ba GESNERIA RUPESTRIS. 


Instruct me, guide me, to that heavenly day. 
Thy words more clearly than thy works display ; 
That while thy truths my grosser thoughts refine, 
I may resemble Thee, and call Thee mine.” 


_ Of its native country we are unable to furnish any authentic information, it 
having been received by Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, from the Berlin Botanic Garden, 
in 1835, without any particulars relative to this subject. 

The species we are now noticing, and which is now we believe for the first 
time figured in this country, differs materially from the majority of its allies, in 
producing its leaves and flowers directly and immediately from the root; and on 
this account it forms a very interesting and attractive feature in a collection of 
stove plants, being admirably adapted for placing on a small stage in the front of 
the stove, or any other conspicuous situation. , 

There is not the slightest difficulty attendant on its cultivation, as it merely 
requires the ordinary treatment bestowed on the other species of this genus ; that 
is, to be potted in a rather rich soil; and kept in a humid part of the stove, where 
it should be liberally supplied with water during the summer season, but sparingly 
and cautiously in the winter. It usually produces its flowers in the month of 
July or August, and will sometimes continue flowering till December; but from 
what is at present known with respect to its habits, very little reliance can be 
placed on the time of its flowering, as it is seen exhibiting its elegant blossoms at 
almost any season of the year. 

It may doubtless be propagated from the tees. although, as far as we are 
aware, this assertion has not yet been proved ; it also appears highly probable that 
it will ripen seeds so as to be capable of producing fresh plants from them. 

We are obliged to Messrs. Rollison of Tooting for the opportunity of figuring | 
this beautiful little plant, from whom we obtained our drawing in the month of 
August, 1837 ; and we have great pleasure in thus introducing it to notice, as one 
which is highly worthy of extensive cultivation. 

Messrs. Rollison we believe possess a few plants of it, as also does Mr. Young, 
Epsom, from either of which establishments it may be obtained. 

The generic name was given in honour of Conrad Gesner, an eminent botanist 
of Zurich, and this genus is the type of a small natural order. 

The specific name alludes to the locality in which the plant was first dis- 


covered, which we presumé was on rocks, or other similai situations. 


@ 
Go) 
Q 
= 


y A 


5 ye / 


C pyp pt 
OLE . 


fe 


7 


La 


i DEM PY Ck VILE. 


AML EA 


of, 4 


4, 


ee 


i 


wf 


a 


7 


Gr 
Gr 


ANTIRRHINUM MAJUS CARYOPHYLLOIDES. 


(CARNATION-LIKE SNAPDRAGON. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DIDYNAMIA. ANGIOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


SCROPHULARINE/E. 


Generic CHaractrr.—Calyza five-parted. Corolla ringent, closed by a projecting palate, protuberant 
(gibbous) not spurred at the base. Capsule with an oblique base without valves, and opening at 
the extremity by three pores. 


Speciric CuaracteR.— Plant an evergreen herbaceous perennial from one to two fect high, mostly with 
large purplish-red, but sometimes nearly white, flowers. Leaves alternate lanceolate, uppermost 
opposite, smooth. lowers produced in spikes. Segments of calyx ovate blunt. 


VaR. CARYOPHYLLOIDES.— Plant more bushy, and compact than the parent species. lowers white, beau- 
tifully striped with red. : 


Tue subject of the accompanying drawing is.a very fine variety of a plant with 
which most of our readers must be familiar, as it abounds on decayed walls and the 
ruins of old buildings in this country. Our gardens have already been enriched 
with many beautiful varieties of this plant, but the one here figured is far superior 
to any we have previously seen. It differs from all others in the colours of its 
fiowers, which approximate in beauty to the choicest carnation ; although, in this 
respect, it is exceedingly liable to sport, being occasionally found with pure white 
_ flowers, and sometimes merely spotted with red; but generally they are striped in 
a similar manner to a carnation, from which circumstance it derives its name. 

‘This is an extremely elegant and showy border plant, and, if proper. attention 
is bestowed with regard to its cultivation, may be made to flower from the com- 
mencement of the spring till the close of the autumn ; thus ornamenting our flower 
gardens nearly the whole of the year. The following brief directions will be found 
useful for effecting this purpose. In the month of September, cuttings should be 
' taken of the young shoots of those plants which are growing in the open border ; 
and after planting them in pots, in a light soil, they should be placed in a slight 


heat till they have struck ; when they should be potted singly into small pots, and 


56 ANTIRRHINUM MAJUS CARYOPHYLLOIDES. 


kept in a gentle heat till they have become established, and then removed to a 
greenhouse, and afterwards to a cold frame ; where they may be kept through the 
winter, with a trifling protection from frost. 


Early in the spring they will require shifting into larger pots, and as soon as 


the weather will permit, they should be planted out into the open border, in which 


situation they will speedily produce their flowers. As soon as the plants above 
mentioned have formed lateral shoots, a few of these should be taken off for 
cuttings, and struck in a similar manner to those before alluded to. Again, other 
cuttings may be taken off each month, and by this practice a continued succession 
of flowers may be obtained. Besides this, the plants should never be suffered to _ 
ripen their seeds, and if the flowers are constantly plucked off as soon as they 
begin to decay, an abundance of new flowers will speedily be formed. This plant 
will not endure the open air in the winter months, therefore it is better to raise 
young plants each season in the manner above directed, more especially as these 
latter will flower in much greater perfection than the old ones. Plants of it kept 
in pots in the greenhouse will have a truly interesting appearance, and flower very 
abundantly at almost all seasons of the year. 

We obtained the present drawing from the garden of Mr. F. W. Smith, of 
Brixton, Surrey, a most zealous and spirited amateur cultivator, in September, 
1837. Not having received any authentic information as to when or where this 
plant was raised, we will not state mere conjecture. | 

Plants of it may be obtained of Messrs. Young, Epsom, or any of the London 
and country nurserymen, at a moderate cost. 

The generic name is taken from anti like, and rhim nose, in allusion to the 


snout-like appearance and structure of the flowers. 


ON 


THE RELATIVE MERITS OF IRON AND WOOD ROOFS, 
FOR STOVES, GREENHOUSES, &c. 
(Continued from page 40.) 


—@— 

Havine I think fully shown the advantage possessed by wood over cast-iron, 
in these very essential points—the better growth of plants and the saving of fuel, 
glass, and labour,—I shall now add to these observations a few words on the 
various systems of heating houses, that is to say, by common flues, with steam, 
and by the circumvolution of hot water. The last-named method is now 
become very general, and is admitted by all scientific men to be the best, because 
it is the safest, the most certain, and no doubt, when fitted up ona good principle, 
it is also the most economical, as regards the expenditure of fueland the applica- 
tion of labour. Entering therefore on this all-important subject, I shall confine 
my observations, in the first place, to the advantages of hot water over steam, 
which are in my opinion many and very great, particularly where coals are ex- 
pensive ; for, to generate steam, an enormous consumption of coal or oven-coke, 
which is nearly as expensive, is indispensably necessary, as a weaker fuel will be 
found of no avail. This is the first evil of the steam system; and the second 1s, 
that a man’s time must be nearly if not wholly taken up in affording that con- 
stant attention which is required to keep up the fire. Then, in the third place, 
there is a considerable loss not only of time but of fuel also, before the pipes 
become filled with steam. This is a very important fact, to which perhaps due 
attention has not been paid, for it may not be generally known, that steam travels 
through the pipes in a time no shorter than it requires to make them nearly as hot 
as itself; for steam, the instant it comes in contact with a body colder than itself, 
becomes condensed, and its onward motion is of course impeded. Again, the 
moment the fire becomes too weak to keep the water at the boiling point so that 
steam may be generated, it immediately ceases to furnish heat to the pipes, conse- 
quently they soon become cold ; and this is the fourth evil of heating by steam, 
which is avoided by the use of hot water, for the instant the fire is ignited and the 
water gets warm, the particles of the fluid are set in motion, circulation in the 
pipes commences, and continues until the whole of the fluid is consumed, or so long 
as there remains any heat in the furnace, in the bricks, or in the boiler. Still 
further, [have proved that pipes each 4 inches in diameter, when filled, the one 
with water at a heat of 200 degrees, and the other with steam, the one with hot- 
water would contain a much greater and more enduring body of heat than the one 
filled with steam ; and I have no doubt, that if, when both pipes were heated up to 
the stated temperature, the fires were suffered to expire, the pipe containing steam 
would cool as much in one hour, as the hot-water pipe would in six or seven hours. 

VOL. V.—NO. LI. I 


58 TRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 


These facts are stated from accurate observation frequently repeated, and from 
exact calculations very severely tested ; they may therefore be considered to de- 
monstrate in the last place the decided advantages which the plan of heating by 
the circumvolution of hot water possesses over the rival system of heating by the 
diffusion of vapour. To the superiority of the water plan as to economy, both of fuel 
and labour, I may be allowed to bear witness ; for during the last fifteen years I 
have devoted the best energies of my mind to the subject. Throughout that long 
period I worked four steam boilers, and had under my own eye the direction and 
application of no fewer than six of the most approved systems for raising tempera- 
ture by means of hot water. This extensive experience, and the opportunities it 
afforded of drawing an impartial judgment on the merits and defects of all the 
systems, added to anatural taste for and love of experiment, directed me to the 
construction of my economic egg-shaped boiler, which has not only received the 
direct approbation of every engineer who has witnessed its operations, but is consi- 
dered by them, and by all who have adopted it, as the most simple and economical 
of all the plans as yet submitted to the public. So confident am I of its superiority, 
taat I always offer a guarantee to all who employ me to fix it, that I will keep it 
in repair and take the responsibility of its acting properly for three years, pro- 
vided that it be fairly used. On such conditions, those who favour my invention 
cannot run much risk, nor entertain much apprehension as to its efficacy, for serely 
three years will afford them ample time to decide upon its merits. Its chief features 
are, its expanse of surface, and economy of its arrangement. Aware as I am that 
any information from practical men explanatory of the cause of improper working 
in so many hot-water apparatus will be acceptable to all gardeners who have the 
management of them, and who peruse your truly valuable publication, I will briefly 
state a few of the principal causes to which failures are attributable, among which 
none are so difficult to overcome by persons unacquainted with the hydrodynamic 
principles on which the action of hot water is regulated, than the accumulation of air 
in the pipes. Indeed unless proper arrangements are made for the escape of air, which 
is evolved from water when at a boiling point, no apparatus can act properly. 
Now from some accidental cause, even in the best-constructed apparatus, this air 
may collect and lodge in the corners or angles of the pipes, particularly when they 
have to rise and fall; this should be particularly attended to, as the want of due 
regard and necessary precaution in this particular is in my opinion the principal 
cause of the many failures with hot water, and the reason why this description of 
apparatus is sometimes spoken of unfavourably ; for I have invariably found from 
practical experience, that water will not circulate beyond the point where there is 
an accumulation of air; and the more powerful the attempts made to remove the 
obstruction by increasing the strength of the fire, the more likely is the apparatus 
to work improperly, and to cause an overflow of water in the supply cistern. 
Therefore, as soon as it is discovered by the gardener, or the person having the 
management of the fire, that the water does not circulate regularly, he should trace 


IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 59 


it by its warmth along the pipe to the situation where he finds the metal cold, and 
then in the next bend or angle should he not find an air tap, I should recommend 
him to procure a blacksmith’s drill, and to have a hole made in the pipe, when he 
will find the air to pass off rapidly, and the water to follow instantly ; then should 
he not be prepared with an air pipe, a small wooden plug would suffice until an 
opportunity offered to fix one properly, as in all probability it might be many 
months, and perhaps years, if the cistern be carefully and continually attended to, 
before such an accident would occur again at that particular point or bend. I would 
however strongly recommend that in every apparatus ample provision be made for 
the escape of the air at every bend where it is likely to collect or lodge, for I have 
witnessed during the time I had the management of six systems of hot water, that 
from some unknown cause, an apparatus which had worked properly for one or 
two years would suddenly get out of order, when on tracing the pipes, as before 
described, as far as I found them warm, I have then, on drilling a hole at the 
first turn or bend where the pipe began to feel cold, found an accumulation of 
carbonic acid gas, the heaviest of all the gases, lodged in the angle, and as soon as 
this was allowed to escape, the apparatus worked as regular as usual. To remove 
this difficulty, which to persons unacquainted with the cause of the obstruction 
would appear formidable, nay almost insurmountable, not more than ten minutes 
were sacrificed; and on interrogating the man who had the management, as to 
whether he had allowed the water in the cistern to fall below its proper level, I 
discovered that the derangement had been caused through his negligence and inat- 
tention in having suffered the water to sink below the level of the top of the pipes, 
which of course left a vacuum for this foul air to collect. I would therefore advise 
all persons when not using the apparatus, either to draw the whole of the water 
off, or to keep the cistern as full as when in use; this precaution will prevent the 
aur from collecting ; but when the boiler is filled again, they should be careful to 
have the air taps open until the water begins to flow out, or till the boiler is full, 
to prevent a repetition of the inconvenience. There is also another highly 
important arrangement connected with hot-water apparatus, a property of the 
metals which should be attended to with great care,—I mean the allowing a 
sufficient longitudinal expansion for the pipes on their becoming hot, as it should 
be borne in mind, that iron pipes when heated to 200° will expand nearly two 
inches in a length of 100 feet ; and as a proof of the necessity of attending to this 
fact, I may relate a circumstance which fell under my own observation. A few 
years ago, a nobleman’s conservatory in Hampshire was heated with hot water at 
an expense of between 300 and 400 pounds, and the pipes from the boiler were 
introduced through the stone that formed the footpath, in which holes were cut 
just large enough to admit a four-inch pipe, but not of sufficient diameter to allow 
for the expansion of the metal, and I well remember that in consequence of this 
oversight, in about fourteen or fifteen different situations where the pipes had to 
pass through the stone, the joints burst. In each of the eighty feet lengths of pipe, 


60 TRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STONES, &e. 


which amounted to about seven or eight lengths altogether, one third of the joints 
burst after it had been used only three or four times. At intervals they continue 
to crack to this hour, and will do so until room be allowed for the expansion of the 
pipes where they pass through the stone. Having thus given a few brief instruc- 
tions for the management of hot-water apparatus, and knowing that there exists a great 
diversity of opinion relative to the quantity of water a boiler should contain, and 
of the dimensions of the water way both in pipes and boiler, so as to secure a 
regular and lasting temperature, I hope it will not be considered presumptuous 
in me to offer a few observations on that subject, and leave the impartial reader to 
decide the question. It is natural that every constructor of hot-water apparatus 
should be prejudiced in favour of his own peculiar plan—the child of his own mind. 
Hence it is that the prescribed dimensions of the conducting pipes vary from half 
an inch to five or six inches in diameter, according to the particular plans of different 
individuals. I shall merely give my own judgment on the proper sizes, without 
commenting upon any peculiar plan. It is my opinion then that a hot-water 
apparatus, to answer all desired purposes, should be so constructed as to avoid 
either objectionable extremes, since pipes of too large or too small dimensions are 
equally to be avoided, and this for reasons which I could easily adduce, were it not 
that I desire on this occasion to confine my remarks to boilers formed of series of 
pipes varying from half an inch to two inches, which I admit have a great 
advantage over boilers containing large bodies of water, imasmuch as they become 
hot much quicker. Then it must be recollected, that the larger body when once 
heated will remain hot twice or three times longer than the other; and I have 
proved by observation, that a four-inch pipe, which contains double the quantity 
of water which a two-inch pipe is capable of receiving in a house of the same 
temperature, will retain its heat for more than double the length of time. 
When boilers are used that have such small water ways and small pipes, they 
require more attention, and cannot be left at night with the same safety as boilers 
and pipes containing larger bodies of water, seeing that the former cools so much 
more rapidly than the latter. Nevertheless, to err in the other extreme, by having 
boilers and pipes to contain very large quantities of water, would be a great waste 
of fuel, and by no means calculated to answer to the satisfaction of all parties so 
well as a boiler and pipes of a medium size: it is my opinion, therefore, that in 
neither boiler nor pipes should the water way be less than three inches, nor more 
than four inches, and the boiler should be so constructed without complication as 
to expose the greatest possible surface to the action of the fire. This would be 
found the most economic boiler for fuel and effect ; for I have always remarked that 
the greatest object of persons who heat their houses with hot water is the saving 
of fuel, &c., which is very considerable when compared with the expense attendant 
on a badly-constructed flue. Besides, an opportunity is afforded of heating 
several houses at the same or very little more expense; this I have always con- 
sidered of the greatest importance, particularly when a gentleman's establishment 


IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 6] 


is situated at a great distance from coal mines; and in all my arrangements with 
respect to hot water, I have always contrived to have the body of water in the pipes 
which run through the house, as it is there that the gardener requires a permanent 
and lasting heat ; this it is that induces me to advocate the use of three and four 
inch pipes. Moreover, there are great objections to the use of small pipes, varying 
from half an inch to two inches, particularly when the boiler (as is the plan of some) 
is formed of a series of pipes ; in such case their interior becomes in course of time 
furred up from the incrustation formed from the deposition of the various earthy 
matters held in solution by the water, which naturally causes an accumulation of 
alkaline earths, &c. &c., which in time closes up the water way. I have thus 
freely expressed my opinion on the demerits of pipes of small calibre ; but it must not 
be thence inferred that I shall err on the other extreme, as that would be attended 
with much sacrifice of fuel to the proprietor and great inconvenience to the gardener. 
For if boilers and pipes capable of containing unnecessarily large quantities of 
water are used, there will be a great waste of fuel before any heat is communicated 
to the house, and perhaps a valuable crop of fruit or plants may be lost, through 
the gardener not having a proper command of heat, in order to prepare against 
those alterations in the weather so frequently sudden and unexpected in this 
changeable and uncertain climate. I have found in the course of my experience and 
observation, in the months of October, November, and December, more especially, 
but with less frequency at all seasons of the year, that up to the hour of twelve 
oclock at night rain may fall in torrents, and the gardener may naturally 
conclude that daring the night no fires will be required, either for the greenhouse 
or conservatories, but how great must be his trouble and surprise to find in the 
morning 8° or perhaps 10° of frost! Now this trouble and inconvenience I have 
frequently experienced ; therefore, for the benefit of all parties, and the protection 
of plants, &c., I beg to repeat here the opinion I have already given, that for an 
apparatus to answer all purposes, boilers of medium size, with water ways not 
less in any part of the boiler than three inches, and not more than four inches, 
will give the gardener sufficient command of heat, and afford him an opportunity 
of protecting the perishable property committed to his care without subjecting himself 
to reproach, which is too frequently unjustly heaped upon him for loss of property 
through circumstances over which he could have no control. For to limit a gardener to 
means when much is expected, can only be compared to setting aman to dig who has 
neither legs nor arms. Having then explained my objections to pipes of too large or too 
small dimensions, I shall, in concluding these observations, offer a few suggestions re- 
lative to the formation of the furnace, and the apparatus generally, asa guide to persons 
who may not have had quite so much practical experience as myself. And among the 
first to which I shall draw the gardener’s attention, with all hot-water apparatus, it is 
necessary for his own convenience, and for the benefit of his employer, to see that the 
mechanic or person who fixes the apparatussuppliesa proper-sized furnace door, which 
should not be less than one foot square, for the convenience of cleaning out, light- 


62 IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. 


ing and making up the fire the last thing at night; for it is impossible for any man to 
manage a fire properly with a furnace door (such as is used for some apparatus) that 
does not exceed six or seven inches square ; but if a good-sized furnace door is used, 
the gardener is enabled, in countries where coals are dear and wood plentiful, to 
burn logs of wood, or the refuse from the pruning of trees, when he only wants a 
little fire through the day ; but of course it must be understood that this descrip- 
tion of fuel is not to be depended on in severe weather, nor for making up fires for 
the night. Whatever description of fuel is used, however, I have always found it a 
great advantage and saving to gentlemen to have a moderately large furnace door ; 
great attention being paid to its formation in order to prevent the passage of air 
through the furnace door between the boiler and the fire, the neglect of which 
causes a great waste of caloric or heat, as air will not support combustion until its 
temperature is raised to 800° or 900° Fahrenheit ; therefore a current of cold air 
admitted between the boiler and the fire through the door has a tendency to coun- 
teract the power of the fire, to obviate which double doors should invariably be 
used, and then if the boiler is so constructed and set as to expose (which is the 
ereat secret in the formation of all boilers) a large surface to the action of the fire, 
by means of the construction of the flues round it in such a way as entirely to 
consume the whole of the caloric or heat before it escapes at the chimney, the 
greater will be the saving of fuel, and the more powerful and effective the opera- 
tions of the apparatus altogether. Between the door and the fire there should be 
a piece of iron one foot three inches by one foot wide, which acts as a carbonising 
plate, and when the fire begins to burn strong so as to heat the iron hot, nearly 
the whole of the smoke is consumed. Indeed I have no hesitation in saying, that 
if a proper quantity of pipe is used so as to give a sufficient quantity of surface for 
the command of temperature required in all extremes of weather, and the furnace, 
boiler, and flues, being constructed as suggested, the fire might be made up and 
left without the least risk for six or eight hours on the severest nights. In the 
formation of the egg-shaped boiler, my attention was particularly directed to the 
construction of a furnace that would obviate the evils complained of in most hot- 
water apparatus: I mean the great consumption of fuel, and the almost constant 
attention required, all of which arises from badly-constructed fire-places and 
boilers ; but then there are several other circumstances connected with hot-water 
apparatus which I think highly necessary to be attended to, particularly when the 
boilers are formed of series of pipes varying from half an inch to two inches 
in diameter; for in the first place on no account should dirty water be used, as it 
causes a settlement or accumulation of mud, which in time not only injures the 
boiler, but lessens its power, not only by preventing the fire from acting imme- 
diately on the water, but also because the accumulated deposit impedes the circula- 
tion of the fluid by diminishing the calibre of the water way, and ultimately forms 
a hard incrustation similar to what is seen on the bottom of steam boilers, and it 
frequently ends in burning a hole in the boiler. Sometimes, in order to save a 


IRON AND WOOD ROOFS FOR STOVES, &c. ' 63 


little trouble, when hard water is more conveniently obtained than soft or rain- 
water, the boiler is filled with hard water, which is as injurious as mud, for in the 
decomposition of the water consequent on the process of boiling, considerable 
quantities of earthy particles are deposited at the bottom ; but if rai water is used, 
all this injury is prevented, as I have on several occasions examined boilers that 
had been taken down after being in use for ten or more years, and when this impor- 
tant particular had been properly attended to, there has scarcely been any appearance 
of incrustation. | Moreover, in all plans of boilers, there should be a small cock so 
placed as to draw the whole of the water off occasionally for the purpose of cleaning 
the boiler, &c., as it is well known that water, when heated, not only evolves or 
gives out its component gases, but, by mechanical deposition, any matter held in 
solution in the water falls to the bottom and causes a sediment on the boiler ; by the 
use of rain, or, if convenient, filtered water, all this difficulty is overcome. There is 
also another difficulty attending the use of hot water, which, if properly attended to 
in the first place, would not be such a perpetual inconvenience, viz., when water 
has to descend under doorways, &c., or to dip below the bottom of the boiler, I have 
frequently known several plans of hot water, which are admitted to be good in 
themselves, prove of no service in the cases described ; nay, it has even been found 
necessary to remove them in consequence of the water not circulating under 
the paths and other situations where it was necessary to descend and rise 
again: all this might have been avoided by giving the flow-pipe a proper 
ascension when leaving the boiler, and by placing the reservoir or cistern 
sufficiently high, so as to counteract the power of the water in the returm 
pipes. I was sent for last spring to remove an apparatus in a lady’s greenhouse at 
Westerham in Kent, which could never be made to act under the door, and I suc- 
ceeded, very much to the lady's satisfaction, in causing the water to descend in 
both flow and return pipes to more than two feet below the level of the bottom of 
the boiler, after which it had to rise again to above the level of the top of the 
boiler. The lady’s name f have permission and authority to communicate to any 
person wishing to inspect the apparatus, and being so perfectly satisfied with its 
working now, she has kindly offered to answer any inquiries. In concluding these 
few practical instructions or observations on the relative properties of common 
flues, steam, and hot water, I shall merely state that during my practice I have 
always considered hot water a much more congenial heat for plants and 
all other organised bodies, whether belonging to the vegetable or animal kingdoms, 
from their close analogy, and the circumstance of its containing less of the noxious 
gases, which escape not only from the surface of the flue but from all the fissures, 
however well the flues may be built, for it is impossible to confine this light and 
subtle fluid. Again, as the temperature of hot-water pipes is more equal than 
a flue at both extremities, and rarely exceeds 200° of heat, there is not that 
exhaustion of the aqueous or humid gases, which are so essentially necessary to the 
very existence, much more to the health and fruitfulness of all plants, whether 


64 A CAST-IRON ORNAMENTAL FLOWER VASE. 


natives of torrid or frigid climates, as nothing can tend more to the injury of 
plants and to the generating of insects than an arid atmosphere highly charged 
with unwholesome and extraneous gases; and as strong fires applied for heating 
hothouses with common flues dry up all humidity, and decompose those nutri- 
tious gases with which the atmosphere is charged, and which are so beneficial to 
the health, growth, and cleanliness of every description of plant, it is only just to 
infer that a flue,—which is continually destroying, by its intensity of dry heat, the 
very vitals of all plants, namely, the humidity of the air in which they are grow- 
ing, besides evolving the disagreeable smell so common to flues when hot, which 
arises from the decomposition of the animal and vegetable particles continually 
floating in the air,—cannot be so congenial to the vegetable kingdom as a mild, 
gentle, and regular heat, such as is produced by hot water, which fluid is free from 
all the noxious gases given out from the smoke, soot, lime, and bricks, of a 


common flue. 
J. W. THOMPSON. 


A CAST-IRON ORNAMENTAL FLOWER VASE. 

Tue present design was communicated some time since by Mr. Saul, of Lan- 
caster, who recommends it as suitable for planting Dahlias and other plants in, that 
have been raised in pots. The vase should be placed in the flower garden or on the 
lawn, and the plants when they come into flower should be moved to the inside 
of the vase, where, if properly adjusted, they would no doubt produce a very 
ornamental effect. ‘To increase the interest of such an object, three tall free- 
flowering plants of different species with different coloured flowers should be 
brought together in the vase, which would render it still more interesting. This 
vase, Mr. 8. informs us, is made at a trifling cost, and not being very heavy, 
might be sent to any gentleman’s establishment with little expense. — 


65) 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR MARCH. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONE#). 


THE HEATH TRIBE ( Ericacea). 

ERICA FLORIDA; vay7. CAMPANULATA. Drooping round-headed Heath. <A 
very charming heath, raised from seeds of EF. florida, and communicated from the 
gardens of Bothwell Castle. The plant when figured was only two years old, and 
had attained the height of two and a half feet, producing its beautiful, delicate, 
rose-coloured terminal flowers, three or four together, forming small umbels 
at the extremity of the short lateral spreading branches. The plant flowered in 
May, 1837. Bot. Mag. 3639. 

Erica cuLtoroma. Green-tipped Heath. This pretty heath was communi- 
cated by Mr. J. Young, Nurseryman, Taunton. It forms a handsome, erect, 
spreading bush, with reddish-brown downy branches; the leaves are in fives, and 
the beautiful crimson and green flowers are produced in clusters at the ends of the 
young shoots, on little downy nodding pedicles. This species is very distinct from 
any found in books. Flowers in November. Bot. Reg. 37. 


THE BIRTHWORT TRIBE (Aristolochiacee). 

ARISTOLOCHIA SACcATA. Pouch-flowered Birthwort. <A singular plant, native 
of Silhet, and imported to the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, from the Calcutta 
Garden, in 1829. It is a twining shrub, with very long siender stems, and 
scattered ovate-cordate leaves, from twelve to fifteen inches long and about four 
broad ; they are entire in the edges; when young they are covered with brown 
hairs, when old they are less hairy. ‘The racemes rise from the stem near its 
base; the membranous pendulous flowers are covered with spreading hairs; the 
tube is yellowish-white within and without; the circular throat is of a bright 
yellow colour ; the upper surface of the limb is dark purple, covered with warts 
of a similar colour. The plant produced a succession of flowers in September last, 
but Dr. Graham did not perceive that exceedingly offensive smell for which Dr. 
Wallich says its blossoms are remarkable. Bot. Mag. 3640. 


THE INDIAN FIG TRIBE (Cactacee). 

Mamminnaria atRATA. Dark-green Mammillaria. Another interesting 
species of Mammillaria communicated from the rich collection of the Messrs: 
Mackie, of Norwich ; with them the plant produces its pretty dark-green flowers 
m very high perfection. Sir W. J. Hooker says that Pfeiffer, in his useful 
-““Knumeratio Cactearum,” refers the M. atrata of our gardens to the M. rhodantha 
of Link and Otto, but from that species, says the above gentleman, our plant is 
wholly different. Bot. Mag. 3642. 
VOL. V.—NO. LI. K 


66 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


COMPOSIT ZK. 

Cosmus scaprosorpEs. Scabious-like Cosmus. A beautiful and interesting 
species of Cosmus, found originally by Humboldt and Bonpland on the mountains 
of Mechoacan. The seeds from which the present plant was obtained were 
imported from Mexico by George F. Dickson, Esq., and by him presented to the 
Horticultural Society of London, in whose garden it produced its beautiful rich 
purple flowers in October. Bot. Reg. 15. 


THE FIGWORT TRIBE (Scrophulariacee). 

PENTSTEMON cRaAssiIFoLius. Thick-leaved Pentstemon. A very handsome 
hardy shrubby species, growing about a foot high, with coriaceous, entire, obovate 
leaves, and producing its pretty bluish flowers on short hairy racemes. It is a 
native of the north-west coast of North America, and was raised from seeds sent 
by the late Mr. Douglas to the London Horticultural Society, in whose garden it 
flowered in June last. Bot. Reg. 16. 


CLASS II1.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONES). 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidacee). 

GoOVENIA LILIAcEA. Lily-flowered Govenia. A small tuberous plant, with 
the habits of a Bletia. Its flower-stem is scarcely more than a foot high, and 
rises directly from the tuber to about the length of the plaited leaves. The flowers 
are produced in July; they are not a good or pure white, but are delicately. 
streaked upon the petals with lines of rather pale purple. It is a native of 
Mexico, whence it was introduced by George Barker, Esq., of Birmingham ; and is 
extremely rare, not being in any other collection. Bot. Reg. 13. 

EPIDENDRUM TESSELATUM. Chequer-flowered Epidendrum. This pretty 
species was discovered by Mr. Skinner in Guatemala, and by that gentleman sent 
to Knypersley in 1836, from whence the drawing was communicated. The 
pseudo-bulbs are ovate, compressed from the tops, on which long linear lanceolate 
leaves are produced; the flower-stem rises from the crown of the bulb, and pro- 
duces flowers with the petals and sepals greenish yellow outside, and brown 
inside ; the lip is beautifully veined its whole length with numerous purple 
streaks. It flowers in June and J uly. Bot. Mag. 3638. 

DENDROBIUM AGGREGATUM. Close-flowered Dendrobium. This beautiful 
species of Dendrobium was received at the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, from 
Wentworth, and flowered in the beginning of May, 1837. The ovate pseudo- 
bulbs are about two inches long, with solitary, oblong, coriaceous leaves, twice as 
long as the bulb ; the raceme is about six inches long, protruded laterally from the 
upper joint ; the flowers are very numerous, springing from the axil of a small, 
acute bractea ; they are of a beautiful orange colour, darkest towards the base of 


the lip. The plant is a native of the East Indies. Bot. Mag. 3643. 


67 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


On account of the pressure of other matter, we were, as our readers will have 
perceived, unable to insert our usual observations on the few plants of interest that 
were in flower in the London nurseries last month ; but we feel assured that they 
will not be inclined to censure us for this omission, when tiaey take into considera- 
tion the severe state of the weather during the month of February, and as a 
natural consequence, the few flowers that had then been able to develop themselves. 
For their gratification, however, we shall this month enumerate such plants as were 
then in flower; or at least, those of them which we consider worthy of attention. 

Messrs. Henprrson’s, Pine-Apple Place. The showhouse of these gentlemen 
is as usual very attractive, and all such plants as will allow themselves to be forced 
into flower by being placed in a hothouse or stove, may here be seen in a high 
state of perfection ; any of our readers who reside in the vicinity of London, and 
who are desirous of obtaining plants in flower at this season for the purpose of 
ornamenting their parlours or drawing-rooms, may procure an excellent assortment at 
this nursery, particularly if fine and well-grown plants with an abundance of flowers 
are wished for. Several remarkably fine specimens of various species of Epacris are 
now most brilliantly in flower, and we have nowhere seen such handsome plants 
_of the elegant species of this highly interesting genus as these gentlemen possess. 

Mr. Knieut’s, Chelsea. * A new bulbous plant, nearly allied to the genus Pan- 

cratium, or Ismene, is now most beautifully in flower at this nursery; the flowers 
are white, of an extremely delicate texture, and most delightfully fragrant, and 
we should consider that it is without doubt a species of Ismene; it was im- 
ported by Mr. Knight from Florida last season. Batemannia Colley. This 
singular plant is now flowering profusely in the orchidaceous house of this gentle- 
man, and though it cannot be regarded asa first-rate orchidaceous plant, it is well 
worthy of the cultivator’s care. A new and very beautiful hybrid Rhododendron 
is also now in flower in the conservatory of this nursery ; it was raised from seed 
at the same time as R. arborea fimbriata, figured vol. 11. p. 98 of this work, but 
has never flowered previous to the present time ; some slight resemblance is dis- 
cernible between the plant now noticed and the one just alluded to, but a decided 
distinction is manifest both with regard to foliage and flowers, and this is certainly 
a valuable variety. Azalea Indica Smithiit. A splendid specimen of this hand- 
some plant is now flowering in great perfection in the collection of Mr. Knight. 

Messrs. Loppices’,, Hackney. Dendrobium jfimbriatum. Two large speci- 

mens of this charming plant are now exhibiting their elegant blossoms in the 
‘orchidaceous house of these gentlemen, in extraordinary perfection ; our readers will 
form some idea of their beauty when we state, that one of them is producing 
fifteen fine spikes of flowers, and the other twenty ; besides which, the flowers are 
much larger than any we ever before witnessed in this species. Last month these 
gentlemen flowered a magnificent plant of Denbrobium nobile, which we consider to 


685 oe NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


be the most interesting and valuable species of this genus at present known in our 
collections. It is even more beautiful than the elegant D.. monilliforme, the 
colour of the labellum being much richer, and more strikingly in contrast with 
that of the sepals, which are of a delicate flesh colour; it is far superior to D. 
monilliforme in habit, as it is a stronger and much more rapid-growing species. 
The state of perfection to which these gentlemen ‘cultivate the numerous species 
of Dendrobium is we believe unrivalled in any other collection in this country, 
and the beauty of some of their specimens when in flower can scarcely be conceived. 
Lissochilus parviflorus. ‘This is a new and very interesting species of the genus 
Lissochilus, and was in flower at the above nursery last month, a few flowers still 
remaining expanded a week since ; as its name implies, the flowers are much 
smaller than those of L. speciosus, but the petals and sepals are beautifully pencilled 
with brown, and it is a vatuable addition to this genus. Pachypodium tuberosum. 
This is not a new plant, but is we believe only cultivated in a few collections ; it 
has now been in flower three months, and its pretty red and white blossoms still 
continue unfolding ; it forms a very attractive feature in the succulent house, and 
is a valuable acquisition to any collection of succulent plants. 

Mr. Lowes’, Clapton. Chorizema cordata*. A splendid specimen of this 
beautiful species was last month in flower at this nursery, and we should imagine 
that there were at least twenty flower-spikes on it, each of which produced from 
six to eight flowers, thus making a most brilliant display ; it is a very handsome 
species, and merits a prominent place in every collection, more especially as it 
appears to be such a profuse flowering plant. Epimediwm violaceum and grandt- 
jfiorum. These two elegant little plants are now exhibiting their pretty blossoms 
at the above nursery; the former species has flowers of a delicate purple or 
violet colour, and those of the latter are white; they are both exceedingly orna- 
mental, and are justly entitled to the attention of every cultivator. They are now 
flowering in the greenhouse, and we presume they are greenhouse or half-hardy 
species.. Camellia picturata. Mr. Lowe possesses the original specimen of this 
beautiful Camellia now in flower ; the flowers are of a cream-coloured ground, with 
numerous small pink stripes, and well formed. A seedling Camellia has also re- 
cently flowered at this nursery, which will be found worthy of a place in every 
collection ; we understand it is to be called C. Lawrenciana. : 

Messrs. Roxtuisons’, Tooting. Oncedium ramosum. A very beautiful new 
species of Oncidiwm produced its flowers in the collection of these gentlemen last 
month under the above appellation; like most of the other species of this genus, 
the flowers are of a greenish-yellow-coloured ground, and liberally mottled with 
brown, but there is a peculiarity in the structure of the labellum which renders it 
doubtful as to whether it is a species of Oncidium, or whether it might not with 
propriety be assigned to a new genus: we, however, are inclined to consider it a 
species of the genus above named, as it resembles’ the other species in every other 
particular but the form of the lip; and in this respect it is one of those curious 


* We have previously noticed this plant under the name of C. Manglesii, and cur reasons for 


adopting the present appelJation will be given in a future number. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. t 69 


plants which baffle the ingenuity of the most ‘experienced botanists, and teach 
them the utter fallacy of attempting to prescribe rules for the structure of natural 
productions, particularly orchidaceous plants. Messrs. Rollison also possess a new 
species of Epidendrum now in flower; the pseudo-bulbs are unusually long and 
large, but the flowers, though larger than most other species of the genus, are not 
very beautiful, as brown and pale green are the predominant colours: nevertheless, 
it is far superior to many, indeed most, other species of this genus. Phaleonopsis 
amabile. This lovely plant is again flowering at the above nursery, and should 
be in the collection of every lover of orchidacez. | 

Mr. Youne’s, Epsom. Begonia odorata. This is a rare and very interesting 
species of Begonia, and though by no means equal in beauty to some of its allies, 
abundantly compensates for this deficiency by the delightful fragrance it exhales, 
being in this respect equal to the perfume of violets, or that universal favourite, 
mignonette ; the flowers, though white, are not destitute of beauty, and form a 
pleasing contrast with the little tufts of yellow anthers in their centre, and the 
deep green of the foliage. Its fragrance alone is sufficient to render it a desirable 
feature in any collection, and a fine specimen of it is now flowering very profusely 
at this nursery. Rhododendron Cunninghamu. This is an extremely beautiful 
hybrid Rhododendron, raised in the Epsom nursery ; the flowers are of the richest 
crimson colour, and beautifully spotted with black. A splendid specimen of it is 
now exhibiting its showy blossoms with Mr. Young. 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN THE LEADING NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


On Grafting Cacte. 


In a previous number we presented our readers with a few hints relative to a 
rather novel system of grafting species of Mammillaria, Echinocactus, &c., on 
stocks of Pereskia aculeata, and we there promised to enter more minutely into 
the subject in a future article: we find, however, that there are few additional 
particulars remaining for us to relate, as the operation is remarkably simple. By 
reference to our February number, our readers will perceive that we have there 
stated the principle on which this system is founded, viz., that of grafting such 
kinds as produce few and weak roots, on those which emit strong and vigorous 
ones ; but, as some individuals with small collections would not wish to have the 
only specimen they possessed of any species treated in this manner, it may not be 
amiss here to state the most approved and efficient means for propagating the 
various species of the genera before named. Most of those species of Cactw, which 
form themselves into spherical heads, do not produce either branches or offsets 
naturally ; therefore it becomes necessary, where an increase is desired to be ob- 
tained, to have recourse to some method whereby they may be induced to do so. 
Tt is a curious but well-authenticated fact, that each of the little tufts of spines 


70 uf) NEW AND RARE PLANTS. Bi 


which are so abundantly produced on the projecting angles, or ribs of the plants 
now under consideration, is a true and proper bud; and if any means are used to 
excite it into action, is capable of producing a fresh plant. This being the case, all 
that is required to effect this purpose, is to restrain the growth of the plant in 
height, either by cutting off its summit, or searing it with a red-hot iron; the 
latter of which practices is perhaps the best, as by it the plant will not be deprived 
of any of its sap or juice, which frequently exudes for a long time after this opera- 
tion has been performed in the former manner. This treatment will speedily cause 
the tufts of spines, that before had appeared lifeless and useless, to form themselves 
into shoots or plants; and when they have attained to a sufficient size, they may 
be taken off carefully, potted into small pots in a light soil, and, with due attention 
to preserving them from excessive moisture, they will soon produce roots. But 
our object, on the present occasion; is not to state the method by which these plants 
may be propagated, merely for the purpose of growing them in soil; but that 
plants may thus be produced for grafting on stocks of the Pereskia before named ; 
for where this system is adopted, there will be no necessity for taking plants out 
of the soil for this purpose, and depriving them of their roots, as they will not form 
roots so long as they remain on the parent plant. Where these young plants are 
broken or cut off with care, and grafted on the above-mentioned stocks in the 
manner detailed in a former number, they will adhere to the stock much sooner 
than they would have produced roots if they had been planted in soil, and conse-. 
quently will more speedily commence increasing in size, and make much more 
rapid progress afterwards. 

In addition to the directions before given for performing this operation, it may 
be observed that a little moss should be tied round the plant at the junction of the 
graft with the stock; and this should from time to time be moistened with luke- 
warm water, but by no means so much so as to render it too wet, which would cause 
the graft torot. When the two plants have become perfectly united to each other, 
the moss may be removed, and it will be found that in addition to to its having 
accelerated the union between the stock and the graft, 1t will have induced the 
graft to throw out strong and excellent roots, which, if the house in which the 
plants are placed is kept slightly humid, will grow most vigorously, and in process 
of time will twine themselves round the stem of the Pereskia ; thus affording 
nourishment to the graft from the atmospheric elements which they imbibe, and 
contributing to fix it still more firmly on the stock, and preserve it from accidents. — 
This is a highly pleasing and interesting circumstance, and tends to prove, what we 
have before asserted, that plants of this description, though they are almost desti- 
tute of roots when planted in soil, will, if placed in moss, produce an abundance 
of strong and healthy roots, and consequently grow much more luxunantly, and 
attain to a larger size. Indeed, plants grafted in the manner here proposed, will 
not only grow more luxuriantly, but will have a most curious and pleasing ap- 
pearance ; and to all lovers of novelty, as well as to all admirers of this beauti- 
ful tribe, we cordially recommend this system of treating these singular produc- 


OPERATIONS FOR APRIL. 71 


tions of nature ; besides, there can be little doubt that it would answer equally 
well with many succulent species of Euphorbia, as well as with such plants as 
Cereus senilis, the Melocacte, and others of similar habits. 

If, however, the long and bare stems of the Pereskia are considered unsightly, 
such an objection may at once be obviated by cutting the stem of the stock 
down to any desired length, previous to performing the operation of grafting. 
Indeed, it would perhaps be better in this case always to reduce the stem of the 
Pereskia to within three or four inches of the soil ; as a quantity of moss might thus 
be constantly kept about the roots of the graft without being at all conspicuous 
or unsightly ; and, as this moss might easily be kept moist, if the pot in which the 
_ Pereskia is growing be well drained, the graft would thus have the benefit of 
a large supply of nutriment from its own roots, as well as that derived from the 
stock on which it is placed. But where this latter method is adopted, the novelty 
of the system would be kept a secret, as the mode of treatment would be concealed 
by the moss; therefore much depends upon the taste of the cultivator as to which 
of the above systems may be considered most worthy of adoption. However, 
where it is only desired to grow the plants stronger and finer, it is better to head 
the stocks down to within four inches of the soil; and where novelty is wished 
for, to leave the stocks from one to two feet in height ; by either of these methods, 
the plants thus grafted may be cultivated to much greater perfection, than if they 
were planted in soil, and otherwise treated in the usual manner. 


OPERATIONS FOR APRIL. 


| WE refer to the Calendar of Operations for March in our last number, for mek 
to be done in the present month; directions for potting, sowing of seeds, and 
otherwise attending to the various kinds of plants, will be there found ; further than 
which we have very little to add in this place. In the stove, when the plants are 
cleaned, potted, neatly and securely tied up, the temperature of the house should 
be gradually changed, in order to excite the buds into action; the temperature 
should be kept from 65° to 75°, never below the former in the night, nor any below 
or much above the latter during the day; the less it varies from these points the 
better the plants will succeed. The atmosphere should by degrees be brought to 
a moderate state of humidity, and the plants almost hourly and actively watched, 
in order to keep down the various descriptions of insects, with which they 
are so liable to be injured at all seasons, but perhaps more particularly when 
vegetation begins to start in the spring, if not diligently watched and effective 
means had recourse to, in order to destroy them. The most efficient methods may 
be briefly explained in the following manner :—The Red Spider (Acarus Tellarius), 
which rarely fails to find access to the best-managed plants, is so. averse to 
humidity and water, that if the plants infested by them are kept in a moist place, 
“or repeatedly syringed with water, they will soon disappear, but will as soon 
return if the application of these means be neglected for any length of time ; it is. 


72 OPERATIONS FOR APRIL. 


therefore necessary to examine the plants frequently and attentively. The ravages 
of thrips are less easily arrested than the red spider's ; the best means which we have 
found to keep them down, is powerfully to syringe the plants infested, with water, 
or water containing a solution of soft soap, or to apply a powerful fumigation of 
tobacco. These means, judiciously persevered in, will invariably succeed. Of the 
scale there are several descriptions, but the white and brown are most prevalent 
in our stoves; these may be kept under by removing them from the part affected 
with a brush or the finger, and afterwards sponging the plants over with soap or 
pure water ; if this is once carefully done, and the plant afterwards vigorously and 
repeatedly syringed, they will not do much harm. The mealy bug may be easily 
kept under by forcibly syringing whenever it appears, using soft soap water with 
a few drops of the spirits of camphor init. The green fly, as is well known, may 
be effectually destroyed by fumigating with tobacco. 

The plants at this season must be well watered, and cuttings made, and pro- 
pagated in sand under a glass, of any kind that it is desirable to multiply. 

In the greenhouse an increase of air should be admitted, and the plants care- 
fully though sufficiently watered, those of the genus Evica in particular. Rhodo- 
dendrons and Azaleas, if well watered, will retain their flowers much longer than 
they would if stinted in this respect. Camedlias continue to syringe, and to pro- 
mote their growth place them ima little humid heat. Geraniwms it will be well 
now to propagate for late summer and autumn flowering. Propagate when it is 
desirable to do so, and guard against damp from over-watering, &c. Sow seeds, 
and attend to the potting off of young plants; use light open soil, and avoid ex- 
posing them to the sun. Offsets of Campanula pyramidalis should be planted in 
rich loam and peat, and placed under a glass in a little heat ; when they have made 
roots, plant them in a shady situation in the flower border, where they will attain 
a large size, when they should be potted into large pots for flowering. | 

In the flower garden sow seeds of tender and half-hardy plants, divide the 
roots of Hepaticas and Violets, and take offsets from Awriculas and Polyanthuses. 
Tulips will now be coming forward, and should therefore be protected from cutting 
winds, heavy rains, and hot sun, by placing an awning of canvass over the bed. 
To promote the growth of newly-propagated Dahlias give them an increase of pot- 
room and heat, observing to admit a little air when the weather will admit of so 
doing, or the plants will draw too much. We would particularly urge the propa- 
gation of Roses, especially the China Rose, as so many have been lost during the 
late severe frost. Cuttings will strike prepared in the common way, and placed. 
in a shaded border, under a hand-glass, or, if available, under a frame or hand- 
glass where there is a moderate heat. Pot, sow, and propagate on all hands such 
plants as it is desirable to have good specimens or to possess a large stock of. 
Propagate Ribes sanguinea, Honeysuckles, &c., they succeed well if merely stuck in 
a shaded border, in the manner practised for multiplying gooseberrics and currants ; 
the common Laurel, Portugal Laurel, Laurustine, &c., should be abundantly 
propagated by every practicable means. 


{838 


1 


MAY 


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DOCCAOPLAIIVIVL 


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Pera) 
NaN 


TELOPEA SPECIOSISSIMA. 


(THE WaRRATAH.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


TETRANDRIA. MONOGYNIA, 


NATURAL ORDER. 


PROTEACE/E. 


Generic Cnaracter.—Calyx irregular; on one side irregularly divided, on the other four-toothed. 
Stamens immersed in the concave ends of the calyx. Gland none. Ovary stalked, many-seeded. 
Stigma oblique, orbicular.— Loudon’s Encyclopedia of Plants. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Leaves obovate, obtuse, unequally serrated. S'pike (corymb) subcapitate. Lnvo- 
lucre many-leaved. 


Synonym, Embothrium speciosissimum.—Bot. Mag. 1128. 


Tue great scarcity in the collections of this country of so “magnificent a plant 
as the one here figured, is doubtless solely attributable to the injadicious treatment 
to which it is subjected by many cultivators, and the want of sufficient attention 
to its constitution and habits ; and, that our collections may no longer be deprived 
of so attractive an ornament, we shall here briefly state those particulars relative 
to its cultivation which experience has shown must be promptly and judiciously 
attended to, otherwise nothing but failure and disappointment will be experienced. 
One of the most obvious causes of the frequent failures which attend the cultiva- 
tion of this plant, is the injurious system, so very generally practised, of 7 watering 
greenhouse plants indiscriminately and periodically, whether they require it or 
not. We ourselves have witnessed plants of this species in the collections of 
different individuals, which have, during the winter season, suddenly perished, 
leaving the persons ‘who possessed them in utter ignorance as to the cause of so 
lamentable an occurrence, and inducing them to renounce all further attempts at 
cultivating it ; but we have not the slightest doubt, that if the plants thus lost 
had been carefully and attentively examined, the cause of their death might have 
- been traced to their having been supplied with an undue quantity of moisture, 


“in pots which had not been properly or. sufficiently drained. But, independently 
VOL. V.—NO. LI. tid | 


74 TELOPEA SPECIOSISSIMA. 


of good drainage and a careful discrimination as to the quantity of water adminis- 
tered, a due degree of exposure to light and air is indispensable to the superior 
cultivation, indeed to the’ existence, of this plant, especially during the winter 
_ season ; for, in an ill-ventilated. house, where the Warratah is placed. at a great 
distance from the glass, and surrounded too closely with other and larger plants, 
it will seldom survive the winter. , 

Judicious potting, however, is of first importance ; for unless this operation 1s 
performed with great care, and with a due regard to the nature of the plant, no — 
success can be expected to be attained. An effective drainage, a light and friable 
(by no means adhesive) soil, composed of equal parts of sandy loam and heath- 
mould, with a good proportion of white sand and gritstone well incorporated, are 
the chief points to be attended to in potting this plant ; and though it requires so 
little water in the winter season, it must have a liberal supply in the summer 
months, particularly while in a growing or flowering state. 

Although it may be propagated by cuttings, which will generally succeed tole- 
rably well if planted in pure sand, young plants may be obtaied much more 
speedily, and with much greater certainty, by layers; more especially as the 
plants naturally: produce an abundance of suckers, which may be easily laid down 
into small pots introduced round the one in which the plant is growing, and will 
soon form roots. | 

At Chatsworth we kept a specimen of this plant for some time in a house, the 
temperature of which was maintained rather higher than that of the greenhouse ; 
but in this situation it was much infested with insects, and we have found that an 
airy situation in the greenhouse is far preferable for it in the summer months, 
though we are inclined to think that the one above alluded to is more suitable 
during the winter season, as a greater degree of heat would doubtless have a tend- 
ency to counteract the injurious effect of a redundance of moisture. 

This plant is a native of New South Wales, and Sir W. J. Hooker states (in the — 
Bot. Mag. 1128) that it is allowed by the natives and settlers of that colony (which 
is well known to be so rich in floral beauties) to be the most splendid of all their 
vegetable productions; the natives also are said to obtain an agreeable repast by 
sucking its tubular flowers, which abound with honey. It produces its brilliant 
flowers in this country in the months of June and July. : 

The generic name is derived from .Telopas, signifying, seen at a distance; this 
doubtless alludes to the great distance from which its rich crimson-coloured blos- 


soms are discernible in its.native country. 


ee 


a 


ys 


we 


MAY 1, 1838. 


ANGELONIA SALICARIZEFOLIA. 


(WILLOW-LEAVED ANGELONIA. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DIDYNAMIA. : ANGIOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


SCROPHULARIACEA. 


Generic Craracter.—Calyz four-parted, nearly equal. Corolla irtegular, spreading, two-lipped, with 
a short tube, and arched orifice ; upper lip two-parted, lower much larger, three-parted, with the 
middle segment slipper-shaped at the base.—Loudon’s Encyclopedia of Plants. 


Speciric CuaractER.—P/lant an evergreen, herbaceous, perennial, from 15 to 30 inches high ; dividing 
into branches immediately above the crown of the root. Branches four-cornered, generally 
upright, sometimes recumbent for the lower half, or thereabout ; leafy only at their upper extremity, 
closely and shortly furred. Leaves opposite, spreading, near, sessile, 15 to 2 inches long, 6 to 8 
lines broad, shortly furred on both sides, slightly indented at the edges. Flowers violet-coloured, 
axillary, solitary ; peduncles long. Calya deeply five-cleft, two segments closer than the rest, 
Corolla subbilabiate, bipartite ; lower lip much longer, tripartite, the middle segment larger, and 
enlarged at the base in the form of a slipper, rounded at the end. Stamens four, attached to the 
tube of the corolla; filaments unequal, shorter than the corolla, slightly bowed, and furred their 
whole length. Anthers two-celled, yellow; cells divergent, pointed. Germen spherical, pubes- 
cent. Style very short. Stigmas pointed. Capsule spherical, depressed, girded at the base by 
the calyx, which becomes slightly fleshy; marked from bottom to top on the. outside by 4 furrows, 

' opening at the upper part into 2 cells; both valves splitting at the top into 2 parts. Seeds nume- 
rous, small, wedge-shaped, attached to a fleshy receptacle, with a pitted membranous coating.— 


Bot. Reg. 415. 

PERHAPS a more ornamental, and consequently a more truly valuable. plant has 
not been introduced to our collections for some time than the one here figured ; 
but because it has been known in this country for twenty years, it is now almost 
banished from our stoves, and is rarely seen or met with except in the collections 
of such individuals who do not participate in the general mania for new plants, 
but value them only as they are more or less intrinsically interesting, either in 
general appearance, or the individual or united beauty of their flowers. 

In cultivating this plant, two important particulars relative to its natural 


habits should be kept in view ; first, that it is found growing on dry rocks, and 


consequently will not thrive in a soil that is too retentive of moisture, or which 


76 ANGELONIA SALICARIEFOLIA. 


is not properly drained; and next, that it grows naturally in a very elevated and 
exposed situation, from which we learn,. that it requires a oreat: degree of light 
and a free circulation of air. The soil therefore which is most suitable, is @ Mix- 
ture of light sandy loam and heath-mould, and the cultivator must not forget to 
add a few pieces of gritstone, and place a sufficient quantity of potsherds or 
other similar materials in the bottom of the pot. After these points are properly | 
attended to, it is no less important that this plant should be placed in a light and 
airy part of the stove ; and, not being of woody habits, it will require to be freely 
supplied with water in the summer months, but should be kept in a perfectly 
dormant state through the winter, by administering water very cautiously and 
sparingly. : 

Tt has usually been treated as a stove plant, and certainly will produce its 
flowers more profusely, and in much greater perfection, in such a situation ; but 
with those persons who do not possess a stove, it will make a very handsome 
ornament in the greenhouse, as the plant from which our drawing was taken, and 
which flowered at Chatsworth in the month of August 1837, had been kept in 
the greenhouse for a great length of time, and thrived well under the usual treat- 
ment given to herbaceous greenhouse plants. 

Propagation may be effected by cuttings of the young shoots, but as they 
are of a succulent and watery nature, great care is necessary to preserve them 
from perishing through excessive moisture ; and they should always be planted in 
pure sand. 

This plant was introduced to this country from Caraccas, where it was first 
observed by those eminent naturalists, Messrs. Humboldt and Bonpland, about 
five hundred toises above the level of the sea, and it flowered for the first time 
in this country in the stove of Mr. Herbert of Spofforth, in 1819. It is used — 
medicinally as an emetic by the inhabitants of the district in which it is found. | 

It is worthy of remark that plants with blue flowers are comparatively rare in 
our collections of stove and greenhouse plants, and this imparts to the subject of 
the present drawing additional value, and should induce cultivators to devote in- 
creasing attention to its cultivation. 

In its native country this plant is usually designated Angelon, and from this 


circumstance it has received its generic name. 


Aa 


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77 


LOASA LATERITIA. 


(RED-FLOWERED LOASA. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


POLY ADELPHIA. POLYANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


LOASE/. 


Generic Cuaractrr.— Calys five-leaved. Petals five. Nectary five-leaved. Capsules half inferior, 
one-celled, half three-valved, many-seeded.—Loudon’s Encyclopedia of Plants. 


Speciric Cuaracrer.—Plant suffruticose, hispid in all its parts. Stem climbing, slightly branched, 
Leaves aiternate lobate, lobes jagged, acute, slightly curved at the points; lower ones on footstalks, 
upper destitute of them. Peduneles axillary, one-flowered, six inches in lengthe Flowers of a 
bright brick-red colour, approaching to scarlet; abundant. Petals ten; the five outer ones large, 
keeled, slightly cucullate ; the inner five, small, yellow, cucullate, containing a saccharine secretion. 
Stamens numerous, disposed in five bundles, fronting each of the outer petals. Ovarium inferior, 
one-celled, many-seeded, densely set with hairs. 


In an age when our collections are constantly receiving accessions of hardy and 
half-hardy climbing plants, it becomes necessary to examine more attentively each 
new production, that our gardens may not be crowded with such plants as possess 
no other merit than that of novelty, and are, in other respects, almost worthless. 

This precaution however is by no means necessary with regard to the plant 
of which a drawing is here given; for, a more interesting and valuable plant for 
ornamenting the trellises of the flower-garden or greenhouse, we have not had the 
gratification of figuring for some time. We are accustomed to regard such plants 
as good, and worthy of notice and cultivation, which are of elegant habits,—pro- 
duce handsome and showy flowers,—are disposed to blow freely,—and exhibit 
their blossoms to advantage ;—all these properties reside in the plant we are now 
noticing to no mean extent; and when we add that it may be propagated with 
great facility, and cultivated with extreme ease, we should think that no other 
recommendation is necessary to bring it speedily into extensive notice, and obtain 
for it almost universal esteem. 


The plant from which our drawing was taken was kept in the greenhouse and 


78 LOASA LATERITIA. 


' stove, and trained round a circular trellis in a spiral direction, in which state it 
produced one of its elegant blossoms from the axil of each leaf; but we are informed 

that in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, it was turned out into the open border, and 
trained against an open wall, where it grew in a most luxuriant manner, and pro- 
duced its flowers in ereat profusion. From this we become acquainted with the 
interesting fact, that this plant is almost hardy, or at least that it will thrive well 
according to the usual treatment given to half-hardy climbing plants. Still it will 
be highly advantageous to keep a few plants of it in the greenhouse or stove, where 
they may either be placed in pots and trained to a flat or circular trellis, or turned. 
out into the bed or border of the house, and trained to the rafters or roof. In 
either of these situations, if proper attention be paid to the time of sowing the 
seeds, it will produce its flowers in the autumnal months, and these. will continue 


expanding till the commencement of the ensuing year ; thus enlivening and orna- 


Cus t/ 4 oe : 
[Wii 
\ 


é LA Vi 
Tf 


\ 
i 


PE ea 
Co ad 


menting our plant houses at that scason of the year when almost all other plants 


are in a dormant state. 


LOASA LATERITIA. 79 


When the flowering season terminates, the plant throws out new shoots from 
the anil of each leaf, and there can be no doubt, that in a succeeding season the 
display of flowers will be much greater ; it will probably prove a biennial, or 
perhaps a perennial plant, in which latter case it would doubtless assume a 
shrubby habit, but we are not prepared to state which of these will be the case. 
For a representation of the habits of this plant, see woodcut figure. 

Propagation may be carried on extensively either by cuttings or seeds, the 
latter of which are produced in great abundance, ripen freely, and readily germi- 
nate. It delights in a rich loamy soil. 

Sir W. J. Hooker (Bot. Mag. 3632) states that it was raised in the Glasgow 
Gocanie Garden from seeds sent there by Mr. Tweedie, which he collected in 
Tucuman. 

The nursery of Mr. Young, Epsom, produced the subject of the present draw- 
ing, where it flowered in great perfection in the greenhouse and stove, from the 
month of November 1837 to February 1638; and our figure was taken in 
December last. 

The species of this genus are remarkable for the stinging properties that are 
resident in the hairs with which they are so abundantly furnished ; but the present 
plant, though not altogether destitute of this malignity, possesses it in a very 
slight degree. 

The meaning of the generic name is unknown. 

The specific name was most appropriately given by Sir W. J. Hooker, in allu- 
sion to the colour of the flowers. This is-the species we have before had occasion 
to notice under the name of L. awrantiaca, which latter appellation is the one by 

which it is generally known; but the name under which it now appears is much 


more appropriate, as will at once be admitted by all persons possessing any 
acquaintance with it. 


80 


FIRES WITHOUT SMOKE: 
- EQUABILITY OF TEMPERATURE. 


a, 


In our notice on the subject of fires at pages 13, 14, of the present volume, we 
gave the public some reason to expect a further communication upon a method by 
which we imagine the heating of every description of glazed horticultural erections 
may be economically effected upon scientific principles. 

The smoke nuisance has justly been complained of, but we conceive it is to he 


waste produced that the gardener should trace the subject of his complaint. In: 


great cities, and in all confined localities, a vast volume of dusty charcoal propelled 
from chimneys into the atmosphere, must of necessity occasion much filth as well 
as inconvenience ; and it is certain that a mass of smoke, constantly renewed as it 
is in London, Birmingham, and elsewhere, is productive of much distress to 
asthmatic persons and others affected with pulmonary complaints; but in the 
country, smoke is quickly dispersed, and in some degree tends to promote vegeta- 
ble nutrition. Therefore we do not complain of injury from smoke, and are in- 
clined to believe that if small portions escape through a crevice in the flue, plants 
in general will be thereby rather benefited than otherwise, a fact which is some- 
what corroborated by the healthy condition of many plants in the windows of very 
close apartments imbued with tobacco and coal smoke. 

What we aim at as gardeners, is the effectuation upon scientific, and therefore 
economical principles, of some plans by which the houses may severally or collec- 
tively be heated to any required degree of high or low temperature, without the 


loss of one particle of those inflammable substances which now pass through the | 


flues and chimneys. Can this great, this desirable consummation be attained ? 

The hints we now offer are crude, because they have not been acted upon ; they 
are thrown out at a venture, as a stimulus, in this age of infantile, but steadily 
progressing, science ; and we entertain little doubt that, in a very short period, we 
shall hear of the efforts of some spirited individual which will prove the premices 
of a general system of improvement. 

When coal gas was first introduced by Mr. Windsor, it became the object of 
universal fear, and of much vituperation: it has triumphed, and its enemies have 
passed away. To it, or to some agent possessing corresponding or greater energies, 


we look for the accomplishment of the purpose we eu and to which we shall - 


now shortly allude. 
Every one who has visited towns lighted by gas, must have noticed in one 
situation or other, within the past twelve months, a very ornamental stove 


of a cylindrical form, which, without any appearance of fire, diffuses a general 
warmth, that may be increased to an almost insupportable degree of heat, by the . 


FIRES WITHOUT SMOKE. . 81 


simple turning ofa screw. This furnace is a species of argand-burner, supplied by 
many jets of flame, that may be depressed till they appear like so many small blue- 
balls, or raised till they become a circle of intense fire. From some experiments 
recently undertaken, we have proved that an extremely small portion of ignited 
charcoal (say three ounces) will heat an apartment or a greenhouse, twenty-four 
- feet long, so as entirely to counteract the influence of frost. One of these new gas 
| -stoves, without any of the trouble attendant upon charcoal, would supply ten 
times the volume of radiated heat ; but as the charges of the gas factors are very 
heavy, it may be doubted whether it would be economical to introduce gas into 
small forcing houses at the present charges. We therefore have another object in 
view, and now beg to direct the attention of noblemen, gentlemen, and the pro- 
prietors of extensive forcing departments in general, to a mode of independent 
operation which we saw adopted in a very extensive factory at the earliest period 
of gas-lighting. 

The noble works of Chatsworth, for instance, might be made to furnish a strik- 
ing and most brilliant example; why may we not indulge the expectation ? it 
would enhance their glory. 

A gas furnace and apparatus complete would be constructed at a very moderate 
outlay, and in the vicinity of the collieries would be supplied with fuel on the most 
economical terms. The cubical dimensions of every house being calculated, and the 
maximum degree of heat ever required ascertained, gas stoves might be intro- 
duced of appropriate size, and these would be easily rendered in the highest 
degree ornamental. Thus every one would be rendered independent of the works ; 
and—to say nothing of oil gas, the galvanic power, and other masterly discoveries 
now only inembryo, but which assuredly will be revealed and made available— 
the ordinary coal gas would be rendered the efficient agent of heat in every branch 
of ornamental or forcing horticulture. This heat could be at command, ever ready, 
capable of reduction, of amelioration, or of the highest exaltation. The retort 
furnace of distillation would produce smoke from the jist fire, but there it would 
end; all beyond it, all its product, all its branches, would be so many instruments 
of supply ; every product of the coal, or lime used as a purifier, would be useful to 
the garden or its fences ; the coke would be consumed as fuel, and the pure gas 
would be the source of heat without smoke. The chemical results of the combus- 
tion are watery vapour and carbonic acid, both useful to plants. In a word, we 
perceive nothing but unqualified good, as respects those large establishments 
wherein the expenses are now enormous. In smaller places, the consideration may 
not as yet be of moment, but the time is not far distant when the progress of science 
will lead to the development of some equally effectual method of improvement. 


VOL. V.—NO. LII. M 


REMARKS 


ON THE 


PROPRIETY AND IMPORTANCE OF HAVING TWO OR MORE HOUSES IN WHICH TO CULTIVATE 
ORCHID ACEOUS PLANTS, DIVIDING AND ARRANGING THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR HABITS. 


——@-—— 


~~ Arter the long articles which have appeared at various times in this Magazine 
on the cultivation and management of Orchidaceous Epiphytes, any further obser- 
vations on this subject may seem superfluous ; but, taking into consideration the 
high estimation in which this peculiarly interesting tribe is now held in the horti- 
cultural world, and conceiving that any additional particulars relative to its culti- 
vation will always be acceptable to our readers, we propose in the present instance 
offering a few practical observations on the expediency of dividing a collection of 
these plants into two or more parts, according to the peculiarities of their habits, 
and placing each section separately and distinctly from the other in a different 
house. 

The genera and species of plants constituting the Natural Order Orchidacez, 
are of the most diverse habits ; some requiring an extremely high temperature and 
excessive moisture, others thriving best in a comparatively low temperature, and a 
perfectly dry or very slightly humid atmosphere. Yet how frequently do we 
find the inexperienced gardener, and even cultivators of the first class and acknow- 
ledged ability, with the whole of their collection of orchidaceous plants assembled 
together in one house, kept in the same degree of temperature, and treated in 
nearly, or (in many instances) precisely the same manner! That this system of 
management is prejudicial to many species, the most inattentive observer cannot 
fail to have noticed; and the reason usually assigned is, that some cultivators 
maintain their houses at too high a temperature, while others again adopt the 
opposite extreme ; and it is generally believed that those individuals who pursue 
an intermediate course, and keep their houses at a moderate degree of temperature, 
with a very slight atmospheric moisture, are most successful in cultivating these 
plants, and bring them to the highest state of perfection. To a certain extent 
this opinion is well founded ; but we imagine that few individuals, who have had 
any experience in the cultivation of this tribe of plants, are not now prepared to 
admit, that the notion above alluded to, and which has been very generally enter- 
tained and adopted, is far from being correct. It is true that by this system the 
two extremes of temperature which various species require, are modified to such a 
degree, as to admit of the bare existence of plants of either class; but, we ask, 
is the cultivator of orchidaceous or any other plants satisfied and contented with 
merely seeing his plants alive, without making any progress in size or stature, or, 
at least, with progressing very tardily? No one, we are sure, can for a moment 


TWO OR MORE HOUSES TO CULTIVATE ORCHIDACEOUS PLANTS. 83 


acknowledge such indifference. And yet this is in fact the real effect of the 
system above alluded to. We allow that such a system does appear plausible and 
rational, and that it seems to be founded on correct and accurate principles ; indeed 
we ourselves eagerly embraced and supported it, and, to a great extent, practised 
. it; but we have since been convinced of its fallacy and impropriety, and have 
arrived at the conclusion, that, to grow these plants to any degree of perfection, 
they should at least be kept in two houses, and if convenient, three will be highly 
desirable. In these houses, the temperature should be maintained at different 
degrees, and the atmosphere adapted to the natural habits of the plants respectively 
intended to be grown in them. As an illustration of this hypothesis, we mention 
the elegant and interesting genus Dendrobium, most of the species of which require 
a high temperature and a great degree of moisture ; and where these are not 
supplied, a consequent deficiency becomes manifest in size, and the beauty of their 
general appearance. We were afforded a striking proof of this a few months since 
in the splendid collections of Messrs. Loddiges and‘ Rollison ; in that of the former 
gentlemen, who are known to maintain a high degree of temperature, and as a 
necessary concomitant, great humidity, in their orchidaceous house, the species of 
Dendrodium flourish in the richest luxuriance, and constantly exhibit a living mass 
of verdure, which, together with the size and beauty of the specimens, is equalled 
by few, and, as far as we are aware, surpassed by none. On the contrary, in the 
collection of Messrs. Rollison, where a more moderate degree of temperature is 
kept, and a less quantity of atmospheric moisture supplied, though they undoubt- 
edly excel the gentlemen before alluded to in the cultivation of some of the species 
of this tribe, we witnessed plants of Dendrobium cucullatum, and others, which 
indeed produced their flowers in tolerable profusion, but were wholly destitute of 
foliage, and consequently were deprived of much of their interest and beauty. This 
defect was evidently attributable to the want of a higher temperature and a greater 
degree of atmospheric humidity, and is of itself sufficient to prove, that the 
attempt to adapt the climate of one house to the constitution and habits of those 
plants which require a great degree of heat, and others which will thrive best in 
a lower temperature, is neither founded on correct principles, nor at all calculated 
to answer the purpose required. Again, it is obvious that the Messrs. Loddiges, 
though they succeed so well in the cultivation of Dendrobiums, can by no means 
compete with other gentlemen in the size of their specimens of the various species 
of Cattleya, nor in the healthy luxuriance in which they are grown; and still less 
do they cultivate the numerous species of Oncidiwm, in the perfection to which 
. Messrs. Rollison and other gentlemen have brought this elegant genus. We beg, 
however, distinctly to be understood, not to imply anything like an allusion to the 
incompetency of either of these gentlemen to cultivate any of the genera comprised 
in this beautiful tribe ; all that we wish to deduce from the above facts is, that 
Dendroliums require a very high temperature, Cattleyas a much lower one, and 
that Oncidiwms will thrive best in a house where a still less degree of heat is kept. 


84 TWO OR MORE HOUSES TO CULTIVATE ORCHIDACEOUS PLANTS. 


We have instanced the above three genera as being large and important ones, 
and as sufficient illustrations to enforce the system of management we are now 
advocating. We might here attempt to class the whole tribe of orchidaceous 
plants with one or the other of these genera into three divisions, but this would 
occupy too much space for the present article, and we shall content ourselves on 
this occasion with merely introducing the subject to the notice of our readers. If, 
however, three houses cannot be conveniently devoted to the cultivation of this 
tribe, such plants as the Cattleyas and Oneidiwms will flourish tolerably well in’ 
the same house, but by no means should they be placed with plants of similar 
habits to the genus Dendrobium. But the evils attendant on the system of 
equalising the temperature of the orchidaceous house are not the only features in 
the general system of cultivation which prove injurious to these plants. The 
subjects of shading, and the various methods of administering water, which have 
been so frequently discussed and treated of in horticultural and botanical publica- 
tions, and which are universally admitted to be essential to the superior cultivation 
of these plants, are too generally applied indiscriminately, and without any regard 
to the peculiar habits of the different species. In the first instance, it is commonly 
believed, that all orchidaceous plants are inhabitants of the dark and shady recesses 
of tropical forests; and even those individuals who are well acquainted with the 
facts recorded by collectors and travellers—that many species of this tribe are 
found growing in exposed situations, where they receive the immediate and direct 
influence of the sun’s rays—do not appear to practise any variation in their treat- 
ment of those species which are declared to be found in such localities, but subject 
the whole of their collection to certain general rules of management, and cover — 
equally the whole of their house, and consequently all their plants, with some 
slight shading, thus disregarding the reported observations of travellers, and 
neglecting to follow the precepts of nature. Now, with very little attention, and 
without any extra trouble, this system might be altered, and each plant might 
receive the peculiar treatment in this respect which collectors and nature herself 
inform us is most congenial to its habits. If such plants as require little or no 
shading were assembled together at one end of the house, and those for which a 
more than ordinary degree of it seemed necessary were placed next to them, how 
easy would it be to turn the canvass or other material back from that portion of. 
the roof under which those plants which delight in the sun’s influences were 
placed, over that part which required a greater degree of shading ; or, to spread it 
singly over the former description of plants, and turn the other part back over 
those of the latter description! Still, though this process is important, and though 
the habits of these plants in this respect ought by no means to be overlooked, a 
proper attention to the application of water in the various ways in which it is 
usually administered, is of much greater importance than the variation of shading. 

In a collection of orchidaceous plants which are all congregated together in one 
house, most cultivators keep the atmosphere of that house more or less charged 


me 
TWO OR MORE HOUSES TO CULTIVATE ORCHIDACEOUS PLANTS. 85 


with moisture, and of course every individual plant inhales, according to its 
capabilities, an equal proportion of that moisture. It is scarcely necessary to state 
that some plants imbibe that moisture in an undue and unnecessary degree, and 
that where such is the case, it invariably proves to the same extent injurious. 
This can only be obviated by dividing the collection into at least two parts; for 
it is notorious, that those plants of this tribe which require but little heat, also need 
~ little or no atmospheric moisture ; and on the contrary, such plants as thrive best 
in a high temperature, require a great degree of moisture to counteract the 
influence of the heat, and maintain the vital principle in full vigour. Therefore, if 
plants from temperate climates are kept in a house by themselves, there will be no 
danger of any of them being injured by excessive moisture ; and if those which are 
known to inhabit tropical regions are likewise placed in a house or a department of 
a house’where others of opposite habits are not admitted, they may receive the 
requisite supply of humidity without suffering from the aridity of the atmosphere, 
maintained on account of the other sorts with which they are intermingled. By 
this system, likewise, the necessity of varying the degree of shading will be almost 
entirely precluded ; for it is obvious that those plants which require but little heat 
and a very slight degree of atmospheric moisture, will likewise generally be capable 
of enduring the full extent of the sun’s influences, or at least will need less shading 
than such as are constantly and largely supplied with atmospheric humidity, and 
thus the whole of the plants in each house may be equally shaded, or nearly so. 
Nor is atmospheric moisture—by which term we mean the evaporation arising from 
water thrown on the flues or floor of the house, or, what is much better, from hot 
water kept in a cistern or boiler—alone to be considered here. Most, indeed all, 
cultivators of orchidacese, are accustomed to syringe their plants with water occa- 
sionally, some practising it to a great extent, and others applying it cautiously and 
sparingly. We do not, however, here intend to discuss the quantity in which it 
should be administered ; we only wish to deprecate the practice of applying it 
indiscriminately in this manner ; for to some species it 1s highly injurious, and not 
unfrequently does the injudicious application of it cause many of these plants to 
damp off and die. In this particular, again, the advantage of possessing two 
houses for the cultivation of these plants must at once be obvious; for to some 
species the administration of water in this way is absolutely necessary, while, as 
we have above observed, the practice is highly detrimental, and even fatal to others. 
Indeed, where this division is effected, and the plants are arranged in two separate 
houses, according to their habits, it is necessary to use great discrimination with 
regard to the application of water by a syringe, as many plants require a much 
greater quantity of water administered to them in this way than others which may 
probably bear a great resemblance to them in habit. In short, it is incumbent on 
every individual who imports or receives plants of this tribe from foreign parts, to 
make strict inquiries whether they abound most.in tropical or temperate regions ; 
whether they are found growing in shaded or exposed situations ; whether they 


86 ee REVIEW. 


thrive best in excessively humid localities, or receive naturally only a moderate 
supply of atmospheric moisture ; and last, though not least, whether they receive 
that moisture in the way of evaporation from the soil, by distillation from rain, or 
from their united influence and agency. With such data, the gardener or amateur 
cannot fail to cultivate this much-admired tribe of plants to the highest state of 
perfection ; and we are fully convinced that the absence of such information has 
been the chief cause why so little success was attained in their cultivation till 
within the last few years. These difficulties, however, have now been in a great 
measure surmounted by the intelligence of the present age ; and the progress that 
has been made in the cultivation of these plants during the past ten years is truly 
astonishing. Still we are yet comparatively ignorant of their true nature and 
habits, and many particulars relative to their cultivation yet remain to be 
investigated ; and as few possess more ample opportunities of so doing than 
ourselves, we shall always feel great pleasure in laying before our readers and the 
public the result of our observations, considering ourselves abundantly rewarded by 
the gratification of contributing in the smallest degree to correct any erroneous 
impression that may exist, or to effect any improvement in the cultivation and — 
management of this extremely beautiful and interesting tribe of plants. 


REVIEW. 


——-oe-——- 


A very useful work has lately appeared, by the Rev. Patrick Keith, Clerk, 
F.L.S., author of ‘“* A System of Physiological Botany,” under the following title, 
‘¢ A Botanical Lexicon, or Expositor of the Terms, Facts, and Doctrines of the 
Vegetable Physiology, brought down to the present time.” The Book contains 
407 pages of letter-press, in which is embodied much interesting and profitable 
reading on the terms used in Vegetable Physiology ; all useful to the gardener, 
and indispensable to the botanical student. At the conclusion are given some 
preliminary remarks on the subject of Zoology, which may also be advantageously 
consulted. | 

We make the following extracts of the two or three first pages, from which 
our readers may form some idea of the author's merits :-— 

“ A, in the composition of botanical terms, is merely the alpha privative of the Greeks, 
and denotes negation, as aphyllous, without leaves ; acotyledonous, without cotyledons. 

‘“‘ ABBREVIATED.—Of two organs in comparison, the shorter is said to be abbreviated ; 
an abbreviated calyx—a calyx shorter than the corolla. 

“ ApornTiIve.—Barren ; as a flower that falls without producing fruit. 

“ Apruet.— Winged leaves, that have no odd leaflet or tendril, are said to be abrupt, 
or abruptly winged. 

“ ABsoRPTION.—The process by which vegetables take up their aliment is termed 
absorption. But as plants are not furnished with any individual organ similar to the mouth 
of animals, how, after all, it may be said, is the absorption of their food effected? Is it by 


REVIEW. 87 


the general surface of the stem, leaf, or root, or by any peculiar portion of these organs ? 
By whatever part or portion of the plant the food may enter, it must at any rate pass 
through the covering of the epidermis, which the earlier physiologists thought it could not 
do, but by means of pores more or less visible. Yet some of them described the epidermis 
as being of so close and compact a texture, that the eye, aided even by the best microscopes, 
was unable to discover in it the slightest vestige whether of pores or of apertures. But 
Hedwig and Decandolle detected what seemed to be superficial pores in the leaves at 
least of many plants, and so will any one else who will be at the trouble of repeating their 
observations with lenses of similar powers. 

“ The next difficulty was with regard to the epidermis of the flower, fruit, and root. 
No pores had been detected in the flower and fruit, though it was evident that they were 
refreshed and invigorated by the access of moisture, and of atmospheric air ; and no pores 
‘had been detected in the root, though it was evident that the whole of the nourishment 
which the plant derives from the soil must of necessity pass through it. It was also evident 
that no aliment could be taken up by the plant, except in the state of' a liquid, or of a gas, 
that is by absorption, or by inhalation, as the chyle is taken up into the animal lacteals, or 
the air into the cells of the lungs. The avidity with which plants absorb water was per- 
ceived and acknowledged even in the earliest times, and even by men who were not 
botanists. Anacreon, in one of his little trifles in honour of drinking, makes the very trees 
of the forest drink :—‘ The black earth drinks, and the trees drink it, that is, the moisture 
which it contains. 

“By merely immersing in water a plant of almost any species of moss that has been 
some time gathered, or long exposed to drought, so as to have had its leaves shrunk or 
shrivelled up, the moisture will immediately penetrate the plant, which will thereby resume 
its original verdure, an experiment establishing the fact of the entrance of moisture into the 
plant through the medium of the epidermis, 

“It might be doubted whether any of the moisture thus imbibed had passed through the 
root. But if the bulb of a hyacinth is placed over the mouth of a glass vessel filled with 
water so that the extremities only of the radical fibres shall be immersed, the water is 
imperceptibly exhausted, and the plant grows. The moisture must consequently have 
passed through the root. Plants seem indeed to have a peculiar facility in taking up water 
by the root from the infinite number of little absorbent bibulous sponges (spongiolz) in 
which the fine fibres of the root terminate. This is the grand apparatus that nature has 
destined to the office of the absorption of vegetable nutriment, and it is owing to the power- 
ful absorbent property of the spongiole of which it consists, that the scientific gardener in 
the transplanting of his young trees, or the scientific and ornamental planter, in the trans- 
planting of his trees of full growth, is so extremely careful to preserve even the minutest 
fibres and extremities of the roots. Sir Henry Stewart’s Planter’s Guide has taught him 
the great importance of these little organs. 

“ Hales instituted a variety of experiments to show the absorbing power of the roots, and 
the force with which it acts. But as they were made chiefly on the sections of roots laid 
bare and immersed in water, they do not exhibit any direct illustration of the natural action 
of the spongiole, collecting nourishment at ten thousand different points from the moisture 
of the sail, and in this respect the experiments are defective. The next topic of inquiry 
was the absorbing power of the leaves, which Duhamel and Marriotte did much to elucidate. 
But the most satisfactory set of experiments upon the subject of leaves is that of M. Bonnet 
of Geneva, whose main object was to ascertain whether the absorbing power of a leaf was 
alike on both surfaces. With this view, he placed a number of leaves over water, so as that 
they floated on it, but were not immersed ; some with the upper surface, and others with 


88 REVIEW. 


the under surface applied to the water. Ifthe leaf retained its verdure the longest with the © 
upper surface on the water, the absorbing power of the upper surface was to be regarded 
as the greatest ; but if it retained its verdure the longest with the under surface on the 
water, then the absorbing power of the under surface was to be regarded as the greatest. 
Some leaves were found to retain their verdure the longest when moistened by the upper 
surface, and some when moistened by the under surface ; and some were altogether indifferent 
to the mode in which they were applied to the water. But the inference deducible from the 
whole, and deduced accordingly by Bonnet, was, that the leaves of herbs absorb moisture 
chiefly by the upper surface, and the leaves of trees chiefly by the under surface. What is 
the cause of this singular disparity between the absorbing surfaces of the leaf of the herb, 
and of the tree? The physical cause might be the existence of a greater or of a smaller 
number of pores found in the leaves of the herb and tree respectively. ‘The chemical cause 
would be the peculiar degree of affinity existing between the absorbing organs and the fluid 
absorbed. Duhamel seems to have been content to look to the physical cause merely, 
regarding the lower surface of the leaf of the tree as being endowed with the greater capacity 
of absorbing moisture, chiefly for the purpose of catching the ascending exhalations which 
must necessarily come in contact with it as they rise, but which might possibly have escaped 
it if absorbable only by the upper surface, owing to the increased rapidity of their ascent at 
an increased elevation ; and regarding the upper surface of the leaf of the herb as being 
endowed with the greater absorbing power, owing to its low stature, and to the slow ascent 
of exhalations near the earth. This did not throw much light upon the subject, and the 
experiments were still deemed insufficient, as not representing to us the actual phenomena 
of vegetation, though the fact of the absorption of moisture by the surface of the leaf is fully 
confirmed by such phenomena. 

“Tf, after a long drought, a fog happens to succeed before rain falls, so as to moisten 
the surface of the leaves, plants begin to revive, and resume their verdure long before any 
moisture can have penetrated to the roots. Hence it follows incontestably, either that 
moisture has been absorbed by the leaf, or that transpiration had been suddenly stopped 
by the closing up of the pores, now stomata, of the leaf, or both. The efficacy of rains ~ 
themselves, and of artificial waterings, may be accounted for partly on the same principle, 
for they have not always penetrated to the root when they are found to have given fresh- 
ness to the plant. The moisture then, that enters the plant as an aliment, is taken up by 
means of the pores or stomata, or in default of visible pores or stomata, merely by means of 
the absorbent power of the epidermis, not only of the root and leaf, but often, as it is to be 
believed, by the other parts of the plant also, at least when they are soft and succulent. 

“ By what means do the gases enter the plant? If water or other non-elastic fluids are 
capable af penetrating the outer bark of plants, whether furnished with visible pores or not, 
gases. may well be supposed to be endowed with a similar capability. It might be asked, 
however, whether the water and the gases enter by the same pores where pores are found 
to exist. But though there appears to be nothing absurd in the assertion of the affirmative, 
yet it seems probable that each has its own peculiar powers or stomata. At least, it is © 
known that some surfaces which repel moisture exhibit no evidence leading us to suppose 
that they repel the common air. This is well exemplified in the case of cabbage-leaves, in 
the time of rains and dews, when the drops roll along the upper surface of the leaf without 
wetting it, or lodge in its folds, like globules of quicksilver. So also in the case of fruits 
covered with bloom. It is probable, therefore, that all such leaves and vegetable surfaces 
as repel moisture are fitted rather for the inhalation of air, which they have long been 
regarded as capable of effecting ; and in times in which it was fashionable to look for 
analogies between the plant and animal, in everything whatever, leaves were even regarded 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 89 


as being the lungs of plants. Grew thought he had discovered in the leaves a number of 
little bags or bladders filled with air. The air was supposed to have entered by inhalation, and 
the bags or bladders were supposed to be analogous in their functions to the cells of the lungs 
of animals. M. Papin introduced into the receiver of an air-pump an entire plant, root, 
stem, and leaf; but the consequence was that it very soon died. He then introduced a 
plant by-the root and stem only, the leaves being still exposed to the influence of the air. 
The plant lived a considerable length of time, and hence he concluded that leaves are 
lungs. But these facts are far from being sufficient to settle the point in question, and we 
introduce them, not so much with a view to show their inadequacy, as to show that the 
doctrine, even if founded in truth, could not have been satisfactorily demonstrated by any 
experiments that were practicable at that time. 

“Tt is to the modern improvements in pneumatic chemistry (and to them alone) that we 
are indebted for our knowledge of the real functions of the leaves of plants, and of their 
analogical resemblance to the lungs of animals, it being now proved indisputably that the 
leaves of plants not only contain air, but do both inhale and respire it. It was the opinion 
of Priestley that they inhale it chiefly by their upper surface ; and it has been shown by 
Saussure that their inhaling power depends entirely upon the integrity of their organisation. 
A bough of Cactus opuntia detached from the plant and placed in an atmosphere of common 
air, inhaled in the course of a night four cubic inches of oxygen; but when placed in a 
similar atmosphere, after being cut to pieces and pounded in a mortar, no inhalation took place. 

“ Yet it may be said that the doctrine of vegetable respiration is still involved in some- 
thing of mystery, as the existence of pores is doubted by botanists of high reputation, even 
in what is called stomata ; and as the occurrence of stomata is but a very rare phenomenon 
in the epidermis of roots, flowers, or fleshy fruits, or bulbs, which, after all, will not thrive or 
ripen well, if wholly deprived of air. But the recent experiments of M. Dutrochet have 
shown that the intervention of visible pores is not at all necessary, whether to the imbibi- 
tion of moisture, or to the inhalation of gases, or whether in the case of animal or vegetable 
membrane. The liquid, or the gas, seems thus to enter by the means of the agency 
of organic molecular infiltration, a power prodigious in its capabilities, but not easily 
accounted for. Dutrochet attributes it to what he calls endosmose, that is, a rush inwards of 
a less dense to a more dense fluid excited by electricity. His experiments and hypothesis 
will be specified and examined under the article of the Ascent or THE Sap, or its CausE. 
In the mean time we will content ourselves by merely saying that we do by no means re- 
gard his conclusions as following legitimately from his premises ; nor can we regard any 
cause accounting for the effect in question as being at all adequate to its object, which does 
not involve the agency of a power of a higher order than that either of capillary attraction 
or of electricity ; namely, that of the agency of the living energies of the plant.” 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR APRIL. 
CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONEZ). 


THE BEAN TRIBE (Leguminose). 
Mucuna prurtens. West Indian Cow-itch Plant. The principal part of 
the stinging substance which is sold in shops under the name of ‘‘ cow-itch,” is 


probably obtained from this plant, which grows naturally and abundantly in many 
VOL. V.—NO. LII. N 


90 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


parts of the West Indies, on waste land, neglected corn-fields, by the sides of rivers, 
and upon fences, to which latter its long twining stems rapidly and firmly attach 
themselves. It is a stove climbing plant, and produces an abundance of its hand- 
some purple blossoms in long racemes in the month of September in the stoves of 
this country. Jacquin states that in the West Indies the hairs of this species 
pierce even the thick hide of the negroes; it would appear, however, that other 
species are still more malignant ; for in India there is a kind called Enoola doola- 
unda, or Elephant’s scratch-wort, the stings of which cause a considerable degree 
of pain and itching. Bot. Reg. 18. 


THE TRUMPET-FLOWER TRIBE (Signoniacee). 


AMPHICOME .ARGUTA. Finely-cut Amphicome. This is a rare and very 
elegant perennial, with pink-coloured flowers; it has a weak stem, and grows 
about a foot high, and is probably sufficiently hardy to stand out through the whole 
season in the open ground, if it be planted in a dry situation or on rock-work, and 
protected during the winter months from the wet and the most severe frosts by a 
hand-glass or other shelter. Any superabundance of moisture is extremely 
injurious to it, and this must be guarded against at all seasons; it thrives best in 
a light loamy soil, with a small portion of sandy peat added, and may be increased 
by seeds or cuttings. Bot. Reg. 19. 


THE PASSION-FLOWER TRIBE ( Passifloracee). 


PAssIFLORA ONYCHINA. Lieutenant Sullivan’s Passion-flower. This is an 
extremely handsome new Passion-flower, with beautiful blue-coloured blossoms, 
which were produced in the stove of Miss Trail of Bromley, Kent. It is described 
as being of very luxuriant habits, and seems to thrive best when planted in a 
border of rich loam. Its season of flowerimg is in the months of October and 
November, and it may most probably be increased by cuttings. Bot. Reg. 21. 


THE CACTUS TRIBE (Cactacee). 


MAMMILLARIA TENUIS. ‘Taper Mammillaria. ‘This is a plant of great beauty, 
and very curious structure, growing from two to four inches high, and an inch or 
more in diameter; the whole plant is covered with mammille of a hemispherical 
form; these are green, about a quarter of an imch in diameter, and each is tipped 
with a tuft of white down, from which diverges a cluster of about twenty slender, 
recurvo-patent aculei, nearly as long as the mammille, which are at first reddish, 
and afterwards of a yellowish or pale tawny colour; from just below the summit 
of the plant, and from all sides indifferently, the flowers are produced, which are 
small, solitary, and campanulate; they are of a pale yellow or straw colour, and 
slightly tinged with red externally. Bot. Mag. 3646. 

MAMMILLARIA FLORIBUNDA. Copious-flowering Mammillaria. <A truly 
beautiful species of this interesting genus, imported from Chili by Mr. Hitchin. 
Sir W. J. Hooker is not aware of its having been previously described in any other 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 9] 


work, and considers that it approximates to our M. atrata in some of its 
characters, though it differs materially in being of stronger habits, in its larger, 
less-closely-placed, and more projecting mamumille, in its stronger and more numerous 
aculei, its larger flowers, and the great mequality in the size and shape of the 
petals of the flowers, which are moreover of a paler red colour, and yellowish 


towards the base. Bot. Mag. 3647. 


CLASS II.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONE). 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidaceae). 

STENIA PALLIDA. Pale Stenia. This is a rather pretty little epiphyte, 
imported from Demerara, by G. Barker, Esq., of Birmingham, in whose very 
extensive collection of orchidaceous plants it flowered last August. It is of dwarf 
habits, and produces its pale yellow flowers at the base of the leaves. I¢ will 
thrive well with the treatment usually given to Maxillarias. Bot. Reg. 20. 

We had the pleasure of witnessing this interesting orchidaceous plant in a 
flowering state in the rich collection of the above gentleman some months ago, and 
we then pronounced it to be quite new, and distinct from any we had previously 
seen. 

Cympripium triste. Lurid-flowered Cymbidium. A _ very remarkable 
epiphyte, with purplish-yellow flowers, which are produced on a short, drooping, 
sessile raceme, from the axil of aleaf. It grows from eight to ten inches high, and 
the leaves are from three to five inches in length, terete, fleshy, and green. It is 
a native of various countries in the south-eastern portion of the Old World, among 
which the principal are New Caledonia (where it was first discovered by Forster 
during the celebrated voyage of Captain Cook), the Marianne Islands, Japan, 
Ceylon, and Nepal. Bot. Mag. 3648. 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 
IN FLOWER IN THE LEADING NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 

Messrs. Henperson’s, Pine-Apple Place. Azalea Indica Smithii. We have 
previously noticed a fine specimen of this beautiful plant at the above nursery, but 
there are two plants of it now in flower, which we cannot refrain from adverting 
to here. The specimens to which we allude, are without doubt the most perfect 
instances of the successful cultivation of either the species or varieties of this 
splendid genus we ever before witnessed, and as far as we are aware, have never 
been surpassed. They are now so densely covered with their showy flowers, that 
it would be almost difficult to discern either branches or foliage, and they 
present to the eye one unbroken and uniform mass of living beauty, hitherto we 
believe unrivalled. Amongst the numerous beautiful varieties of Cineraria now 


92 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


in flower at this nursery, there is one called the King, which merits particular 
attention. It is of rather dwarf habits, and the flowers are of a lilac-coloured 
ground, beautifully tipped with purple. It grows very compact, and is an ex- 
tremely beautiful and valuable addition to this interesting genus. As few plants 
are more truly ornamental than Cinerarias, the beautiful varieties which have been 
raised by Messrs. Henderson should be in the collection of every individual who 
has any taste for flowers. | 

Mr. Kwniaut’s, Chelsea. A curious species or variety of Gesneria is now in 
flower at this nursery, and is remarkable for the tendency manifested by the 
flower-spike to incline downwards. ‘The flower-stem grows erect to about a 
foot high, and then, as if it had suddenly come in contact with some object that 
impeded its growth, it becomes pendulous. In other respects it resembles G. 
Cooperi, and we should have been led to believe that the above circumstance had 
been caused by disease, were there not several plants of it growing ina similar 
manner. Leligia ornata. This new, or at least, very rare plant, is now flower- 
ing at the nursery of the above gentleman, and like many other Proteaceous plants, 
the flowers are very pretty, but not strikingly beautiful; being of a brownish 
yellow colour. It is certainly an ornamental plant, and would doubtless, when 
profusely in flower, be an interesting object in the greenhouse. Kennedia 
glaberata. This pretty species of Kennedia was raised in the nursery of Mr. 
Knight about three years since, and is now flowering abundantly. Its elegant 
habits and showy blossoms, as well as the profusion in which the latter are pro- 
duced, entitle it to the attention of every cultivator of greenhouse climbing plants. 

Messrs. Loppicus’, Hackney. Dendrobium nobile. We have pleasure in again 
directing the attention of our readers to this lovely plant, which is now flowering 
in the collection of the above gentlemen in afar superior manner to that in which we 
previously witnessed it. The great beauty and delicacy of its flowers, combined with 
the rapidity and luxuriance of its growth, will cause it to rank high in the estima- 
tion of every admirer of this charming tribe, and in point of real merit, we 
consider that it is inferior to no orchidaceous plant with which we are acquainted, 
though there are many which produce much larger and more showy blossoms. 
Several other species of Dendrobium are now most beautifully in flower, such as 
D. aggregatum, secundum, aureum, &c., the flowers of the latter of which are 
most delightfully fragrant, and towards the evening of each day perfume ‘the 
whole house with their delicious odour. In the Camellia-house of Messrs. 
Loddiges, a more magnificent display of flowers can scarcely be conceived than 
are now exhibiting themselves. The extraordinary size and luxuriance of the 
specimens in this collection are well known to most individuals, and nearly the _ 
whole of them are now most profusely covered with their splendid flowers. We 
recommend all our readers, who reside ‘at a convenient distance from the metro- 
polis, to visit the collection of the above gentlemen, and we feel assured that they 
will experience a rich treat in witnessing their Camellias in their present state of 
perfection. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 93 


Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Zickia molle. A pretty climbing plant is now in flower 
at this nursery, under the above name. It bearsa striking resemblance to Kennedia 
coccinea, and we are inclined to consider it as a variety of that species ; it is never- 
theless a very interesting plant, and is well worthy of general cultivation. Some 
very fine specimens of Statice arborea are also again flowering in the collection of 
the above gentleman, and this valuable plant appears to produce its flowers in 
most abundant succession, which is certainly an important feature in its character. 
Several handsome varieties of Cinerariaare now most brilliantly in flower, and merit 
the attention of every person who devotes any practical attention to the cultivation 
of greenhouse or half-hardy plants. 

Messrs. Rowtrson’s, Tooting. Chorizema scorpioides. This is a new and 
pretty species of Chorizema, and is now producing its flowers at this nursery. In 
habit it appears to be rather procumbent, and does not attain any considerable 
height, while the flowers are of a brownish yellow colour. Though inferior to 
some of the other species in the beauty of its flowers, it is an interesting plant, 
and deserves a place in every collection. A fine variety of Clematis cerulea is 
also now exhibiting its showy blossoms at the above nursery ; the flowers of C. 
cerulea are composed of only six petals, while the present variety has eight, from 
which circumstance it has been appropriately designated C. cerulea grandifiora. 
It is a truly good plant, and together with the original species, which is also now 
flowering at this nursery, should be in the possession of every cultivator of half- 
hardy climbing plants. We take this opportunity of stating that the orchideous 
plant which we noticed in our last number, as being in flower in the collection of 
these gentlemen, and which we then considered to be a species of Oncidiwm, has 
now proved to be Cyrtochilum maculatum, a genus very closely allied to Oncidium. 
Phaleonopsis amabile is still beautifully in flower, and is certainly one of the most 
profuse flowering orchidaceous plants which has been introduced to this country for 
some time. 

Mr. Youne’s, Epsom. Comesperma gracilis. This is one of the prettiest and 
most interesting climbing plants with which we are acquainted, and though the 
flowers are small, and the plant slender and of slow growth, yet the peculiar 
gracefulness and elegance of the latter, and the great profusion of the former, as 
well as their being of a bright blue colour, render it a most pleasing and attractive 
object. Jt is a greenhouse species and entirely new, being at present we believe in 
few other collections besides that of the gentleman above named. Cytisus race- 
mosus. A very fine specimen of this rare species is now flowering most abundantly 
at this nursery, and besides the beauty of its flowers and general appearance, it 
exhales a most delicious fragrance, which is agreeably perceptible at the farthest 
extremity of the house in which it is placed. <Asarwm japonicum. This is a very 
fine, we believe new, species of this curious genus. The flowers are of a dark 
brown colour, and are partly concealed by the foliage, but they are highly inte- 
resting and curious, and are full an inch across. It is most probably hardy, but has 
been kept in a frame in the above nursery, where it is now flowering. 


94 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN THE LEADING NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 

On Leucothoe (Andromeda) floribunda. Ata period when it plainly appears 
that the climate of Britain is annually becoming colder, and the weather more rigor- 
ous, it is of great importance that such plants as are capable of enduring the most 
severe weather, should be generally known and cultivated; and more especially, 
whenthose plants are evergreen, highly ornamental, and produce theirflowers in great 
abundance. In vol. iv. p. 101, we gave a drawing and description of the subject of 
this notice, and we were then very dubious as to whether the flowers would attain 
any perfection in the open airif the winter were very severe, as we there stated the 
singular fact that its flowers were formed in the autumn, which of course renders 
them more susceptible of injury from frost or cutting winds. Since that time, how- 
ever, we have attentively watched the progress of some plants of this species in 
several of the London nurseries, particularly in those of Messrs. Rollison and 
Knight, and during the intense severity of the late season, not a flower-bud, nor 
so much as the points of any of the leaves, has been at all injured. In the nur- 
sery of the latter gentleman especially, some fine plants were left standing in the 
open ground, in an exposed situation, and without any protection, while others 
were constantly covered with a hand-glass, as the prevailing opinion seemed to be, 
that this plant was not quite hardy, or at least, that it would not endure very 
severe frost. The result, however, has sufficiently established the contrary fact, 
as those plants to which no protection had been given were equally healthy and 
luxuriant, and the flowers were as fine and abundant as those which had been 
covered with the hand-glass ; thus clearly demonstrating that this plant is in the full- 
est and most enlarged sense of the term “perfectly hardy.” At the present time, 
(May,) the plants in the collection of the above gentlemen are densely covered 
with their pretty white blossoms, and they have been im this state for nearly a 
month, forming amidst the general desolation caused by the extreme rigour of 
the past winter, a truly novel and interesting picture in the garden. It is scarcely 
necessary to observe, that a plant so very ornamental as the one here noticed, and 
which is capable of enduring such weather as destroys nearly every plant that 
before had any claims to be considered hardy, is one of the most truly valuable 
hardy shrubs at present known in our collections ; and we would strongly recom- 
mend all our readers who do not already possess it, to procure plants of it imme- 
diately, as, notwithstanding the interest that always attaches itself to hardy 
evergreen shrubs, the subject of the present remarks is one of the most profuse 
flowering plants with which we are acquainted. Jor further particulars relative 
to its cultivation, we refer our readers to the page before quoted, and though by 


OPERATIONS FOR MAY. 95 


these observations we by no means wish to deter cultivators from keeping a few 
plants of it in the greenhouse, where it will produce a very ornamental effect, 
we are desirous of seeing it more generally cultivated as a hardy shrub, as we 
know of none (Rhododendrons excepted) that is more worthy of a place in every 
garden, whether a large or a small one. 

As we have observed that many cultivators appear to treat Deutzia scabra as 
a greenhouse, or half-hardy plant, it may be well here to remark, that we have 
witnessed plants of it which stood out in the open ground during the whole of the 
last winter with perfect impunity, as they did not sustain the slightest injury ; 
therefore there is not the least doubt that it is as hardy as any of the common 
species of Philadelphus, to which it is so nearly allied. 


OPERATIONS FOR MAY. 

Stove and orchidaceous plants will now require to be abundantly supplied with 
water, but much discrimination is necessary in administering it, as an undue 
quantity of it is extremely injurious. Asa general rule, it may be observed that 
those plants with hard woody stems, and of slow-growing habits, must be watered 
sparingly and cautiously ; while for those with more succulent stems (such as 
Begonias) and of stronger and more luxuriant growth, a much greater quantity of 
it is necessary, and they should be examined two or three times during each day, 
and water supplied to them if requisite. It is impossible, however, to prescribe 
particular rules for performing this operation, as much depends on the manner in 
which the plants are potted, and the quantity of drainage given to them; therefore 
the cultivator must be guided in a great measure by the appearance of the soil. 
Orchidaceous plants should now be shaded during the heat of the day (except in 
cloudy weather), and these, as well as stove plants, will derive much benefit from 
a slight syringing towards the close of each day, previous to which the house 
should be closely shut up. This will tend to destroy insects, and also invigorate 
the plants, and preserve them in a healthy condition. From any of the species of 
stove plants that are now producing young shoots, cuttings may be taken if an 
increase is desired, and treated in the usual manner. 

The plants in the greenhouse department are so numerous and varied, that no 
specific directions can be given for their general management. Those Camellias which 
have now ceased flowering will require to be slightly stimulated, by being placed 
in a moderate temperature, and frequently syringed, in order that they may form 
good new shoots, and an abundance of flower-buds. Inarching may now be suc- 
cessfully performed, but great care is necessary to preserve the plants so treated 
from the powerful rays of the sun, which generally prove fatal to the young grafts. 
The chief point to be attended to in the cultivation of New Holland plants at this 


96 OPERATIONS FOR MAY. 


season is watering, and in no case should water be applied indiscriminately through 
the rose of a pot,—a practice very generally adopted, but alwaysmore or less injurious. 
Air must be freely admitted to the greenhouse by all practicable means, except 
during heavy rains or very rough winds. Cactw that have not yet flowered should 
now be placed in a moist heat, and rather liberally watered, to enable them to 
flower in perfection, and also to induce them to grow. Pelargoniums should also 
now be placed in a slightly humid heat, as near as possible to the glass, and they 
will produce their flowers much finer and better. Cuttings of any species of green- 
house plants may now be struck with facility if required. Plants that have been 
forced into flower, and have now ceased flowering, should be freely exposed to 
light, to enable them to ripen their wood ; they should also have an abundance of 
water. About the end of the month, greenhouse plants may be placed out in the 
open air ; but this practice should never be adopted unless due precaution is taken 
to preserve the roots from drought, by placing moss or litter round the pots. With- 
out this or some similar preventive, this system is extremely injudicious, and is 
highly prejudicial to the plants that are subjected to it. 

In the flower-garden, many important particulars will require attention this 
month. Pelargoniwms, Calceolarias and other greenhouse or tender plants, may 
now be planted out in the beds or borders of the flower-garden, as also may Verbenas 
and Petunias ; they must be well watered in dry weather till they become estab- 
lished, and any tendency to flower prematurely should be timely checked, which 
will enable them to acquire sufficient strength for producing their flowers in greater 
perfection at the proper time. Those which require supporting, should be at once 
neatly fastened to a stake, and such as are of trailing habits, or are desired to be 
kept dwarf, should be pegged down at the time of planting, as they will remain 
unsightly throughout the whole season, if these particulars are long neglected. 
Dahlias may be planted out about the middle or latter end of the month, and these 
should also be staked at the time of planting. Annuals that have been sown in 
patches, should be properly thinned, and the thinnings, if taken up with care, may 
be transplanted into other parts of the garden if required ; those which have been 
raised in hotbeds must now be planted out, and these, as well as herbaceous plants, 
should be timely trained or supported, as much of their beauty, in the ensuing 
season, depends on attention to this important point. Rhododendrons should be 
abundantly watered during this month if the weather is dry, otherwise they 
will not flower well. 


JUNE 1, 1838 


Pi SN s 
GAOMM CVI OMA. a ot: 


/ 


97 


CHORIZEMA CORDATA. 


(HEART-SHAPED LEAVED CHORIZEMA. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DECANDRIA. MONOGYNIA, 


NATURAU ORDER. 
LEGUMINOSE/. 
Generic Craracter.—See vol. iv. p. 153. 
Speciric CuaracteR.—Plant shrubby. Stems numerous, erect, smooth, green, graceful. Branches 
_ slender, spreading, woody. Leaves subsessile, cordate, ovately oblong, obtuse, spinose, reticulate, 
with inconspicuous hairs. Racemes terminal or axillary, generally destitute of leaves. Flowers 
very abundant. Bractee@ awl-shaped, on short footstalks, opposite, bristly. Calyx two-lipped ; 
upper lip two-toothed, lower one three-parted. Vawillwm two-lobed, of a deep red colour, spotted 
with yellow at the base. Wings and keel purple. 

TueE subject of the figure here given, though inferior to C. ovata in the splen- 
dour and brilliancy of the colours of its flowers, is superior to all the other species 
of this genus with which we are acquainted in the size and beauty of its foliage, 
and the boldness of its habits. It is remarkable that the plants comprising this 
genus, though conspicuous for the rich and beautiful colours of their flowers, are 
generally, and indeed we may say universally, deficient with regard to foliage ; the 
present plant, however, is an exception 'to this rule, and may be considered as being 
decidedly in advance of all the other species in this respect. 

The leaves of the plant here noticed approximate in form to those of C. dlici- 
folia, and are also, like that species, spinose; but they are much larger and more 
handsome, and the plant grows more vigorously and luxuriantly, and attains to a 
greater height and size, than any of the species which have previously been culti- 
vated in our collections. | 

On the subject of its cultivation it would be superfluous to say any thing here, 
after the copious and detailed directions given under the head of C. ovata in vol. 
‘iv. page 153 of this work, and it is only necessary to refer our readers to that 
article, and state that the principles there laid down will be found equally appli- 
cable to the plant now before us. 


VOL. V.—NO. LIII. ‘ ; oO 


98). CHORIZEMA CORDATA. 


In the Bot. -Reg. page 10, New Series, Dr. Lindley informs us that this species 
is a native of the Swan River colony, and was raised in the garden of R. Mangles, 
Esq. Being previously acquainted with this circumstance, we had named this 
species C. Manglesii, in honour of the above gentleman; but as the gentleman 
before alluded to has since given it the name under which it now appears, and as 
we always prefer such specific names as refer to the character of the plant, to those 
which are given in compliment to the individual who introduces it, or with whom 
it first produces its flowers, we willingly adopt the present appellation. 

The plant from which we procured the present drawing flowered in the collec- 
tion of Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, in December, 1837; from whom, and Mr. Low, 
Clapton, as well as most other nurserymen, plants of it may be obtained. : 
Since our drawing was taken, we have received a communication from Mr. D. 
Mackay, the intelligent gardener of R. Mangles, Esq., of Sunning Hill, Berks, 
from which we cannot doubt that our figure, being obtained from a very small 
plant, falls short of conveying an adequate representation of the surpassing beauty 
of this truly valuable plant. From the communication above alluded to, as well 
as from a splendid specimen which we witnessed in flower at the Clapton Nursery 
in March last, we are decidedly of opinion that this is not only the best known 
species of the genus, but that it is one of the most beautiful and valuable green- 
house plants at present cultivated in our collections. Mr. Mackay states, that the 
leading shoots of this plant usually produce from ten to fifteen flowers on a ter- 
minal spike, and from these and the lateral shoots, a constant succession of flowers 
is maintained, from the beginning of September till the following midsummer. 
The shoots are annually lengthened two feet or more, and plants produce flowers 
when only six inches high. 

From these facts there can be little doubt that this species will speedily attain 
the height of six or eight feet ; and if the plants are allowed an abundance of pot 
room and light, to enable them to form strong and vigorous shoots, it will certainly 
be a most magnificent feature in a collection of greenhouse plants. 

We should be deficient in public duty and gratitude if we did not here bear 
testimony to the genuine philanthropy displayed by the gentleman to whom we 
are indebted for the introduction of this truly excellent plant, and who has contri- 
buted very largely to enrich our collections with. so many delightful and attractive 
ornaments, as well as exerted himself with such zeal and spirit to promote the. 
interests of floriculture in general. 


The generic name is explained vol. iv. page 156. 


AY 


ON a 


i 


wien an i 


¥ 
BAC 


F COHOLM MIT AOD AMA 
if 


99 


" NEMOPHILA ATOMARIA. 
(SPECKLED NEMOPHILA. ) 


CLASS. : ORDER. 


PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA, 


NATURAL ORDER. 


HY DROPHYLLE/. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. iii. p. 15]. 


Sprorrtc Cuaracter.—Plant annual. Stems procumbent, pale green, much branched, clothed with 
bristly hairs. Leaves opposite, pinnatifid ; lobes ovate, mucronulate, hairy. lowers solitary, on 
slender peduncles, of from one to two inches long, also hairy. Corolla campanulate, white, with 
numerous blue specks. Calyx campanulate, hairy, green ; segments ovate, mucronulate. Ovarium 
round, hairy. 

Tuer: are few individuals, we should imagine, who make any attempts at cul- 
tivating those delightful plants (popularly termed annuals) which decorate: our 
flower beds and borders in the summer months, who are not now well acquainted 
with the lovely species of this genus (N. insignis), figured vol. ii. p. 151 of this 
work, and it has doubtless now found its way into most collections. 

The present plant is neither so bold and handsome in its habits, nor does it 
produce such showy blossoms, as the one above alluded to; nevertheless, to all 
lovers of simple and pretty plants, it will be found to possess many attractions, and 
we have no doubt that when it becomes more extensively known, it will be very 
generally admired and cultivated, not only on account of the beauty and elegance 
of its blossoms, but also for the great profusion in which they are,produced. These 
two latter properties appear to us to be the chief and most important features which 
are expected or required in plants of this description ; and though large and showy 
flowers are highly desirable, they cannot be considered essential to render an annual 
plant worthy of attention and cultivation. Under this impression,we have been 
induced to introduce the subject of the present drawing to the notice of our readers, 
feeling assured that it contains sufficient merit to entitle it to a place in any 


collection. 


100 NEMOPHILA ATOMARIA. 


In the nursery of Mr. Young, Epsem, this plant was kept in a pot, and placed 
on the shelf of a greenhouse, near the glass, in which situation it flowered very 
abundantly, and formed a pleasing and interesting contrast with plants of shrubby 
habits ; but we feel confident that it will prove as hardy as N. insignis, and it 
would undoubtedly attain to a much greater degree of perfection if planted out in 
the open air, in the bed or border of the flower garden, about the month of May, 
or perhaps June. Still, a few plants kept in pots in the greenhouse would have a 
most imposing effect, and, by judicious management with regard to the times of 
sowing, it may be brought into flower in this situation in almost constant succes- 


sion, with the exception of two or three months in the depth of the winter. 


This species requires no peculiar care or attention with regard to cultivation, as 
it will thrive well in any light loamy soil, with the treatment usually given to half- 
hardy annuals; but, like N. insignis, it will ‘doubtless ripen seeds better in those 
plants which are kept in the greenhouse. Dr. Lindley states (Bot. Reg. 1940) 
that it is probably a native of New California, and that seeds of it were transmitted 


to this country from the Imperial Garden at Petersburgh. 


Our liberal contributor, Mr. Young, of the Epsom nursery, furnished the subject 
for the present drawing in December 1837, and of that gentleman we believe plants 


or seeds may be procured, as well as of most other nurserymen and scedsmen. 
The generic name is explained vol. ii. p. 152. 


The specific name applies to the little blue-coloured spots with which the 


corolla of the flower 1s so liberally marked. 


iy 


‘ Jnpalicnd IC, bof love 


101 


IMPATIENS SCAPIFLORA. 


(STEMLESS TOUCH-ME-NOT.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


BALSAMINE/E. 


Generic CuaractEr.—Anthers five, three of which are two-celled, and the two in front of the upper 
petal are only one-celled. Stigmas five, joined together. Capsules prismatically terete, elongated, 
with the valves turning inwards from the base to the top, and expelling the seeds when touched. 
Peduneles axillary, branched, many-flowered. Capsules smooth. eaves alternate, very rarely 
opposite. 


SPECIFIC Cuaracrer.—Scape radical, bearing a raceme of long-stalked flowers. Leaves roundish, cordate, 
mapy-nerved, entire ;. spur longer than the pedicel. 


THE accompanying figure represents a plant, which, though small, is perhaps 
one of the most elegant and interesting objects which adorn our hothouses and 
stoves. When plants are introduced to this country from tropical regions, we 
naturally expect to find them of rapid-growing, strong, large, or even gigantic 
habits, but occasionally we meet with a humble yet lovely plant, hike the present, 
whose dwarf size and delicate blossoms seem formed expressly for the purpose of 
ornamenting such parts of our stoves in which it would be impossible to place those 
of larger growth ; and as plants of this description are comparatively rare, they 
possess additional interest and value. The most casual observer, in walking through 
our plant houses or stoves, cannot fail to remark how peculiarly adapted such 
plants as the present are for placing on the front stage or shelf of the house, and 
how equally convenient those shelves or stages are for the purpose of exhibiting 
these pleasing and delightful objects to the greatest advantage ; for, plants of similar 
habits and elegance to the one here represented, cannot be placed too near the eye, 
or in too conspicuous a situation, as the more closely they are examined, the sooner 
will their beauties be discovered, admired, and appreciated. ° 


To all persons acquainted with this genus, a remarkable distinction is at once 


102 IMPATIENS SCAPIFLORA. 


manifest between the species here noticed and those previously known in this country, - 
as the usual habit of these plants is to produce their flowers and foliage on stems 
which are emitted from the roots, or to be, as it is usually termed, caulescent, while 
the plant now before us is perfectly stemless, and both flowers and leaves spring 


immediately from the root. 


Little is yet known with regard to its cultivation, but it is certain that it 
requires to be kept in a dormant state during the winter months, as the foliage _ 
decays immediately after it has ceased flowering ; in the spring, or perhaps the 
summer, it should again be excited into action, by repotting and administering 
water to it, though this latter should be done with caution. It appears to flourish 


in a rather rich soil. 


The drawing here given was taken from a plant which flowered in the nursery 
of Messrs. Young of Epsom, in October 1837, where it was received a short time 
previous from the Glasgow Botanic Garden, and plants of it may be procured from 
this nursery. When in flower it was the delight and admiration of all who wit- 


nessed it, and was a most attractive ornament to the stove. 


The generic name refers to the singular fact of the capsules bursting when 


touched or placed in contact with any object, and evolving the seeds. 


The specific name of course applies to the habits of the plant. 


: Jibs Ve CAMINMIIV 


JUNE 


103 


ASTELMA EXIMIUM. 


(FINE ASTELMA.) 


CLASSe ORDER, 


SYNGENESIA. POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


COMPOSITA. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Receptacle naked (neither chaffy nor honey-combed). Pappus feathery, sessile ; 
rays connate at the base. Involucrum (calyx) imbricated, with scarious scales, the innermost of 
which are connivent. Bot. Reg. 538. 

Speciric Cuaracter.—Leaves es ovate, close, erect, downy. Corymb sessile. Loudon’s Ency. 
of Plants. 

Tue genus Asteéma, of which the species here figured was the origin, was first 
separated from Gnaphaiium by that distinguished botanist Mr. R. Brown, on ac- 
count of the difference in its character to that of the genus just named, which will 
be perceived by reference to the description above given. Since that time, how- 
ever, it has received several accessions from the genus Helichrysum, referred hither 
by Mr. D. Don, and it is so closely allied to the latter genus, that Mr. Brown 
states the only difference that exists 1s in the calyx of Astelma being rayless. 

Of all the species of the genus, (none of which are by any means destitute of 
interest, ) the one here represented is by far the most splendid, and its fine crimson- 
coloured globular blossoms constitute it in all respects worthy of the specific ap- 
‘pellation which has been bestowed upon it, and which may correctly be rendered 
“superlatively excellent.” Besides the striking beauty of its flowers, and the liberal 
manner in which they are produced, it possesses the additional recommendation of 
being one of those plants popularly termed “ everlasting flowers,” that is, the scales - 
of its flowers, being of a dry chaffy nature, do not rapidly decay, but, maintaining 
the brightness and freshness of their texture, remain expanded a considerable length 


of time. On this account it merits more general attention and cultivation than it 


104 ASTELMA EXIMIUM. 


has hitherto received, and should be in the collection of every individual who pos- 
sesses a greenhouse, as it is one of a few permanently valuable old plants, to which 
a great degree of interest will always be attached as long as the love of flowers 
finds a place in the breast of man. 

We have never experienced any particular difficulty in the cultivation of this 
plant, although, as it does not produce young shoots freely, it can seldom be pro- 
pagated by cuttings, and the best method of multiplying it is by seed, which 
frequently arrives at maturity. This should be sown early in the spring in pots or — 
flats of sandy heath-mould, and placed in a slight heat (bottom heat is best) till it 
vegetates, when the young plants may be potted off and kept in a greenhouse or 
frame. With regard to the treatment of established plants, it’ may be observed, 
that they should be potted in a soil composed of two-thirds sandy heath-mould, 
(that which contains a large proportion of small gritstone and fibre should be pre- 
ferred,) and one-third light sandy loam. . An efficient drainage is of first import- 
ance, for if the water applied to the surface does not flow freely through the soil, 
and find ready egress at the bottom of the pot, this plant will never succeed well. 
In watering plants of this species, care must be taken not to administer water 
unless actually required, and also not to allow the soil at any time to become too 
dry, in which latter case it would separate itself from the sides of the pot, and all 
the water subsequently applied would escape through the fissure thus formed 
between the pot and the soil, while not a particle of it would be conducted to the 
roots ; the result of which would be, that the plant would speedily and suddenly 
perish, particularly if much exposed to solar light. No moisture should ever be 
allowed to rest or remain on the leaves, especially in the winter season, as, being 
of such a downy or cottony nature, and consequently very retentive of moisture, 
they will frequently rot if this is not attended to. 

This beautiful species is a native of the Cape of Good Hope: from whence it 
was introduced to this country in 1793, by Colonel William Patterson. Our 
drawing was taken from a plant which flowered in the greenhouse at Chatsworth 
in the summer of 1837. Its usual time of flowering in the greenhouses of this 
country is the month of June, the flowers generally remaining expanded till August 


or September. 


HINTS ON A SUCCESSFUL METHOD OF CULTIVATING 
GARDENIA RADICANS AND FLORIDA. 


eer eee 


In most gentlemen’s gardens, and even in those wherein only a few green- 
house or stove plants are cultivated, either or both of the species above named, 
the former particularly, may usually be met with; and it is remarkable, that 
although they are such universal favourites, few individuals succeed in growing 
them to perfection. The cause of their being so generally admitted into collections, 
whether of the highest or lowest grade, may be traced to the striking contrast 
between their deep green and shining foliage and their white flowers, but more 
especially to the delicious fragrance resident in the flowers, which, unlike that of 
most odoriferous plants, appears to be almost universally agreeable. Notwith- 
standing, however, that they are so generally admired, the majority of cultivators 
seem contented to have them in a sickly and languishing condition, either from the 
attacks of insects or from some injudicious treatment to which they are subjected, 
and few appear desirous of investigating their true nature and habits, for the pur- 
pose of deducing some detailed and improved system of cultivation that will be 
found appropriate to them,—the only means whereby any degree of success can be 
expected to be attained. 

In pages 226, 227 of the first volume of this magazine, the cultivation of these 
two species has been brought before the reader's attention, and reference may still 
be advantageously made to that article, so far as regards propagation ; but, having 
recently ascertained a few important facts which have led to some improvement in 
the general cultivation of these plants, we have deemed it advisable to add to our 
original remarks the result of subsequent investigation and experience. If the 
reader refer to the article above alluded to, he will find ample directions for pro- 
pagating these plants and bringing them to a state ready for flowering, as well as 
some few particulars relative to their general management. It is well known that 
they require a more than ordinary degree of atmospheric moisture to sustain them in 
health and vigour, and where this is not supplied they invariably suffer to a greater 
or less extent. To afford them this necessary humidity, some cultivators keep them 
in a hotbed frame, which system, in the absence of a more approved one, we have 
likewise advocated in the article before mentioned ; a sufficient degree of moisture 
being of course maintained in such a frame by the evaporation from the fermenting 
manure. But, however congenial such a situation may be to their natural habits, 
the plan is certainly objectionable, inasmuch as the plants are kept in a state of 
entire seclusion, and their beauty can only be seen and enjoyed during the brief 
period of their removal to the stove or greenhouse while in flower ; and at the 
expiration of this time they are invariably found to be much injured by the great 

VOL. V.—NO. LIII. P 


106 ON CULTIVATING GARDENIA RADICANS AND FLORIDA. 


change in the condition of the atmosphere. Besides which, in an arid atmosphere 
it is almost impossible to protect these plants from the attacks of the red spider, to 
which they are extremely liable, and which, as 1s well known, prove injurious to 
them and all other plants. 

To preserve them from these destructive enemies, as well as to render them 
objects of ornament at all seasons of the year, by constantly maintaining their 
foliage in a healthy and luxuriant state, the following system of management which 
we saw practised in the collection of an eminent horticulturist some time since, 
will, we have no doubt, be found effectual. After the plants have been struck, 
according to the directions to which we have before alluded, and potted into sixty- 
sized pots ina compost comprised of one-third heath-mould, one-third turfy loam, 
and one-third white sand, which has been previously well incorporated, they should 
be placed as closely as possible to, or on the rim of, a water cistern, at the hottest 
end of the stove, in which situation they will receive all the evaporation arising 
from the water, which will prove highly beneficial to them, and cause them to grow 
most rapidly and luxuriantly. If they have been struck in the spring months, they 
should be slightly shaded on being first removed to this place, and will require a 
liberal supply of water; but if propagation be deferred till the autumn, shading 
will be wholly unnecessary, and water must be moderately and judiciously applied. 
We prefer the autumnal months for propagating these plants, because they will 
then be capable of producing flowers in the succeeding season. During the winter 
they will perhaps require shifting once or twice, which should be promptly attended 
to; and at éach shift the compost used should be progressively enriched, by dis- 
pensing with the greater part of the sand and substituting leaf-mould or well-rotted 
manure. As the spring advances and the plants become larger and stronger, they 
should be again shifted into pots of such a size as they may individually require ; 
and as the days lengthen, and the heat of the sun becomes more powerful and 
enduring, a number of pots should be placed in an inverted position in the bottom 
of the cistern before named, and on these the pots containing the subjects of this 
article should be stood, keeping just as much water in the cistern as will barely 
reach the bottom of the pots in which the plants are growing, but being careful not 
to immerse them in it. It may here be observed, that in no case should the water 
be allowed to rise above the level of the bottom of the pots in which the plants are 
kept, as scientific researches and investigations have shown that all plants discharge 
certain excrementitious fluids, which, if suffered to remain about the roots, will be 
productive of great injury to them, and of course by plunging the plants in water 
these rejections, although at first exuded into the water, would be again imbibed 
by the plants. Therefore, as we before observed, the pots containing the plants 
should never be immersed in the water, unless the cistern be occasionally emptied 
and filled with a fresh supply of water, im which case the above system would 
doubtless prove useful. The good effects produced upon the plants by subjecting 
them to this mode of treatment will soon become evident by their requiring another — 


ON CULTIVATING GARDENIA RADICANS AND FLORIDA. 107 


shift, which will most probably be the only one they will need during the season. 
At this time of shifting, the compost should be made still stronger by, another 
addition of the materials before recommended ; and it is necessary here to remark, 

. that the pots used at each shift should be only one size larger than. the preceding, 
as nothing can be more injurious to plants than placing them in pots which are too 
capacious, and nothing is more beneficial to such plants as the present than frequent 
shifting, provided it is performed with skill. After the plants have received their 
final potting, they must be constantly well watered, and the flower buds will 
speedily appear ; at this stage of their growth especially, as well as throughout the 
whole preceding and succeeding period, great care should be taken to prevent the 
ravages of insects. The red spider, however, their greatest enemy, will be effectually 
repelled by the evaporation from the water, and the green or black fly may be easily 
destroyed by fumigating the plants with tobacco smoke. 

When a considerable number of flowers are expanded, the plants may be 
removed from the cistern and placed in a cool part of the stove, (not in the green- 
house, ) where they will remain in flower for a considerable length of time if they 
are slightly shaded from the powerful rays of the sun, and liberally supplied with 
water. After their removal from the cistern, and even while they are placed in 
that situation, they should occasionally be syringed with water over the leaves and 
branches, which will tend much to invigorate them and keep them in a healthy 
condition. When in flower they might lkewise be introduced to the drawing- 
room if desired, where their delightful fragrance would render the atmosphere very 
grateful and agreeable for a long time, and where also, as they would be efficiently 
shaded, they would remain in flower for several weeks. After the flowers have 
faded, the plants may be kept in a cool part of the stove through the autumn and 
winter, with due attention to watering them and preserving them from insects ; 
and early in the spring they should be re-potted, and again placed in the situation 
before recommended. 

_ These remarks refer more particularly to G. radicans, but this treatment may be 
successfully applied to G. florida, and if these plants are carefully and faithfully 
managed according to the directions thus given, we are convinced that they will no 
longer be seen in the sickly and unhealthy condition in which so many of them are 
now found ; and, instead of being kept shut up in frames, where they are rather an 
incumbrance than an ornament, they will be constantly placed in a situation where 
the rich glossy appearance of their deep green foliage can be seen and admired, both 
after the flowers have withered and before they are produced. It should, however, 
be added, that the cistern in which the plants are placed must be a rather shallow 
‘one, lest they should be too much deprived of light by the sides of the cistern, 
otherwise, they will be much benefited by being kept at a moderate distance from 
the glass. 


108 


A CONFUTATION OF SOME POPULAR ERRORS RESPECTING 
THE CULTIVATION OF CLIANTHUS PUNICEUS, 


WITH A FEW DIRECTIONS FOR ITS GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 


THosE of our readers who possess the second volume of this work, will find an 
elaborate description of the botanical character and general appearance of this beau- 
tiful plant at page 169, accompanied by a coloured plate. In an article from the 
Horticultural Society’s Transactions there quoted, it is stated that this plant suc- 
ceeds best in a border of peat soil in the open air. Subsequent experience and in- 
vestigation have taught us that cultivators may greatly err by adopting unre- 
servedly the suggestions of persons, published so soon after the introduction of any 
plant, as, in the instance now under consideration, it has been sufficiently proved 
that the subject of this notice will neither succeed well in peat or heath soil, nor 
will it endure the open air in this country during the winter months, at least when 
the weather is very severe. | 

Cuttings of the young wood will strike with the utmost facility, if planted in 
pure sand and covered by the sliding light of a small frame, or by a bell-glass in a 
propagating house, taking care to shade them from the heat of the sun, and also to 
guard them from damp by watering very cautiously. In three or four weeks the 
young plants will have rooted, and may _be transferred to separate pots, in a com- 
post of two-thirds sandy loam and one-third heath-mould, and kept in a gentle heat 
for a few days till they become established. If thisoperation is performed in the 
spring, the plants may then gradually be hardened, and ultimately planted out in 
an open border with a south aspect, but in this situation, if unceasing attention be 
not devoted to them, the cultivator will frequently find himself disappointed in all 
his expectations, through the depredations of the common shell snail; for, like the 
Jaburnum and other members of the natural order Leguminose, this plant is very 
liable to its attacks. 

This pest of the garden deposits its pellucid globular eggs in the soil, and 
numbers suddenly abound where none had been.suspected ; they devour every leaf, 
and this plant, which for symmetrical beauty is almost without a rival, becomes an 
apparently lifeless and deformed object. On the contrary, should none of these 
enemies appear to prey upon it, the Clianthus will thrive well in a prepared border 
of light loamy soil, made rich by pure leaf-mould or well-rotted manure ; and, in 
such compost, it will grow in the richest luxuriance, and attain the height of several 
feet. Yet notwithstanding this plant will grow so vigorously in the open air 
during the summer months, it can by no means endure a rigour equal or approxi- 
mating to that of the late winter ; and the most careful protection has been found 
insufficient to preserve it alive in the open ground. Still we have seen it stand 
through the two preceding winters in a sheltered situation in the open ground, 


CULTIVATION OF CLIANTHUS PUNICEUS. 169 


with a good protection of mats, though even then the young shoots and flowers 
were much injured; and we feel convinced that it will never prove sufficiently 
hardy for our climate. Some cultivators have practised the system of placing this 
plant out in the open ground early in the spring, and removing it again into a pot 
in the greenhouse in the autumnal months ; but, however luxuriant this may have 
caused the plants to grow, it is a bad practice, and for this reason:—the flowers of 
the Clianthus, though they seldom expand till the spring, are usually formed in 
the autumn, and if the plant receives any check during the period of their forma- 
tion, either from shifting, change of temperature, or want of water, the buds in- 
variably fall off, and the plant consequently never flowers : and as the flowers are the 
chief attractions which this plant possesses, the system just referred to should never 
be practised by any individual who wishes to flower it in perfection ; indeed we 
consider that, except for the sake of experiment or novelty, it is extremely inju- 
dicious to place this beautiful plant in the open air. It might certainly be trained 
with advantage against a wall with a south aspect, if ample protection were 
afforded to it during the winter months, but even in such a situation it is only 
capable of enduring mild and favourable winters, and can scarcely be termed a 
half-hardy, much less a hardy, plant. We consequently recommend all cultivators 
to treat it as a greenhouse plant, in which situation, if properly managed, it will 
form one of the most splendid ornaments at present known in our collections, 

Like many other plants, however, the one here noticed is seldom seen cultivated 
in the perfection to which it is capable of being brought by judicious attention to 
its habits, as few individuals exert themselves for the purpose of eliciting its true 
nature, or award it that attention it so justly merits. .We shall therefore here 
point out the prominent features in its cultivation which we have learnt by experi- 
ence are most important. 

The first point on which cultivators generally have erred, is, as we before 
hinted, with regard to soil, and we now repeat that the soil we have recommended 
for this plant in the open ground, is equally suitable for it when planted in pots, 
and that heath soil may be either wholly dispensed with, or used in very small pro- 
portions. In potting it, good and efficient drainage is indispensable ; and though 
attention to this particular is so generally recommended in horticultural publica- 
tions, it is necessary particularly to insist upon it with regard to this plant, as it 
is too frequently neglected by cultivators, and in all such cases the usual bad 
effects speedily manifest themselves. Another prevalent error in cultivating this 
plant is under-potting it; for how can it be expected that a strong and rapid- 
growing plant like the present will attain any perfection, unless the roots, which 
are. the principal sources of nourishment, are allowed sufficient room to extend 
themselves? It is necessary here particularly to reiterate what we have elsewhere 
declared, that we deprecate the practice of placing small plants in large pots for the 
purpose of saving trouble,—as no advantage can be derived from a saving of trouble 
which is effected at the expense of the health and beauty of the plant,—and _ that, 


110 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


whenever we recommend cultivators to allow a plant an abundance of pot room; 
we mean, that it should be frequently and gradually shifted into pots of a larger 
size, as its growth may require, till it either attains its proper height and size, or . 
till further shifting appears unnecessary. With regard to the subject of the pre- 

sent article, we would suggest, that, instead of keeping it in pots, which must 

necessarily check its growth, it should be planted in a prepared compost in the bed 

or border in the interior of a greenhouse or conservatory, where we have not the 
slightest doubt it would form a most handsome and attractive object. In this sug- 

gestion we are borne out by the experience of many cultivators who have grown 

this plant in the open ground, as it has invariably grown more vigorously when 

thus treated than when kept in a pot. _ Besides ¢he prevailing erroneous practices 

in the particulars of soil and potting already noticed, there are few cultivators who 

allow this plant a sufficient quantity of water to the roots, and still fewer who 

occasionally apply water to the leaves and branches with a syringe. The former 

of these operations must strike every intelligent cultivator as absolutely essential to 

a plant of such luxuriant habits, but the latter, experience alone has taught to be 

necessary ; for, unless particular attention is paid to it, or the atmosphere of the 

house is kept slightly humid, (which is almost impracticable in the greenhouse,) 

this plant is frequently attacked by the red spider, and its beautiful green foliage | 
rendered yellow and unsightly. 

In concluding these somewhat lengthened remarks upon a plant, which it must 
be allowed possesses more than ordinary interest, we would especially beg the 
attention of our readers to our proposition with respect to planting the Clianthus 
in a border in the greenhouse ;.as by this system the evils attendant upon in- 
sufficient pot room would at once be obviated, and there would be little danger of 
the plant suffering for want of water. We may add, that, although it is not 
capable of enduring severe weather in the open air, it may be safely kept in a cold 
frame that is well protected, as we are assured by a respectable correspondent. that 
it remained during the whole of the late winter in a pot in a cold vinery without 
losing a leaflet, and though from one to three degrees of frost occurred several 
times in the house, it did not sustain the slightest injury. 


~ 


REMARKS ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 
ARTICLE I.—ON THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT. 

Every individual who possesses any knowledge of the habits and appetences 
of the members of the vegetable kingdom, or who has exerted himself in the 
slightest degree to ascertain and investigate the various relations subsisting between 
plants and the atmosphere, must be aware that the elements constituting that 
atmosphere, and which operate upon plants through its medium, exercise a most 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. Lil 


‘important agency on the various functions of vegetable life, and according as they 
are more or less adapted to the peculiar structure and constitution of individual 
plants, in the same degree they are deleterious or nutritive. It is a remarkable and 
interesting fact, that, in their natural state, or that in which they spontaneously 
flourish, certain plants are only to be found in those localities wherein the state of 
the atmosphere, as it regards heat or cold, humidity or aridity, and several other 
elementary constituents which affect plants, is perfectly consonant to their peculiar 
habits, and supplies them with the requisite stimulus and nutriment to enable them 
to develop their flowers, mature their seeds, and otherwise propagate or multiply 
their species. It is also equally notorious, that when the same plants are removed 
from their natural situations, and placed in others where a due degree of those 
atmospheric principles is not afforded, the plants in consequence speedily languish, 
and ultimately perish ; indeed, it is universally admitted, that though diversity of 
soil has a most extensive influence upon plants and vegetables, it cannot be said 
to affect them so materially as variation of climate, in which term we propose to 
include, in popular language and for practical purposes, the three leading particulars 
of light, heat, and moisture. With this conviction powerfully impressed upon our 
minds, we have been led to ask—“‘ in what way can a knowledge of the particular 
influence of climate be brought to bear on horticultural science, so as to assist and 
direct the gardener in his endeavours to cultivate any plant or tribe of plants to 
the highest degree of perfection?” The answer to such a question seems obviously 
this—by teaching him to adopt the same treatment towards each individual plant 
or tribe of plants which those plants receive from the bounteous and wise hand of 
nature in their wild and native state. When plants are introduced to this country 
from foreign parts, the gardener or amateur naturally inquires whether they were 
collected in tropical, temperate, or colder regions, and from the information he 
receives relative to this particular, determines whether to place them in the stove 
or greenhouse, or in the open ground ; but he too frequently neglects to seek any 
further intelligence with regard to the humidity or dryness of the localities in which 
they are found, or whether they are most abundant in exposed situations, or delight 
in shady and retired positions, where the more immediate rays of the sun never 
reach them. We repeat that these points are too often overlooked or neglected by 
gardeners and others, and the consequence is, that a number of plants of the most 
contrary habits are crowded together in our stoves and greenhouses, and as all 
receive the same or a similar mode of treatment, a few to which that particular 
treatment chances to be appropriate thrive well, grow vigorously, and produce 
their flowers in perfection, while the majority of them are found to maintain a 
sickly and unhealthy appearance, and after struggling fora longer or shorter period 
against adverse agents, or languishing for genial and beneficial influences, ulti- 
mately die off unexpectedly, and almost imperceptibly, without any apparent cause. 
With no tribe of plants perhaps is this injurious and erroneous system more 
frequently practised, or productive of more fatal effects, than with that large and 


112 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


highly interesting natural order, orchidacee. We have, however, in a former 
number, entered at length into the subject of uniform and indiscriminate treatment, 
so far as relates to orchidaceous plants, and our present observations will refer to 
stove plants generally. | 

The first question which presents itself to our consideration, and to which we 
propose to restrict our remarks in the present article, is the extent to which stove 
plants are influenced by the immediate or mitigated agency of light upon them, 
and how the gardener may avail himself of what is already known relative to this 
subject, to cultivate any of these plants with increased facility and success. Few 
persons, we presume, are ignorant of the fact, that light is essential to the health 
and vigour, nay, to the maintenance of the vital principle itself in most plants ; but 
whilst, with few exceptions, vegetable life would become extinct after a certain 
period of total seclusion from light, it is very certain that some plants require a 
much greater degree of the potent though subtile element than others ; for, though 
many species seem to derive their very existence from the direct and vivid rays of 
the sun; there are numerous others which are incapable of enduring its more 
immediate influences. For instance, many of the plants now under consideration, 
when exposed to the full and unmitigated blaze of a meridian sun, lose all that 
healthy luxuriance for which they are remarkable ; their foliage becomes brown and 
unhealthy, and even their growth is much impeded, or in some cases, wholly sus- 
pended. On the contrary, the effects of an insufficient quantity of light on those 
plants which require it in a greater degree, are manifested by their stems becoming 
elongated or drawn, and consequently weak or slender, and by the leaves assuming 
a white or blanched and sickly appearance ; and if it is long withheld, either from 
natural or other causes, the plants will sooner or later absolutely perish. It 
becomes, therefore, highly important, that, where plants from tropical or other 
countries are intended or desired to be cultivated in perfection, the true nature, 
character, or habits of those plants, with every minute particular relative to their 
original habitats, should be fully ascertained; indeed, without this knowledge, 
though perchance a general system of treatment may happen to succeed satisfac- 
torily with some few of the many plants subjected to it, it may be regarded rather 
as a mere casualty, than as evincing any correct knowledge of the habits of the 
plants, or furnishing any justification of the absurd and injurious system of indis- 
criminate treatment ; and we maintain that specific and rational rules, founded 
upon natural habits, actual experience, or botanical affinity, should invariably guide 
the gardener or cultivator in his treatment of plants. Still adhering, however, to 
the subject of light, we proceed to give a general and brief outline of the nature of 
such plants as will not only endure, but absolutely require, a great degree of solar 
light ; and also of those which succeed best where some intervening object deprives 
them of the more immediate rays of the sun. All such plants as are of a succulent 
or juicy substance,—those in which viscid or resinous matter abounds,—and those 
which produce a great abundance of leaves, and consequently expose a large extent 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 113 


of leafy surface to the atmosphere, all plants of this description cannot subsist 
without a comparative intensity of light, and invariably inhabit those localities 
where a large supply of it is communicated to them. Again, those plants which 
are very porous, or are liberally furnished with organs of evaporation, and those 
which are nearly destitute of foliage, or have a tissue in which carbon scarcely 
exists, are generally found in retired and shady places, and abound most in the 
recesses of.tropical forests, where, during the growing season, the direct rays of the 
sun are never exercised upon them, their ingress being effectually prevented by the 
dense foliage of the trees by which they are surrounded and covered. These © 
general features are alone sufficient to guide the experienced and enlightened 
botanist in the cultivation of any tribe of plants, or individual species, with respect 
to the quantity of light necessary for them; but there are few gardeners who 
possess a sufficient acquaintance with physiological botany, to enable them to deter- 
mine, from the observation of the general appearance, or inspection of the structure 
of a plant, what degree of light is required to cultivate it in perfection. Therefore, 
this knowledge can only be obtained, either by a closer application to the study of 
this most interesting department of botanical science, combined with experience, 
or from the authentic accounts and reports of the persons who collect or discover 
the different species ; and these, not as regards the locality wherein an individual 
specimen of a particular species is found, but where plants of that species are most 
abundant, and in the greatest perfection. 

A large proportion of the plants which now adorn our stoves, and more espe- 
cially those interesting objects which are classed together under the denomination 
of “climbing plants,” are inhabitants of the dense and almost impenetrable forests 
of tropical countries ; where, except during the dry season, scarcely a ray of solar 
light ever reaches them. In these, their native localities, they twine themselves 
around the stems and branches of the trees by which they are shaded, and grow 
most rapidly and vigorously, sometimes attaining a truly gigantic size. Let but 
these facts be contrasted with the treatment they usually receive in the stoves of 
this country, and the reason why they never grow to any considerable size, attain 
to any degree of perfection, or flourish to any extent commensurate with their 
natural luxuriance, will at once be obvious. In our treatment of climbing plants, 
we usually train them to the rafters or roof of the stove, as if we were determined 
to pursue the most opposite system to that which nature enjoins. In their native 
localities, as we have before observed, they are never subjected to the immediate 
influence of solar light ; but in the stoves of this country, they are generally placed 
im a situation where they constantly receive the most powerful rays of the sun, and 
indeed, in that part of the house where they are most exposed to its influences. Is 
it not then the height of absurdity to expect that they will attain any degree of 
perfection in a situation so uncongenial to their natural habits? We experienced 
a most striking proof of the propriety of these deductions in our orchidaceous 
house last season, where we planted out some climbing plants in the front border, 

VOL. V.—NO. LIII.. Q : 


114 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


in order to cover the roof, so as to render a less degree of shading necessary. 
During the summer season, the plants grew and flowered in the most luxuriant and 
vigorous manner, and we were for some time at a loss to account for their astonish- 
ing and unusual exuberance; but it soon occurred to us, that the orchidaceous 
house had constantly been shaded, and we have not the slightest hesitation in 
pronouncing this to be the only reason for the extraordinary luxuriance of the 
plants here alluded to. And yet, with a perfect knowledge of the facts 
above stated relative to the natural habits of stove-climbing plants, gardeners 
and others will persist in keeping them as near as possible to the glass, so 
that they may receive as much solar light as possible. Our readers, we 
are sure, will unhesitatingly agree with us in condemning such a practice, 
as a strange inconsistency, and a palpable absurdity, and we trust we shall 
prove it to be too gross and palpable to be persevered in any longer. Every 
person who cultivates orchidaceous plants, admits that shading is absolutely 
necessary to their existence; but, with the plants now under consideration, which 
are found in precisely similar situations, not only is shading deemed unnecessary, 
but they are actually employed for the purpose of shading others, as if they were 
themselves unworthy of any regard; when, in fact, they are among the most 
beautiful and interesting objects known in our collections of stove plants. If it 
be asked how such plants are to be cultivated, if they are not trained to the 
rafters of the stove, we reserve our reply to a subsequent part of this article, and 
proceed to state that ‘‘ climbers” are not the only inhabitants of our stoves which 
require to be sheltered or protected from the fierce and powerful rays of the sum- 
mer sun. No; the great majority of those plants to which we assign a place in 
the stove, are found in similar situations to those we have already mentioned, and 
consequently require the same degree of light or shade. Sensible of the import- 
ance of these facts, we recommend every cultivator of stove plants, who wishes 
to bring them to a state of perfection, to collect and arrange all those species of the 
description and habits now under consideration into one house, and to shade that 
house during the glare of the day in the summer months, with some light and thin 
kind of canvass, similar to that which is now generally used for shading orchida- 
ceous plants. By the adoption of this plan, we are convinced that much greater 
success may be ensured in the cultivation of these plants, than has hitherto been 
attained, and the difficulties attendant on the cultivation of climbing plants hitherto 
experienced, would at once be surmounted and obviated, as they might still be 
trained to the rafters or roof of the house, and likewise to the orchidaceous house ; in 
either of which situations, under such a system of treatment, they would be found to 
improve in size, interest, and beauty, to a most surprising extent. There is, however, 
a portion of the objects comprised in the term “stove plants,” which we have yet to 
notice, and which now claim a brief consideration; for though the majority of them 
are of the description and habits above detailed, there are some which are of a 
totally different nature, and owing to the deficiency of solar light experienced by 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 1a) 


them in our stoves during the winter months, not a few lose their foliage, while 
others actually perish, and have in some instances become lost to our collections. 
To cultivate these in perfection, or even to keep them alive, it is quite evident that 
they must neither be treated according to the directions above given, nor be kept 
in a house in which climbing plants are trained to the rafters or roof, which would 
have virtually the same effect, depriving them of necessary light. It is therefore 
important that they should be kept in a house by themselves, and not only so, but 
that the rafters and sash bars of the house should be as small and slender as pos- 
sible, in order that the light may not be obstructed, and that the plants may 
receive the full benefit of the sun’s influences. They should also be placed on 
stages, and thus brought as near as possible to the glass, especially during the 
winter season. By thus dividing the collection into two parts or sections, a due 
degree of light or shade may be dispensed to each, as they may respectively 
require ; and we feel assured, that much of the success or failure in the cultivation 
of stove plants, depends upon attention to this important particular. Our limits 
will not allow us to enter further into the subject at present, by considering 
the application of the principle to succulent and greenhouse plants; we shall 
therefore embrace an early opportunity of laying before our readers a few plain 
and practical remarks on the influence of light on succulent and greenhouse plants, 
and also in future articles take into consideration the influences of atmospheric heat 
and moisture upon plants ; and endeavour to show, that if those points were more 
sedulously attended to by cultivators, we might then expect our collections to rival 
the vegetable grandeur and floral beauties of even tropical regions, by assimilating 
our system of management to those rules, which the infallible economy of nature 
teaches us to be most congenial to the habits and constitutions of the vegetable 
tribes. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING PERIODICALS FOR MAY. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONES). 


THE INDIAN FIG TRIBE (Cacte@). 

CEREUS PENTALOPHUS; var. SUBARTICULATUS. Five-winged Cereus, somewhat 
jomted variety. The species pentalophus, with its varieties, was discovered by Dr. 
Coulter in Mexico. The handsome variety now under notice produced its blossoms, 
it is believed for the first time in this country, in Mr. Mackie’s valuable and exten- 
sive collection of succulents in the Norwich Nursery—the flower is exceedingly 
handsome, of a fine rose colour, paler and almost white in the centre, where are the 


116 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


yellow anthers, and rising above them is the cluster of dark-blue green styles. 
The stem is five-angled, as the name above imports, and furnished with rather strong 
prickles in clusters of six and seven. Bot. Mag. 3651. 


THE FIGWORT TRIBE (Scrophularinee). 


REHMANNIA CHineEnsis. Chinese Rehmannia. This is a pretty plant, and 
worthy of being extensively cultivated. It grows a foot high; the stem is weak 
and slightly tinged with purple, and somewhat inclined to branch at the base. 
The flowers are produced solitary at the axilla of the obovate leaves, and are rather 
handsome, large, and of a yellowish-buff colour, deeply tinged at the mouth and 
upper part of the tube both within and without. The whole plant, as well as 
the flowers, is covered with hairs. It is a native of waste and mountainous 
places about Pekin, where it was collected by Dr. Burge, now Professor of 
Botany at Kasan. Treated as a hardy greenhouse plant, it flowers well in the 
early summer, but the blossoms are lable to vary both in size and colour. Bot. 
Mag. 3653. 


THE MEZEREUM TRIBE (Thymelacee). 


PIMELIA INCANA. Hoary Pimelia. A very neat shrub, growing about five feet 
high, with long slender branches, and producing clusters of pink and white flowers 
from the base to the extremity of the shoots. It is anative of Van Diemen’s Land, 
and was raised by M. A. Kinnock, the gardener to Miss Copeland of Leyton, in 1834, 
from seeds presented by Mr. Turnbull. Succeeds, like the rest of the genus, on the 
front shelf of a greenhouse not too much crowded with other plants. The best soil 
is sandy peat, mixed with fresh loam and decayed dung. It is easily propagated 
in sand, or sandy soil, in spring, or early in summer. Bot. Reg. 24. 


THE ASTER TRIBE (Asteracee). 


EcninacEA Dicxsont. Mr. Dickson’s Echinacea. This is a fine showy 
perennial, with large bold flesh-coloured flowers ; it grows about a foot high, and 
has dark-brown spindle-shaped roots, and is probably hardy enough to bear the 
winter in an open border ; but it is best to take up the roots after flowering in the 
autumn, and preserve them in dry sand or mould during winter, secure from frost 
or damp. It flowers from the middle of August to the end of September, in any 
good soil mixed with a little sand and peat. A few plants require to be kept in the 
greenhouse, as the seeds do not ripen in the open ground. The seed should be 
sown in March on a nearly exhausted hotbed, and kept in pots the first season, as 
the plants do not flower before the second year. Seedlings should not be planted 
out before the middle of May. Seeds of it were imported from Mexico by G. F. 
Dickson, Esq. Bot. Reg. 27. 


117 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE LEADING NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


Messrs. Henperson’s, Pine Apple Place. Entoca Wrangleana. Of the many 
beautiful annuals which have been introduced to this country within the last few 
years, this is certainly one of the most ornamental ; and its neat, compact habits, 
with its numerous beautiful blue flowers, render it a very interesting object. It is 
perfectly new, and is now flowering profusely in the greenhouse of this nursery, 
though it will most probably prove hardy, and would doubtless flower in greater 
perfection if planted in the open ground. Azalea Daniels. A good specimen of 
this beautiful species is now in flower in the collection of the above gentlemen, and 
the rich and brilliant colours of its flowers have a splendid appearance amongst 
other species and varieties. Cytisus rhodophne. Messrs. Henderson possess a 
magnificent plant of this delightful species, which is now densely covered with 
its pretty yellow blossoms, and it exhales, besides, a powerful and most agreeable 
fragrance. Many lovely annuals and other plants, are now adorning the show- 
house of these gentlemen, and their combined effect is truly enchanting. 

Mr. Knieut’s, Chelsea. Verbena araniana. This new and pretty species of 
Verbena is now producing its elegant purple blossoms in the greenhouse of this 
gentleman. It is an exceedingly interesting plant, and is excellently calculated for 
planting in beds or groups in the flower-garden, in company with the other elegant 
species of this genus. Gesnerica faucialis is a rare and very ornamental plant, and 
with the singular species to which allusion was made in our last number, and which 
is now called G. reflewa, is finely in flower at the above nursery. Rowburghia 
vewidis. This is a curious, but not a beautiful stove plant, and the offensive odour 
of its flowers deprives it of the little interest which it would otherwise possess. 
It is now producing its flowers very freely at this nursery. Passiflora Londiniana 
is now flowering profusely in the stove of Mr. Knight, but it appears to require a 
somewhat lower temperature than that of the stove, or, at least, a more shaded 
situation than the roof of the house. 

Messrs. Loppiers, Hackney. Vanda teres. This extremely rare and very 
valuable orchidaceous plant is now exhibiting its lovely blossoms in the collection 
of these gentlemen, and we are not aware of its ever having flowered im this 
country previously to the present time, except in the gardens of His Grace the 
Duke of Northumberland, at Isleworth. The petals of the flowers are of a 
delicate rosy lilac colour, and the labellum is of the richest purple, and beautifully 
streaked. There are two specimens of it now in flower at this nursery, and each 
plant has one flower-spike, with five or six beautiful blossoms upon it, though 
these latter do not all expand at the same time. To all lovers of orchidaceous 
plants, this beautiful species would undoubtedly be enhanced in value and 
interest by witnessing it in flower. Masdevallia infracta. This is a new, curious, 


118 NEW AND-RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


and certainly an interesting little orchidaceous plant; it resembles some of the 
species of Pleurothallis in the general appearance of its foliage, which is of a very 
neat character, and the flowers, though neither large nor showy, are singular and 
pretty ; they are produced rather sparingly on slender peduncles, solitary, and of a 
‘greenish yellow colour. It is only valuable for the sake of its novelty. Epiden- 
drum ionosma. A new and pretty species of Epidendrum, with roundish pseudo- 
bulbs, and dark brown flowers ; though these latter are very prettily marked inter- 
nally, and emit a most delicious fragrance, resembling that of violets. These 
gentlemen also possess a new and very interesting species of Oncidiwm in flower, 
which is evidently distinct from any previously known. Many other excellent 
specimens of orchidaceous plants are now exhibiting their rich and varied beauties, 
particularly a splendid plant of a variety of Dendrobium calceolaria, which has a 
most attractive appearance. 

_ Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Gompholobium polymorphum. This is. not a new plant, 
but it is a rather rare and extremely handsome and showy one; its brilliant crimson- 
coloured blossoms are even richer in hue, than those of Chorizema ovata, to which 
latter plant its flowers bear a striking resemblance, and are considerably larger. 
It is now beautifully in flower at this nursery, and should be in the collection of 
all admirers of greenhouse plants. Mr. Low possesses a new species of Grevillea 
in flower, and its delicate light pink-coloured blossoms are by no means uninter- 
esting. <A large specimen of Loasa lateritia is also now flowering abundantly at 
this nursery, and as this beautiful plant is extremely cheap, no collection, however 
small, should be destitute of it. Statice arborea still continues to produce its pretty 
blossoms in fine perfection at this nursery, and if plants are to be considered 
valuable only as they flower abundantly, this is certainly entitled to a high and 
distinguished character. 

Messrs. Roxtisons’, Tooting. Gesneria verticillata. This is a new and very 
pretty species of Gesneria, somewhat resembling G. Douglasii, but essentially 
differing from it in its flowers being larger, and of a lighter colour; the flowers are 
produced very abundantly at the extremity of a stem about nine inches high, are 
of a light pink colour, and beautifully and liberally spotted and streaked with 
purple. It is an elegant species, and merits extensive notice and cultivation. 
Rhododendrum guttatum. This handsome plant is now flowering in great perfection 
at the above nursery, and its large white flowers, with their numerous green and 
brown spots, have a very showy and ornamental appearance. Lobelia Caranillesii. 
A rare and very interesting shrubby species of this genus, with an abundance of 
neat scarlet and yellow flowers. These gentlemen possess a very fine specimen of 
it now flowering most profusely in the greenhouse, in which situation it scems to 
thrive equally well as if kept in the stove. In the orchidaceous house, a new 
species of Cymbidium is now in flower ; it is very distinct from all the other species 
of the genus, both in foliage and flowers, though the latter are not so pretty as those 
of C. aloifolium, and some other species, being of a yellowish green colour. ‘Two 


al 


‘> OPERATIONS FOR JUNE. 119 


specimens of Peristeria Parkerw are also now coming into flower, one of which 
is remarkably*fine. These gentlemen have just imported a quantity of orchida- 
-ceous plants from Demerara, among which they will doubtless have some new ones. 

Mr. Youne’s, Epsom. Azalea indica variegata. This extremely delicate and 
beautiful variety is now flowering profusely in the greenhouse of this nursery, and 
is perhaps the most elegant and interesting (though not the most showy) of all the 
species and varieties of this genus at present known in our collections. No good 
collection should be without it, as it is a truly ornamental and valuable plant. 
Menizeha stipitate. A rather new and very ornamental stove plant, which pro- 
duces its showy orange-coloured blossoms very numerously, and in almost constant 
succession, as it has now been flowering at this nursery for several months, and 
appears likely to continue so doing. It may probably prove a greenhouse species, 
but has hitherto been kept in the stove, where, though it flowers so. abundantly, it 
does not grow very freely. Mr. Young possesses some splendid specimens of 
Clematis cerulea, and Sieboldii, now coming into flower; one plant of the former, 
especially, is cultivated to greater perfection than we ever before witnessed it, and 
the flowers are of a very large size, and a most brilliant colour. Mucuna pruriens. 
Several plants of this singular species are now in flower at this nursery, and though 
an old, it is a valuable and profuse-flowering stove-climbing plant. 


OPERATIONS FOR JUNE. 


——+— 

Any Orchidaceous plants that are now in flower may be removed with safety 
to a cooler house, or, if desired, to a drawing-room, where they will continue 
flowering much longer than if they were allowed to remain in the orchidaceous house. 
The last-mentioned situation is admirably adapted for this temporary translation, 
as, besides being most delightful ornaments to the apartment, they will be effec- 
tually shaded from the rays of the sun,—an object so very desirable at this season. 
They should be taken back to the orchidaceous house as soon as they have ceased 
flowering, that their further growth may not be impeded. Particular attention is 
requisite to shading these plants at this season, and the sun should never be allowed 
to shine directly upon them, neither should they be shaded in dull weather, or 
when the sun is naturally obscured. Stove plants should be most assiduously 
watched at this season, and never suffered to droop for want of water, otherwise 
they will be materially injured. Powerfully syringe all such plants as will bear it 
in the evening of each day, for by this practice, if the house be immediately closed, 
insects, however numerous, will soon be destroyed ; and where there are none, it 
will prevent their appearance, as most of those which infest stove plants cannot 
endure a great degree of humid heat. Every other practicable means should be re- 
sorted to for destroying them at this time, or they will most rapidly increase during 
the summer season. Bulbs that have now ceased blooming should have the quan- 
tity of water applied to them gradually diminished, and ultimately wholly withheld. 


120 OPERATIONS FOR JUNE. 


Greenhouse plants, if they were not taken to the open air last month, may 
now be removed ; they should be placed in a sheltered situation, and one in which 
they will also be slightly shaded, but not beneath trees. We would recommend 
that only the common and inferior species be treated in this manner, and the more 
valuable sorts retained in the greenhouse. In either case judicious watering is the 
principal requisite at this season, and those which are placed in the open air should 
have either coal ashes or some more solid materials placed beneath the pots, 
otherwise the holes at the bottom will become choked with soil, and the water will 
be retained too long in the pots, to the great injury of the plants. Hydrangeas 
require a more than ordinary supply of water at this season, and should receive it 
twice or thrice in each day. Balsams should be allowed an abundance of pot room 
and light, and kept in a slightly humid heat as near as possible to the glass. If 
they are necessarily placed in a situation where they can only receive light from 
one side, they should occasionally be turned, that the whole plant may enjoy an 
equal degree of light, or they will become deformed ; and they must especially be 
placed at a sufficient distance from each other to prevent similar bad results. 
Plants of Cereus speciosissimus, Jenkinsonu, &c., that were brought into flower 
early in the season, and have now matured their young shoots, should be removed 
to an exposed situation in the open air, which will cause them to flower in much 
greater perfection in the ensuing year. Greenhouse plants of all descriptions may 
now be propagated abundantly from cuttings. 

The flower garden is now daily becoming more attractive, and, besides the ordi- 
nary routine of cleaning the beds, borders, &c., every plant will require more or 
less attention. All blossoms should be cut off as soon as they begin to decay, un- 
less seed is required ; which will induce some of the sorts to flower again in the 
autumn. Annuals and other plants must be timely staked and supported, and 
hollyhocks especially should be staked as soon as the flower-stems commence 
growing. Chrysanthemums may now be propagated either by cuttings or layers, 
the former of which methods is the most suitable at this season. They will strike 
freely if placed numerously in pots in a sandy soil, and kept in a slightly humid 
bottom heat. China roses of all kinds may also now be multiplied by cuttings of 
the half-ripened wood, merely requiring the protection of a hand-glass and shade. 
To effect the latter purpose, they should not be planted in a border with a northern 
aspect, or one that is permanently naturally shaded, but in a southern situation, 
and shaded by artificial and mutable means, such as by placing a mat over the 
hand-glass in the heat of the day. Mesembryanthemums may now be planted out 
in an open border with a southern aspect, and a rather poor soil, and they will 
flower most abundantly. A few hardy annuals may now be sown in the open 
ground, where they are intended to flower, which they will do about the month of 
September. Dahlias must be planted out early in this month, if this has not been 
previously effected, and greenhouse or half-hardy plants that are required for the 
borders should be placed out at the same time. | 


He 


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ps y Mj bs ay VE Ue L 7 
CAMMAOUMMLIIL: COPAY LO ODL 7 


121 


DENDROBIUM DENSIFLORUM. 


_ (DENSE-FLOWERED DENDROBIUM). 


CLASSe ~ ORDER. 


GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDAC JE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. iii., p. 77. 


Sprciric Cuaractrr.—Stems jointed, swelling at the joints, pendulous, leafy at the summit. Leaves 
oblong, acute, nervose. Racemes lateral, many-flowered, much longer than the leaves, conical. 
Bracieas situated at the base of the pedicels, plicate, recurved. Sepals spreading, ovate, obtuse. 
Petals similar, but larger. Labellum inclining to a square shape, clawed, serrated, blunt. 

THE specimen of this beautiful species from which our figure was taken, was 
imported with numerous others by His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, from the 
Khoseea hills, where it was found by Mr. John Gibson, his Grace's collector, 
growing upon trees, in shady, moist woods, at an elevation of about three thousand 
feet. It is also, and more plentifully, found on the Nepal hills, from whence it 


was first sent to this country by the indefatigable Dr. Wallich. 


Plants of this showy species, when grown in the artificial climate of our hot- 
houses, seldom produce their flowers, which is chiefly owing to the inattention 
of cultivators to the process of drying them, and also of preventing them from flower- 
ing at their favourite season ; for, with due regard to these particulars, we have 
succeeded in flowering, most profusely, no less than six plants of this species in the 
collection at Chatsworth. 


{t is well known that Orchidacee, like other plants, require a regular course of 
seasons to cultivate them successfully ; or in other words, they require a season of 
growth, a season of rest, and a season for flowering, all of which should coincide in 


order and duration with the corresponding seasons of those parts of the globe which 
VOL. V.—NO. LIV. : R 


N122 DENDROBIUM DENSIFLORUM. 


they so profusely inhabit. The extensive and truly valuable genus, to which the . 
subject of our present notice belongs, should especially be subjected to a change 
of treatment assimilating as much as possible to that above-mentioned, for without 


this, they will seldom flower at all, and never in perfection. 


All, or the greater number of the species of Dendrobium, flower in India in the 
hot or dry season, which is succeeded by the rainy season, when they make their 
shoots, and during the cold or winter season, they have a period of repose; they 

thus enjoy three seasons, while in this country we have four, the autumnal quarter » 
not being known there. The different seasons of India being thus so well known, 
it is by no means difficult to imitate them in our hothouses, and, by attending to 
these simple rules, we should be enabled to flower the various species of Den- 
drobium, more abundantly than those of any other genus of Orchidacez ; besides 
which, we might easily induce them to flower in this country at any season of 


the year. 


This species may be propagated by detaching one of the stems, while in a 
dormant state, taking care not to injure the roots, and potting it carefully ito 
heath soil, well drained ; the stem will require supporting with a slender stake, 
and the pot contaming it should be plunged in a gentle bottom heat, where it 


will speedily produce new shoots. 


J) eye elats'3i8) 


fe CVUCHAMAMP RL: AULOCACELUIRL 


/ 
/ 


123 


EPIMEDIUM VIOLACEUM. 
(VIOLET-FLOWERED BARREN-WORT.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


TETRANDRIA. MONOGYNIA, 


NATURAL ORDER. 


BERBERIDE. 


Generic CuaractEr.—Calyx four-leaved, caducous, opposite the petals. Nectaries four, cup-shaped, 
incumbent on the petals. Pod one-celled, two-valved, many-seeded.—Loudon’s Encyclopedia of 
Plants. 


Specivic Cuaracter.— Plant an herbaceous perennial. Leaves twice ternate, heart-shaped, ciliated at 
the margins, either radical, on short petioles, or springing from the flower-stalk. Flower-stalk 
hairy, longer than the leaf-stalk. /'Jowers of a purplish violet colour, on long peduncles, 

THERE is something so peculiarly graceful and interesting in the habits of this 
little plant, and the flowers are so extremely delicate and elegant, that it will 
doubtless soon become a favourite with persons of taste, and obtain the extended 
circulation it so justly merits. The genus of which this pretty plant forms a new 
feature, contains very few known species, and was founded originally on the well- 
known E. alpinum, which, though frequently found growing wild in our woods, is 
considered a doubtful native, and is much admired and extensively cultivated as a 
border plant. We are unable to state with certainty whether the present species 
will prove so hardy as that just alluded to, as our figure was taken from a newly 
imported plant, which flowered in the greenhouse ; but we have little doubt that 
it will prove sufficiently hardy to endure the open air in this country, particularly 
as so many of the plants that have been introduced from the same quarter have 


succeeded so well in the open ground in the collections in the neighbourhood of 
London. 


It may be cultivated with the greatest ease by being planted or potted in a 


loamy soil. If kept in a pot, it should be watered with great caution after the 


124 EPIMEDIUM VIOLACEUM. 


leaves have withered till they recommence growing, when it must have a more 
liberal supply ; or, if it be planted in the open ground, it will be advisable to cover 
the roots during winter with some dry litter, taking care to remove it by degrees as 


soon as the leaves appear, which they will do early in the spring. 


- By dividing the roots, an increase may be obtained, but it is more than pro- 
bable that it will ripen its seeds abundantly, which may be sown as soon as they 
are sufficiently matured, in pans or flats, and kept in a gentle heat till they have 
vegetated, when they may be transplanted into pots or into the open ground. 

This is one of the many beautiful plants for which this country is indebted to 
the exertions of Dr. Van Siebold im Japan, from whence it was brought to the 
European continent, and’ from thence the specimen from which our drawing was 
obtained was received by Messrs. Low and Co., of the Clapton nursery, in the early 
part of the present year. We believe its usual time of flowering to be the months 
of April and May. 


The derivation of the generic name is unknown, it having been applied to the 
genus by Linneus, some suppose because it was found growing in Media. 
The specific name refers to the colour of the flowers, which, in the individual 


figured, would be of much darker violet, had the plant been grown in the open 


ground. 


a 


4 


— 


= 
ean 


mernry 


CREWE) 


1, 1836 


125 


PHAIUS ALBUS. 


(WHITE-FLOWERED PHAIUS. ) 


& 
CLASS. ORDER. 


GYNANDRIA, MONANDRIA., 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDACE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Sepals and petals nearly equal, spreading, free. Labellum frequently cucullate, 
adhering to the base of the column, spurred, entire or three-lobed. Column erect, attached to the 
ovaries, half-cylindrical, marginate, elongate. Anthers eight-celled. Pollen masses eight, nearly 
equal, 


Speciric Cuaracter.— Plant caulescent. Leaves oblong, lanceolate, acute, glaucous beneath. Racemes 
terminal, three to five-flowered, shorter than the leaves. Sepals and petals oblong-lanceolate, 
acute, nearly equal.. Labellum oblong, cucullate, toothed, beautifully streaked with purple. 

Tus may be said to be one of the most delicate, as well as the most lovely, - 
of Orchidaceous plants, the flowers being large and pure white, pencilled in the 
most exquisite manner with purple on the lip; when in flower, it has a strik- 
ingly beautiful appearance, particularly as the flowers are produced at the ex- 


tremities of the shoots when these are in full leaf. 


The habit of this plant is very remarkable, and is certainly not an unin- 
teresting feature in its character. At one season of the year, it is seen in a 
leafless and torpid state, its stems having the appearance of dried and lifeless 
branches ; at another period of its growth, it exhibits its finely pointed and 
glaucous leaves in a state of the most lively verdure; and subsequently the 
flowers are produced, which vie in beauty with the choicest of Nature’s pro- 
ductions. After flowering, the stems will speedily become matured, and shed 
their foliage, when the plant will again assume the appearance of a decayed 
piece of wood. What can be more interesting than to watch Nature in all her 
progressive stages, particularly in those productions in which the changes are so 


obvious and regular? and who, upon observing the perfect order which prevails 


126 PHAIUS ALBUS. 


throughout her whole varied and extensive territory, and gazing on the delicate 
texture and admirable structure and markings of this lovely, flower, but will 
acknowledge that 


“ Nature is but a name for an effect 
Whose cause is Gop.—Not a flower 
But shows some touch, in freckle, streak, or stain, 
Of his unrivall’d pencil. He inspires 
Their odours, and imparts their hues, 
And bathes their eyes with nectar, and includes, 
In grains as countless as the sea-side sands, 
The forms with which he sprinkles all the earth. 
Happy who walks with him! whom, what he finds 
Of flavour, or of scent, in fruit or flower, 
Or what he views of beautiful or grand 
In nature, from the broad majestic oak 
To the green blade that twinkles in the sun, 
Prompts with remembrance of a present God /” 


This plant will be found very difficult to cultivate, but, for want of the 
necessary room, we are unable at present to furnish the particulars of our treat- 
ment of it at Chatsworth, in which we have experienced the most perfect and 
gratifying success. We shall therefore revert to this subject at an early oppor- 
tunity. ) 

The plant which furnished the sample for the present drawing, flowered beau- 
tifully in the Orchidaceous-house at Chatsworth, in the early part of the month 
of May. 


‘It is a native of the mountainous districts of Nepal and Silhet, and was 
imported from the latter place, in the year 1837, by his Grace the Duke of 


Devonshire. 


It was found by Mr. John Gibson, his Grace’s collector, growing upon trees, 
in shady, damp woods, on the Khoseea hills, at an elevation of from two thousand 
to three thousand five hundred feet, where it blossoms during the rainy season, in 
the greatest profusion ; and it would be difficult to conceive a more enchanting 
sight than its clusters of elegant blossoms, contrasted with the delicate pale green 
of the foliage, present to the eye of the traveller ; enlivening the forest scenery with 
their charms, and investing the trees with a borrowed beauty of no ordinary 
character. 

The genus Phaius is distinguished from Bletia by the labellum being uniformly 
connate with the base of the column, and spurred ; while the labellum in Bieta is 


constantly articulate with the column, and never spurred. 


JU 


497 


ENKIANTHUS RETICULATUS. - 


(NETTED-LEAVED ENKIANTHUS. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DECANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ERICEA. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Calyz five-cleft, furnished with coloured bracteas. Corolla campanulate, with a 
five-cleft limb, and with five pits at the base of the tube. Stamens ten, inserted in the base of the 
corolla ; filaments toothed, pilose at the apex. Style filiform. Berry five-celled, many-seeded. 
—Don’s System of Gardening and Botany. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Plant shrubby. Leaves oblong, acute, reticulate, on short petioles. Corolla 
of a pale blush colour; limb five-cleft, segments reflexed. Nectary five-celled, containing a melli- 
ferous secretion. 

For an opportunity of furnishing our readers with the accompanying figure of 
this extremely beautiful plant, we are obliged to Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and 
Co., of the Exeter Nursery, in whose conservatory it flowered during the whole of » 
last December and January, and from whence our drawing was taken in a very 


superior manner, by Miss Flood, an accomplished young lady of that city. 


There is an extraordinary neatness and elegance in the structure of its flowers, 
which is greatly heightened by the brilliant gem-like appearance of the nectary, 
(copiously filled with honey,) and which causes it to be much admired by all 
cultivators of rare and beautiful plants. In its native country, likewise, it is held 
in the highest esteem, amounting even to veneration; branches of it when in 
flower (which happens at the commencement of their year) being selected and 
placed in the finest porcelain vases in their temples, and in the houses of their 


principal mandarins. 


Much confusion appears to have existed amongst botanists, and in botanical 
publications, relative to this species, and it has been most strangely confounded 
with E. quinqueflorus; from which, however, it very widely differs im many 


material points, and perhaps in no particular is the difference more conspicuous 


128 ENKIANTHUS RETICULATUS. 


than in the size and shape of the leaves. In this respect it will be seen that the 
foliage of the plant here figured is unusually large; and hence the gentlemen 
before alluded to received it as a variety of the original species, but this is now 
considered to be entirely owing to the favourable circumstances under which it has 


been cultivated. 


Although an old, and comparatively well-known plant, it is by no means 
common in the collections of this country ; and this is not easily to be accounted 
for, as few conservatory plants can vie with it either in the beauty of its foliage or 
its flowers. It succeeds best when planted out in the border of a greenhouse or 
conservatory, in a compost of heath-mould and loam, mixed with a due proportion 
of sand, and placed in an airy part of the house. In such a situation it will grow 
to much greater perfection than if kept in a pot, and when in flower, nothing can 


be more attractive than its appearance. 


It is considered rather difficult to propagate, but cuttings of the young wood 
will grow tolerably well if planted in a very sandy soil and carefully preserved 


from superfluous moisture. 


This species is a native of China, and produces its flowers in the greenhouses 


and conservatories of this country in the months of January and February. 


129 


A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES IN 
THE CULTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE GENUS 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 


WHENEVER a subject of interest presents itself to our consideration, which we 
have never before had occasion to notice in former volumes of our Magazine, it 
affords us much pleasure to be able to offer a few remarks upon it, and our attention 
shall now be directed to the extremely beautiful, though little cultivated genus, 
Mesembryanthemum. There are no less than three hundred distinct species and 
varieties of this genus mentioned in Loudon’s “ Hortus Britannicus,” and we 
possess a great number of them in our collection at Chatsworth, of all which we 
are not acquainted with a single species or variety that has not some peculiar claims 
to beauty and interest. Producing annually an immense number of flowers of the 
most brilliant colours, and yet of the most extensive variety, having thick, fleshy, 
foliage, of a most singular and interesting character, and being besides most easily 

cultivated, this beautiful genus appears to us to possess charms and merits of a 
more than ordinary nature, and we are at a loss to imagine how many cultivators 
can willingly neglect, or wilfully despise, a genus of plants which certainly deserves 
to rank amongst the most pleasing and delightful of nature’s productions. 

In another part of the present number, a few remarks will be found on the 
propriety of affording these plants a great degree of solar light; and though this 
may safely be said to be one of the most important features in their cultivation, 
there are other particulars which require equal attention and consideration. It is 
observed, in the article just alluded to, that light exercises a more important 
influence upon these plants relative to the production of flowers and the colours of 
those flowers, than either sterility of soil, or scarcity of water ; but we by no means 
wish to deny that these latter assist much, in conjunction with light, in forming 
and developing a great number of rich-coloured flowers; on the contrary, we are 
disposed to award them individually and unitedly a due share of the efficacy, still, 
however, maintaining, that light is the principal and most powerful agent. 

Notwithstanding that the popular opinion inclines to the use of a light and 
partially barren soil for cultivating these plants, we find some of the most recent 
and eminent writers on the subject, and one in particular, whose success in the 
cultivation of this genus is almost unrivalled, recommend a rich, light loam, with 
a slight mixture of very rotten dung, as a proper and suitable compost for these 
plants. In this respect, however, we differ from the talented author just referred 
to, as we consider that a trifling admixture of lime-rubbish with the soil, or a good 
proportion of river or white sand, is very necessary, if not essential, to cultivate, or 
at least to flower, these plants in a superior manner. With respect to the quantity 
of water which they require, we are averse to administering to them too large a 
supply at any time, but more especially in the winter; and we are of opinion, that 

VOL. V.—NO. Liv. s 


130 CULTIVATION OF THE GENUS MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 


so long as they are kept from withering or shrivelling, they cannot be too sparingly 
watered at all seasons; an attention to which point would doubtless contribute to 
increase the number of flowers. 

These plants may all (except a few species which are of only annual duration) 
be propagated by cuttings, which should be taken off from the extremities of the 
young shoots about the month of May, or from that time till the month of August, 
and, like those of most other succulent plants, they will require placing in a shady, 
dry situation for a few days, till they begin to shrivel, when they may be planted 
numerously into shallow pots, in avery light sandy soil, with an abundance of 
drainage materials in the bottom of the pot. They should be placed in a slight, 
dry heat, and carefully shaded from the sun till they have struck root, watering 
them occasionally, but with caution, as they are very liable to rot when any 
superfluous moisture is collected about them. When struck, they may be potted 
singly into very small pots, in a compost of one-half light loam, one-fourth well- 
decayed manure, or leaf soil, and one-fourth, or less, of lime rubbish broken fine, 
and sand, placing them in the coolest part of the succulent-house, (or in the green- 
house, where a house is not exclusively devoted to succulents,) watering them 
sparingly, and keeping them as close as possible to the glass, so as to receive the 
full benefit of solar light. When the roots appear to have filled the pots, they 
must be repotted into pots of a larger size, in a similar compost; and during the 
whole period of their growth, it is important that they should not be allowed too 
much pot-room, as they usually become straggling and unsightly if they are 
stimulated or suffered to become too large. 

Plants raised during the summer of one year, may be planted out into the open 
ground in the spring of the ensuing season, or they may be allowed to remain till 
they are two years old, before they are thus treated; for they invariably flower 
better when they are well established. The situation chosen for them should be a 
border with a southern aspect, as they delight in receiving the full influences of the 
sun, and indeed, their flowers will seldom expand unless the sun is shining on them ; 
the border should be slightly elevated above the surrounding surface, for the 
purpose of preserving the plants from superfluous moisture ; and the sub-soil should 
if possible, be firm and hard. We are accustomed to plant out a number of these 
plants in a small border in the front of an ornamental stove, and in this situation, 
being fully exposed to the sun, and on a rather rocky sub-soil, they flower most 
beautifully and profusely, the soil of the border being very similar to that before 
recommended, but with a less proportion of sand and lime rubbish. A _rockery, 
with a southern aspect, is likewise a most excellent situation for them, in the 
crevices of which they may be inserted in a soil introduced for the purpose, and 
they will there be effectually preserved from any superfluity of moisture. But 
they will seldom be found capable of enduring the open air throughout the whole 
season in this country, and therefore it is necessary to remove them from the 
ground in the autumnal months, and place them in pots of a sufficient size to be 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. st 


kept through the winter in the greenhouse, or succulent-house, with very little 
water, and a temperature just high enough to exclude frost. They should never 
be pruned, for when they become old and straggling it is better to throw them 
away at once, having previously raised a stock of young plants to supply their 
place. 

The annual species, such as M. crystallinum, and others, require very little 
attention, as it is only necessary to collect the seed as soon as it is ripe, and sow it 
in a very light soil, keeping it in an airy part of the succulent-house till it vegetates, 
and afterwards potting the young plants singly into small pots, and treating them 
according to the preceding directions with regard to soil, situation, and water. 

Thus treated, there are few plants which reward the cultivator with a greater 
profusion of showy blossoms than the numerous species and varieties of this genus, 
and they are equally within the reach of the nobleman and the amateur, and may 
be successfully cultivated in the garden of either, provided due attention is given 
to the subjects of light, soil, and watering, as here detailed. 


REMARKS ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


ARTICLE I1.—THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT —(continued). 

To the inquiring gardener or cultivator of plants, no subject is more replete 
with interest, or more calculated to afford him information and instruction relative 
to the principles on which these charming productions of nature should be treated 
or managed, than an investigation into the peculiar effects which the various atmo- 
spheric influences produce upon them, with a view to his guidance in the regulation 
and modification of those influences in practical cultivation. If we reflect upon the 
fact, that, in the absence of a due degree of light and heat, and of a free and constant 
supply of the more immediate aerial elements, plants and vegetables would cease to 
exist, we shall at once perceive, that certain proportions of each of these atmospheric 
principles are indispensable to the cultivation and reproduction of every description 
of plants. But, if we pursue our inquiries, and endeavour to ascertain the par- 
ticular degree of these elementary constituents which each tribe of plants or indi- 
vidual species requires, we shall speedily discover that it is a question too intricate 
for the human mind to solve, a subject almost too impalpable and too complicated 
for human observation, and indeed it is one of which the most eminent individuals 
have, after devoting their whole lives to its consideration, been obliged to confess 
that they had learnt comparatively nothing. It is sufficient, then, for each succeed- 
ing age to know something more of this subject than their predecessors, and to 
approach a little nearer the goal which all have in view, viz. a perfect knowledge 
of the nature, manner, and extent of atmospheric agency in plants. It would 
doubtless be highly interesting to many of our intelligent readers, were we, in 
resuming the consideration of the subject of the present article, to treat of it in a 
chemical point of view ; but as we seldom introduce to our pages any remarks of 


132 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


this nature, which have not a direct practical tendency, we do not intend to deviate 
from our usual course in this instance; and as we have, in a former article, shown 
the influence of light on stove plants, accompanying our remarks with useful 
directions for their general management in this respect, we now propose to extend 
our observations to those singular objects which are usually termed “succulent 
plants ;” but, as it will not be convenient here to detail the numerous genera which 
are comprised in this term, we shall select the tribe Cactw, and the genera Mesembry- 
anthemum and Agave, as types of the rest, and severally consider these with refer- 
ence to the subject of light. 

We have previously stated, that plants which are of a succulent or juicy sub- 
stance require a great degree of light, and are usually found growing in very 
exposed situations. The numerous species of Cactw which are now cultivated in 
our collections are nearly all met with on dry open plains, and seem to be provided 
by nature for the sustenance of man and animals in those districts where other 
kinds of vegetables could not exist, and where neither food nor water can be pro-— 
cured from any other source. It is not a little remarkable, that plants of a 
consistence so watery as those now under consideration, should be found in such 
localities as we have above mentioned, and be able to endure the scorching rays of 
a meridian sun with perfect impunity ; but this may be accounted for by their 
having an exceedingly limited number of pores or respiratory organs, so that while 
they are furnished with organs of absorption to collect all the moisture which can 
possibly be obtained from the parched soil, they are thus enabled to retain it to 
such an extent as constantly to preserve them in full health and vigour. M. de 
Candolle states that various species of Opuntia are planted by the natives of the 
surrounding country in the crevices of the old lavas at the base of Mount /AMtna, 
in which situations they flourish in such extraordinary luxuriance, as eventually to 
break up the lava into mere fragments, and likewise produce an immense quantity 
of fruit ; a striking proof of their capability of sustaining a great intensity of drought 
and solar light. Besides the above, it is well known that Cacte grow naturally in 
those localities where they are constantly exposed to the most powerful influences 
of a tropical or equinoctial sun; and we may from thence reasonably infer, that 
unless our treatment of them in this respect is assimilated as much as possible to 
that which they receive in their natural situations, no satisfactory results will ensue 
from it. Most good cultivators of Cacte have the whole of their succulent plants 
collected together in one house; and this system is productive of many important 
advantages ; for, when kept along with a collection of stove plants in the stove, | 
independently of the degree of heat and moisture being injurious to them, they 
cannot be supplied with a sufficient quantity of light. A few years ago, we had 
the whole of our collection of succulent plants placed in the stove ; the consequence 
of which was, that owing in a great measure to the deficiency of solar light, as 
well as to the superabundance of moisture, we lost many of our most valuable 
species, particularly of Stapelia, which in some instances perished in a few days 
without evincing any previous signs of decay. We therefore found it necessary to 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 1383 


remove them into a house where light was liberally afforded, and since then we 
have had the gratification of seeing them thrive most luxuriantly, and flower in a 
high state of perfection. 

From the accounts of travellers, we learn that many species of Cacte produce 
a great abundance of fruit in their wild and native state; this, we presume, is 
entirely attributable to the imtensity of solar light with which they are naturally 
supplied ; but that the plants which are cultivated in British collections produce 
little or no fruit, is a fact of which every individual who is at all acquainted with 
them must be aware. We do not say that Cacte€ are cultivated, or are worth 
cultivating in this country, solely for their fruit, but we would remind our readers 
that the means which produce fruit, will previously develop the finest flowers, and 
that these plants are cultivated not only for the singularity of their appearance, but 
also for the striking beauty of their flowers. To obtain then a great abundance of 
flowers, of rich and splendid colours, no mode of treatment, however plausible and 
suitable in other respects, can be made to supply a deficiency in solar light, and 
we consider this fact to be the prominent and most important feature in the culti- 
vation of Cacte. 

In the collection of a private gentleman in the vicinity of London, we witnessed, 
a few months since, some large specimens of Opuntia vulgaris, which had for 
several years been planted in an open border, and trained to the front wall of a 
greenhouse; in this situation they produce annually an almost innumerable 
quantity of blossoms, and these are succeeded by an equally profuse supply of fruit. 
Now it is well known that this species, when treated as a stove plant, certainly 
attains to a great size, but seldom if ever, develops its flowers; so that this 
deficiency cannot be attributed to a lack of heat, nor can it be said to be caused by 
an excessive degree of it, for its native country, where its fruit forms a staple article 
of food, is situated in the tropical parts of America. Therefore, we can only 
account for the above unusual instance of this plant flowering in such profusion by 
the circumstance of its being freely exposed to the influence of solar light ; and from 
this, as well as numerous other similar cases which have fallen beneath our notice, 
we are convinced that the prevailing error in the cultivation of these plants, is not 
allowing them a sufficient quantity of the important element now under considera- 
tion, the consequence of which is, that they generally flower indifferently, and 
frequently not at all. In a few isolated instances this remark may not perhaps 
appear to apply, as some gardeners certainly cultivate these plants to an extraor- 
dinary degree of perfection ; but this excellence is only attained with a few species, 
and even with these, is solely attributable to the plants being periodically exposed 
to the sun’s influences, and not, as is generally supposed, to the variation of 
temperature. We would therefore suggest, as a practical inference from these 
facts, that these plants be kept in a house where they can constantly receive the 
unobscured and unmitigated influences of the sun—that they be placed on a stage 
as near~as possible to the glass—and that nothing be suffered to obstruct or 
counteract the direct and immediate rays of solar light. These remarks refer to 


134 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


the whole tribe of Cacte, but there are some species which will bear exposing to 
the open air during certain periods of the year; such, for instance, as Cereus 
speciosissimus, speciosus, Jenkinsonu, and others of similar habits, and if these are 
annually placed in an exposed situation in the open air, after they have ceased 
growing, they will be found to flower much more abundantly, and in far greater 
perfection, in the succeeding year. Throughout the whole season, and at all stages 
of the growth, they should constantly receive as much solar light as can be dispensed 
to them, except during the short period they continue in flower, when they may be 
placed at a farther distance from the glass, to preserve them in flower for a greater 
length of time. The variation of temperature and moisture which these plants 
require, will form the subject of future articles, and we now proceed to offer a few 
observations on the effect of light on the numerous species of Mesembryanthemum. 

The extensive and interesting genus just named, with the exception of the genus 
Erica, contains a greater number of beautiful species than any other with which 
we are acquainted, and there is not an individual species of it but is more or less 
ornamental. It is generally believed, that if these plants are placed in a poor and 
sterile soil, they may be induced to flower more profusely, and that the flowers will 
be finer and of better colours. To a limited extent this notion is correct, but it is 
a great error to suppose that this treatment will of itself be sufficient to produce 
the effect above mentioned. It is also imagined, that, by withholding water from 
these plants for a time, their flowering may be facilitated, and the flowers rendered 
finer and more abundant ; this is likewise to a great extent an equally erroneous 
hypothesis, if the success be attributed to this treatment alone, as may be suffi- 
ciently proved by placing the various species of this genus in a sterile soil, adminis- 
tering water very sparingly or wholly withholding it for a time, and keeping them 
in a shaded or gloomy situation where the rays of the sun can never reach them ; 
the result of which will be, that they will either produce few and insignificant 
flowers, or be altogether destitute of them. But if, instead of being kept in this 
unfavourable position, they are placed in an open exposed situation, where they 
can receive a great degree of solar light, they will speedily produce a most brilliant 
display of flowers, and these will continue expanding for a great length of time. 
It therefore plainly appears that it is the influence of light which causes these plants 
to flower so profusely, and not the nature of the soil or the quantity of water 
administered ; though these latter doubtless contribute in some degree to produce 
the above desirable effects. Indeed, this must be abundantly evident to every 
intelligent cultivator who has been accustomed to place these plants in the open air ; 
for it is irrational to suppose that poverty of soil or scarcity of water alone would 
cause them to flower so freely. Mesembryanthemums, then, like most other succu- 
lent plants, require a great intensity of solar light to enable them to produce their 
flowers in perfection ; and whether they are kept in the succulent house, or placed 
in the open air, this important particular should be duly and properly attended to, 
otherwise no success will be attained. During the summer months, however, many 
of the species will flower better in the open air than if kept in the succulent house, 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 135 


as in the former situation they will receive a much greater degree of light, by 
being more fully exposed to the sun’s genial and beneficial influences. With a few 
observations on the genus Agave, we shall for the present dismiss this subject. 

The Agave Americana, or American Aloe, is a plant that 1s cultivated in our 
collections solely for the beauty and singularity of its large and handsome fleshy 
leaves, as it is very rarely that we succeed in inducing it to flower in this country. 
This latter defect is commonly attributed to the supposed circumstance of this 
plant only flowering once in a hundred years; but this fallacy has been so 
frequently disproved and confuted, that it is unnecessary here to advert to it. 
In its native country, (the tropical parts of America,) it generally arrives at matu- 
rity, and produces its flowers, within a term of ten years ; but in the collections of 
this country it seldom flowers within the period popularly assigned to it, or at 
least, within seventy years, a circumstance entirely owing to the deficiency of heat, 
but more especially, of light, with which it 1s supplied. It is true that most cul- 
tivators expose their plants of this species to the open air during the summer 
months, but throughout the long winter season, they are usually placed in a dark 
conservatory or orangery, frequently thirty or forty feet from the glass, and 
shaded besides by other plants. We therefore maintain, that if these plants 
were constantly kept in an exposed situation, it would not be such an extremely 
rare occurrence to witness them in flower as it now is. Many cultivators 
would probably prefer keeping a remarkably fine specimen of this plant in a dor- 
mant state, to adopting any measures for inducing it to flower, as it is well known 
that the plant perishes immediately after it has ceased flowering. But this we 
may venture to denounce as a crude and illiberal notion, for it is notorious that 
this plant may be propagated with extreme facility from offsets, and by this 
means an abundant succession of young plants may be maintained. As the loss of 
a fine specimen might thus speedily be supplied with others equally fine, the 
gratification of having this plant in flower, would more than compensate for the 
destruction of the specimen; and we entreat the attention of cultivators to the 
importance of keeping this plant constantly exposed to the full influence of solar 
light, that our collections may no longer be deprived of the extraordinary beauty 
of the flowers of this singular species. 

In conclusion, we would just remark, that the principles we have thus laid down 
with regard to the necessity and importance of affording certain plants a great 
degree of light, are equally applicable to the whole of the genera and species com- 
prised in the term “succulent plants ;” and that where it is wished to flower any 
species of this beautiful tribe in perfection, (which is doubtless the chief end and 
object of every cultivator,) this desirable purpose may be fully attained by due 
attention to the subject of this article; but, if this is negleeted, and these plants 
are kept in a house where a sufficient degree of light is not supplied, nothing but 
failure and disappointment can be expected to result from such an injudicious and 
injurious system of treatment. 


136 


FLOWER-GARDENS AND THEIR ORNAMENTS. 


We have great pleasure in submitting to our readers another of a series of 
designs illustrative of that most delightful department, whether of an extensive or 
more circumscribed estate—the flower-garden. Disclaiming at once any intention 
to descant upon the comparative merits or demerits of the particular styles which 
have characterised the various ages that have elapsed since the systematic disposi- 
tion and arrangement of the flower-garden first engaged the attention of man, we 
shall for the present restrict ourselves to a few observations on the principal features 
of the subjoined figure. 

The accompanying sketch is a design for a flower-garden, intended to occupy a 
quarter of an acre of a ground, which it is presumed will be considered sufficiently 
small for gardens of very limited extent; and by reference to the letters inserted in 
the plate, the reader will perceive that every desirable and ornamental feature which 
is capable of being displayed within such a narrow boundary, has been appropriately 
and tastefully introduced. Over the central walks of the garden, there is an 
arched trellis-work, a, a, which should be constructed of iron wire, and painted 
green, for the purpose of supporting different descriptions of climbing plants: 6, 6, 
are two fountains, the formation of which must be regulated according to the taste 
of the proprietor, and if judiciously executed, will constitute truly interesting 
objects: c¢, ¢, ¢, c, are pedestals on which may be placed statues of Flora, 
Pomona, Diana, or other appropriate ornaments; and d, d, are likewise pedestals, 
intended for vases of different forms. The central plotis surrounded with a verge 
of grass, and the transverse walks thereof are to be edged with box. The six other 
plots which environ the central one are intersected with strips of grass, the ground 
colour throughout being intended for flower-borders, which should be slightly 
raised towards the middle. The circular flower plots which bound the whole, are 
surrounded by small gravel walks, which are to be edged with box, and these 
walks should be connected with each other, so as to render each of the plots acces- 
sible. The turf on which the pedestals c, c, stand, is to be inclined at an angle of 
45°, and the pedestals d, d, are enclosed in small circular borders, on which may 
be placed fragments of rock, or shells, and by the introduction of a little soil 
amongst them, alpine plants may be successfully grown. The whole of the garden 
is encompassed by plantations of low shrubs, or American plants, such as Rhodo- 
dendrons, Ralmias, Daphnes, &c., and the agreeable effect will be greatly enhanced if 
the boundary border be elevated at the back, so as to deprive the outline of that. 
sombre and monotonous aspect which it would otherwise present ; not forgetting, 
however, to leave a few open spaces at irregular intervals for the purpose of afford- 
ing a prospect of the more attractive portions of the pleasure grounds. 

A flower-garden thus arranged would, we conceive, be in itself a model of per- 
fection, and the minor scale upon which it is designed renders it available in 
gardens of very limited area. Indeed, it is chiefly with the view of enabling the 


FLOWER GARDEN. 
DESIGN NO. I. 


ee 


= 


Yi 


FLOWER-GARDENS AND THEIR ORNAMENTS. 137 


owners of small gardens to adorn them with this their most lovely feature, that 
the present design has been attempted. That there are few gardens of the above 
denomination which can boast of any allotment worthy of the name of a flower- 
garden, it will be wholly unnecessary to declare to any of our observant readers, 
the vast majority of small estates being laid out without either unity or beauty of 
design, as regards the allocation of their respective departments ; and while flower- 
gardens are in many instances denied even a place, where there is a piece of ground 
devoted to this purpose, the beds, borders, or structures, as well as the individual 
plants, are assembled together in the most heterogeneous manner, and the greatest 
possible incongruity and disorder prevail. We are induced thus to remark, not in 
the language of ridicule, but to urge the advantage and indeed the necessity of en- 
trusting the primary arrangement and disposition of small estates to more compe- 
tent individuals, as persons of refined and correct taste experience great difficulty 
in modifying or rectifying the absurd and inconvenient arrangement of the ignorant 
or capricious projector. 

In anestate of two, three, or more acres, what could be a more delightful feature 
than a flower-garden, arranged according to the present design? The introduction 
of fountains, of chaste and unique structure, and ornamented with every variety of 
rock or shell, into the central compartments, with jets of water issuing from every 
crevice, and propelled with diverse and ever-varying degrees of force, would form 
most delightful and refreshing spectacles, during the summer months; while the 
basins which surround them would be most eligible situations for growing aquatic 
plants. The proposed vases at either end of the central walk, and which might be 
selected of most elegant and graceful form, would relieve the otherwise dull unifor- 
mity of a series of circular plots, and also greatly contribute to enliven the garden 
during the winter season ; indeed, they might be removed in the summer, and their 
places supplied with a fine specimen or specimens of greenhouse or other plants ; 
and the rock-work which is proposed to be placed around their bases, would both 
tend to heighten the interest of the whole, and afford an opportunity of introduc- 
ing a description of plants which would otherwise be excluded. Approaching the 
exterior, the four pedestals for the support of statues might present to the eye some 
of the choicest productions of art; and the admission of these may not only be 
tolerated, but will add much tothe general beauty, particularly if the flower- 
garden be contiguous to, or within sight of, the dwelling-house. There will thus 
be obtained, within the small compass before named, an harmonious and delightful 
assemblage of the most exquisite creations of art, and the yet more numerous, 
-varied, and beautiful members of nature’s charming and attractive tribes. As we 
intend furnishing our readers, in future numbers, with other and equally interesting 
designs, we reserve any remarks that might be offered on the methods of grouping 
and arranging the flowers in the various plots, and conclude these observations 
with again recommending the appended plan to any persons who may be 
desirous of forming new flower-gardens, or who may have occasion to alter or 


remodel those already in their possession; and whose attention we would direct to 
VOL. V.—NO. LIV. uy 


138 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


an additional singular advantage of the present design, which they will not fail 
to observe upon a cursory examination of the plate,—that four ornamental struc- 
tures may be seen from the centre of the trellis-work, while one or more of these 
artificial ornaments may be viewed from every point of the radiating walks. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR MAY. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONES). 


THE CACTUS TRIBE (Cactacee). | 

ECHINOCACTUS EYERIESII ; var. GLAUCUS. Glaucous sweet-scented Porcupine 
Cactus. A very showy, and, apparently, free-flowering plant, which Dr. Lindley 
considers a distinct variety, as it differs from the original species in the more acute 
and less undulating angles of the plant, the spines being more attenuated, and 
rather darker in colour, the tube of the corolla shorter, of a pale green colour, and 
destitute of that remarkable shagginess which is so conspicuous in the old species. 
It may be cultivated in a dry stove, by potting it in poor soil, and watering with 
caution ; mcreasing tardily by the usual method of cutting off the summit, or more 
readily by seeds, when they can be procured. Bot. Reg. 31. 


THE CATCHFLY TRIBE (Sitlenacee). 

DIANTHUS BISIGNANI. Prince Bisignani’s Tree Pink. This is an ornamental 
species of Dianthus, of a shrubby character, native of the coasts of Calabria and 
Sicily, where it is found on rocks, and in the fissures of chalk cliffs, near the sea. 
It flowers in the autumnal months in this country, and requires the protection of a 
greenhouse or other structure during the winter, and, indeed, is said to thrive best 


when kept entirely in the greenhouse. Bot. Reg. 29. 


THE FIGWORT TRIBE (Scrophularinee). 

PENTSTEMON GENTIANOIDES. Gentian-like Pentstemon. This beautiful species 
is a native of the cold mountainous districts of Mexico, where it was first observed 
by those eminent naturalists Messrs. Humboldt and Bonpland, 11,500 feet above 
the level of the sea. In the Glasgow Botanic Garden it grew to the astonishing 
height of four feet in the open ground, and was a most attractive object for a great 
length of time. Bot. Mag. 3661. 


THE EPACRIS TRIBE (£pacridee). 

EPACRIS MICROPHYLLA. Small-leaved Epacris. A very neat and pretty 
species, allied to E. pulchella, and differing from it chiefly in its branches being 
more slender and erect, the young shoots hairy, and the flowers being collected 
together at the extremities of the shoots. It flowers in the spring, at the same 
time as most of the other species; and its slender graceful habits, and pretty 
pinkish-white blossoms, render it an interesting little plant. Bot. Mag. 3658. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 1389 


CLASS I1.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONEZ),. 
THE LILY TRIBE (Liliacee). 

FUNCKIA ALBO-MARGINATA. Variegated Funckia. A highly interesting plant, 
hitherto treated as a greenhouse species, but most probably quite hardy, or, at 
least, half-hardy. It is supposed to have been introduced by Dr. Van Siebold 
from Japan, and flowers in the Glasgow Botanic Garden in the month of July. 
It may be at once distinguished by the broad white margins of its foliage. 


Bot. Mag. 3657. 
THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidacee). 


PuHaius atBus. White Phaius. A most lovely new orchidaceous plant, first 
discovered by Dr. Wallich upon Mount Chandaghiry in Nepal, and since intro- 
duced to this country by Mr. John Gibson, His Grace the Duke of Devonshire’s 
collector. This species is justly said by Dr. Lindley to “rank amongst the most 
showy of the order,” and the drawing for the Botanical Register was obtained from 
the collection of Messrs. Loddiges in July last. In a former part of the present 
Number of this Magazine a drawing of this charming plant will be found from 
Chatsworth. Bot. Reg. 33. 

Cattteya pumitaA. Dwarf Cattleya. This extremely interesting little plant 
is unquestionably distinct from any species of Cattleya previously described. It 
flowered last year in the collection of John Allcard, Esq., by whom it was 
imported from Essequibo, and a drawing of it communicated to the Editor of 
the Botanical Magazine. The plant is of very dwarf habits, the leaves and 
flowers solitary, and the latter are of a rich rosy-purple colour, and very handsome ; 
the labellum is large, expanding at the extremity, and of a deep purple colour. 
Bot. Mag. 3656. 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 
ee eee 


Messrs. HunpeErson’s, Pine-Apple Place. Clintonia pulchella. ‘This elegant 
and highly beautiful little annual is now flowering most profusely at this nursery ; 
we have before recommended it to the notice of our readers, and we now add that 
it is worthy of any and every encomium that may be bestowed upon it. Many 
fine specimens of sleaths, and other beautiful greenhouse plants, are also flowering 
in a high state of excellence, and are cultivated in the usual neat and superior 
manner for which these gentlemen are deservedly noted. A very large plant of 
Callionema pulchra especially attracted our attention, and the peculiar gracefulness 
of its mode of growth, as well as the abundance of its pretty pink blossoms, entitle 
it to a situation among the best greenhouse plants. The excellent collection of 
Alpine, and other herbaceous plants at this nursery, contains many very interesting 
features at the present time, and a neat iron frame has been erected over them, for 
the support of mats to protect them during the winter, which we may probably 
make the subject of future notice. 


140 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


Mr. Kyiaut’s, Chelsea. A most remarkable species of Aristolochia was in 
flower at this nursery when we visited it about a fortnight since, which we are 
inclined to consider as new. The flowers, which are full six inches in length, and 
probably not less than from three to four inches across, are of a cream-coloured 
ground, and most beautifully spotted and striped with purple. It is at present, 
we believe, destitute of a specific name, and appears to be a stove species. A new 
and very pretty species of Spirwa is now producing its pure white, and semi-double 
blossoms in this collection, and these are of a peculiarly neat and interesting 
character; the foliage is likewise good, being deeply serrated, and very distinct 
from that of any known species. Azalea littorea. This is one of the most profuse 
flowering of all Azaleas, and is likewise valuable on account of its producing its 
blossoms some time after those of all the other species have faded; it is now 
making a most brilliant display in the conservatory of the above gentleman. An 
exceedingly interesting species of Cypripedium is also flowering at the nursery 
above named, and is part of an importation received from North America during 
the last year. The petals of the flowers are pure white, and the large protuberant 
lip is of a delicate blush colour, liberally spotted and blotched with lilac and purple. 
We should consider it a new species. 

Messrs. Loppicns’, Hackney. Aspasia variegata. This is a very interesting 
and beautiful little orchidaceous plant, and is flowering at the present time in the 
extensive collection of these gentlemen. The flowers assimilate in colour and 
beauty to some of the splendid species of Zygopetalum, but are inferior to them in 
size. Itis an indispensable feature in a good collection of these plants. These 
gentlemen have likewise a new orchidaceous plant in flower, which will most pro- 
bably prove to be a species of Aspasia ; it is not so pretty as the one just noticed, 
the flowers being for the most part yellow; still it is an interesting plant, and 
worthy of attention. Some remarkably fine specimens of Dendrobium moschatum 
are flowering in a most extraordinary manner with these gentlemen, and on two 
spikes of flowers which were growing in contact with each other, we observed no 
fewer than thirty large and perfect blossoms. The appearance of the plants, each 
of which is producing a great number of similar spikes of flowers, is most magnifi- 
cent. In another part of the house, two excellent plants of Saccolobium premorsum 
are exhibiting individually two large spikes of their charming blossoms, which are 
perhaps among the most lovely features of this beautiful tribe. 

Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Syringa Josikeiit. This is at present a rare species of 
Syringa, very distinct from any previously known, and apparently as hardy as any 
of the species which are usually cultivated in our gardens. In its foliage and 
wood it is superior to the common lilac, being stronger and bolder in-its habit ; 
the flowers however are not so brilliant in colour, as they are much paler. Its 
odour is not so powerful, and more agreeable than the species just alluded to, and 
it is now flowering at this nursery in the open ground. Chysis aurea is flowering 
profusely at this time in the orchidaceous-house, and is a valuable feature in this 


interesting tribe. There is also a very fine hybrid mimulus in flower in the 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 141 


greenhouse of this gentleman, which is of a stronger and more luxuriant habit than 
most others of the same character, with which we are acquainted ; but its distin- 
guishing feature is that the spots in the flowers, (which otherwise resemble M. 
Smithii, and others,) are not of one uniform colour, but are mottled and blotched 
in a most curious and interesting manner. It is certainly a most ornamental 
plant, and highly worthy of a place in any collection where variety is sought for 
or desired. 

Messrs. Roxiiisons’,, Tooting. Mazillaria tenuifolia. This is a new and 
exceedingly pretty species of the extensive genus above mentioned, and derives its 
name from its small and narrow foliage. The flowers are small, but singularly 
beautiful, combining in them a striking variety of rich and showy colours. It is a 
plant of considerable merit, and should be in every collection of orchidaceee. In 
the excellent collection of these gentlemen a new and curious species of Plewrothalis 
is now in flower, the blossoms of which, though small, are interesting and pretty, 
and are produced in racemes which spring from the centre of the leaves. It is 
valuable only to lovers of novelty. Messrs. Rollison also possess a new species of 
Dendrobium, now coming into flower, which they have recently imported from 
Ceylon ; the flowers appear to resemble D. cucullatum externally, but they were 
not expanded when we saw them, and the most remarkable feature in the plant is 
that the pseudo bulbs are nearly an inch in diameter at the base, from which they 
gradually become elongated into slender stems, from one to two feet in height,"and 
on these latter the young shoots and flowers are produced. It will probably prove 
valuable, and will doubtless be new. Helichrysum macranthum. This is a very 
elegant new species of this interesting genus, the flowers of which are of a delicate, 
pale rose-colour, and are very interesting and ornamental. It is now in flower in 
the greenhouse of this nursery. 

Mr. Youne's, Epsom. Philibertia grandiflora. This interesting climbing 
greenhouse plant, which is yet extremely rare, is now flowering profusely at this 
nursery ; the flowers are of a light stone-coloured ground, and are prettily streaked 
and marked with purple. The plant produces three or four flowers from the axil 
of each leaf, and it appears to flower in very abundant succession; on which 
account it will prove a valuable accession to our present stock of greenhouse 
climbing plants. Malva Towardu. This is a handsome new species of Malva, 
producing a large spike of.its showy blossoms when not more than one foot high. 
It is a half-hardy species, and is now in flower in the open ground, at the above 
nursery, though it will doubtless require the protection of a greenhouse or frame 
in the winter. Platystemon Californicum. This pretty annual is now producing 
its elegant pale sulphur-coloured blossoms in the nursery of this gentleman, and 
forms a most interesting feature among other hardy annuals. Bartonia aurea, 
another plant of annual duration, and equally rare and interesting, is also exhibiting 
its bright orange-coloured flowers most profusely at this nursery, and is highly 
worthy of a place in every collection. 


142 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 
IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


On the propagation of hybrid and other Azaleas. 

Tne numerous splendid greenhouse species and varieties of Azalea are, perhaps, 
of all other greenhouse plants the most ornamental, and none more amply remune- 
rate the cultivator for any care and attention that may be bestowed upon them ; 
while the early period of the season at which they flower, the size and brilliancy 
of the colours of their flowers, and the very abundant manner in which they are 
produced, all contribute to impress them as objects of real and permanent interest 
-and value. In cultivating the more valuable sorts, and those of recent introduction, 
some persons experience considerable difficulty ; and notwithstanding that every 
precaution is taken to defend them from injury, it is found that many of them 
perish during the winter season, and others, though they are preserved alive, are 
maintained in such a sickly condition that they never flower in perfection. It is 
perfectly natural to suppose that for these injurious effects there must be an 
exciting cause, and this cause having been duly sought for, has been found to be 
the following. The more delicate and valuable sorts are all furnished with such 
small and weak roots, that, in the winter season, the slightest excess of moisture 
causes them to rot, and as this process proceeds, the plants become unhealthy, and 
their destruction is almost inevitable ; for it is impossible for any plant to subsist 
after its roots—which are the receptacles and reservoirs of its nourishment—have 
decayed. To the method of propagation which is pursued by most cultivators, 
this ill success is entirely attributable ; for, as the mode of multiplying these plants 
by cuttings is so very simple, and is attended with such little difficulty, it is very 
generally adopted, and the consequence is, that the plants thus produced are never 
able to form roots of their own sufficiently strong for enduring any superabundance 
of moisture that may accumulate in the pots, and the retention of which is some- 
times almost unavoidable in the cold and damp weather which is so prevalent in 
the winter months. To remedy this evil, Messrs. Knight, Henderson, and other 
eminent cultivators, propagate the more delicate varieties by grafting or inarching 
the young shoots on stocks of A. indica phenicea ; and the success which attends 
the performance of this operation must be obvious to every person who has 
witnessed the splendid specimens in the collection of either of the above gentlemen, 
and the superb manner in which they flower. We last month had the pleasure of 
recording, that we saw in the collection of Messrs. Henderson two of the most 
magnificent specimens of a beautiful variety of this genus which we ever previously 
witnessed ; and we attribute their extraordinary beauty in a great measure to the 
fact of their having been grafted on stocks of the variety before named. We 
might also direct attention to the many beautiful specimens in the collection of 


OPERATIONS FOR JULY. 143 


Mr. Knight, where sorts that are considered extremely difficult to cultivate, are, by 
this treatment, brought to a high state of excellence. We therefore strongly 
recommend the practice of this system to our readers, as a means of rendering these 
much-admired plants still more interesting and ornamental, and indeed, as the 
only means by which some of them can be induced to flower at all. “The operation. 
may be performed in precisely the same manner as it is with Camellias, and also at 
the same period of the growth of the plants, that is, as soon as they have ceased 
flowering. They may likewise be grafted successfully, provided that some clay, or, 
what is much more suitable, a glutinous composition termed ‘ gardener’s wax,” be 
placed round the place where the graft and the stock are united, for the purpose 
of excluding light and air. A number of stocks may be readily produced from 
cuttings, and the height at which they should be grafted must be regulated entirely 
according to the taste of the cultivator, as, by pruning them, or allowing them to 
grow to any required length, the plants may be kept either as standards or dwarfs, 
both of which systems are exceedingly ornamental ; but perhaps the most suitable 
height for stocks on which to perform this operation, is, from nine to eighteen 
inches, higher than which their appearance is more novel than interesting. 


OPERATIONS FOR JULY. 

As the mean temperatyre of the atmosphere is usually higher this month than 
at any other period of the year, and the influence of the sun is more uniformly and 
powerfully felt, it is of chief importance that every plant, in whatever situation, but 
more especially those in artificial circumstances, should be carefully and constantly 
supplied with water when required; otherwise the great evaporation, both from 
the soil and the leaves of plants, would greatly injure, and in many cases prove 
destructive to, vegetable life. The great lack of rain during the spring months of 
this season has rendered attention to this point more particularly necessary in the 
open air, and not only herbaceous and half-hardy plants, but many shrubs and 
trees that are growing in exposed situations, and whose roots lie near the surface 
of the ground, must be abundantly watered, if this is not furnished from natural 
causes. 

Orchidaceous plants should be efficiently shaded during the heat of the day, 
and the time of putting on and taking off the materials used for this purpose must 
be regulated according to the aspect of the house. As the roots of many of them 
will now be protruding through the soil, particular care should be taken to guard 
_ these from the rays of the sun, especially if they cannot conveniently be covered 
with moss or soil; and those which are attached to blocks of wood, or suspended 
in baskets, should be frequently watered. The atmosphere of the house should 


likewise be kept slightly humid, to counteract the effects of the increased evapora- 
tion. 


144 OPERATIONS FOR JULY. 


Stove plants will derive great advantage from a partial shading during the glare 
of the day at this season, which will preserve them in their natural luxuriance, and 
also render them less liable to injury from drought. Water must be administered 
liberally, both to the roots, and also over the leaves. and branches by a syringe ; 
but this latter’ operation should never be performed until the sun has ceased shining 
on the house, or the leaves would be in danger of being scorched. Cuttings of any 
desirable sort may now be successfully struck, and all climbing plants should be 
kept within due bounds. : 

Greenhouse plants cannot be too sedulously attended to with regard to water- 
ing, as there are frequently more plants lost this month (particularly heaths) for 
want of water, than there are in the winter season, through excessive moisture. 
This is not so much owing to the direct influence of the sun upon the surface of 
the soil in the pots, as to the heat of the sun penetrating the pots, and burning or 
parching the root fibres, which usually find their way to the sides of the pot. It 
is therefore important, that where the pots are very much exposed to the sun, they 
should be protected by moss or other similar material, and that in watering, not 
only the soil in the pots, but the pots themselves, should be thoroughly wetted. 
The artificial heat applied.to Camellias may now be gradually diminished, and 
when their growth is completed, they will not require so much water, though the 
soil should never be allowed to become too dry. Pelargoniums should have their 
shoots shortened to within a few inches of the stem, as soon as their flowers have 
faded, when the shoots may be made into cuttings, and struck in a gentle heat 
under a hand-glass, and the old plants should be repotted, and placed in a slightly 
humid heat. Succulent plants, that have ceased growing, should be watered rather 
sparingly, and only allowed sufficient moisture to preserve them from drooping or 
shrivelling. Propagate by cuttings any greenhouse plants whose shoots are of a 
proper size and consistence. 

In the flower-garden, as we have before remarked, watering is of primary 
importance at this season. Chrysanthemums that were struck from cuttings last 
month, may now be planted out, retaining a few in pots for the greenhouse or 
conservatory. It will be advisable to clear away a portion of the flower-stems 
that are produced on the old plants, otherwise they will not flower in perfection. 
Another sowing of hardy annuals may be made this month, for the purpose of 
obtaining a succession of flowers in the autumn. Seeds of any plants that are now 
producing them, and which it may be desirable to save, should be carefully collected 
on a fine day, and spread out upon paper to dry. Dahlias will require watering 
this month, but it is better to place some damp, retentive, rotten manure round the 
base of the stem, to the distance of one foot or eighteen inches, which will 
effectually preserve the roots in a cool and moist condition. 


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ALIGUST 1,1838, 


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145 


COMESPERMA GRACILIS. 


(SLENDFR COMESPERMA. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


MONADELPHIA. OCTANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


POLYGALEA, 


Guneric Cuaracter.— Sepals five-sepalled, deciduous; two inner sepals of the form of wings, three outer 
ones small. Petals three to five, united with the tube of the stamens, the lower one keel-formed, 
three-lobed ; middle lobe beardless, entire, or emarginate ; two lateral petals scale-formed, two supe- 
rior ones alternating with the superior sepals of the calyx. Stamens eight, united into a tube, which 
is cleft in front, free at the apex. Anthers bursting by a terminal pore. Fruit capsular, two- 
celled, spatulate, tapering towards the base. Seeds with a long tuft of hair at their base-—Don’s 
Gard. and Botany. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Plant suffruticose. Stems numerous, very slender, twining. eaves few in 
number, linear-lanceolate, bluntish, slightly wavy at the margins. Rtacemes axillary, many- 
flowered. lowers very numerous ; wings bright blue; keel purple. Capsules half an inch long, 
flattened, with four projecting angles, enlarging towards the upper extremity, two-seeded. 

Ir the vast number of plants which are constantly being introduced to this 
country, were to be subjected to the test of well-founded and established criteria, 
and cultivated only when possessed of real and sterling merits, we imagine that 
many which are now allowed a place in our collections, solely on account of their 
novelty, would speedily be discarded, and their place supplied with older, but 
more truly ornamental and valuable species. From such a circumstance, however, 
the present new and highly-interesting plant would be in no danger of suffering 
any detraction in the cultivator’s esteem, as its graceful and elegant habits, and 
the number, the beauty, and the durability of its blossoms, combine to render it at 


once a desirable and ornamental feature in any collection. 


This pretty species was raised in the Epsom nursery in the year 1834, from 
seeds casually communicated to Messrs. Young, and probably received from 
Australia, of which vast and prolific continent it is doubtless a native. In the 
year 1836 it first produced its flowers, but they were then far inferior to those 


VOL. V.—NO. LV. U 


146 COMESPERNA GRACILIS. 


which have since been developed, and at the time our drawing was taken, the 
~ plant was one of the most beautiful objects we ever witnessed, the profusion of 


flowers being truly astonishing. 


It is an extremely slow-growing plant, the specimen raised in 1834 not being 
at the present time more than three feet high ; and another peculiarity is, that the 
leaves, which are never very conspicuous, progressively decay, leaving the base of — 
the stems entirely naked. Being a twining species, it is important that the 
shoots should be secured to stakes, or other material, in the direction which they 
are desired to take, at an early period of their growth, otherwise they will twine 
around each other in such a manner, as to render a more regular disposition of 


them impracticable without greatly injuring them. 


In its cultivation there are few particulars worthy of remark, except that it has 
been deemed advisable, in potting, to elevate the soil a little in the centre of the 
pot, to facilitate the escape of water, as the roots, being small, are susceptible of 
injury from any redundance of this element. A mixture of loam and peat has 
been found a suitable compost for this plant, but it may here be observed that the 
soil should be enriched as much as may be deemed consistent, in order to promote 


a greater degree of luxuriance than has yet been attained. 


Cuttings of the young shoots will strike if planted in pure sand, placed in a 
gentle heat, and preserved from superfluous moisture; and seeds, which ripen 


tolerably well, will most probably vegetate by being slightly stimulated. 


In the nursery of Messrs. Young, Epsom, the specimen from which our figure 


was obtained flowered in great perfection in April last. 


The generic name alludes to the little feathery tuft of hairs which is attached 


to each of the seeds. 


Vine 


ZLLZ, 


Li) 


OU 


Vi 


LOAMMTIL 


Hi 


147 


ILLICIUM FLORIDANUM. 


(FLORIDA ANISEED-TREE. ) 


CLASS. ; ORDER, 


POLY ANDRIA. POLYGYNIA., 


NATURAL ORDER. 


| MAGNOLIACE/E. 
Generic Cuaractrr.—Calyx of three to six petal-like sepals. Carpels stellately disposed, capsular 
opening on the under side, one-seeded. Seeds shining. Don’s Gard. and Botany. 


Sprciric Cuaracter.—Leaves petiolate, broadly ovate, acute, partially reclinate. Petals twenty-seven. 
to thirty, dark purple, outer oblong, inner ones lanceolate, usually curved inwards at their extremities 


Tux principal merit of the plant represented in the accompanying plate, is the 
delightful fragrance resident in its leaves and flowers, and which is possessed to so 
great a degree as to obtain for it a generic appellation which signifies “ to attract,” 
or “to allure.” Its foliage and flowers, however, are by no means destitute of 
other attractions, for the bold and handsome character of the former, together with 
the fine pendent clusters of dark-purple double blossoms, constitute it an ornamental 
as well as a fragrant species, and prove that it possesses charms and allurements 
for the organs of vision, in conjunction with its recommendations to the olfactory 
sense. | 

This species has been known in this country for more than seventy years, having 
been introduced in the year 1766 ; notwithstanding which, it is far less common 
than many plants of recent introduction, and is not usually well cultivated. It 
appears to us to require nearly the same treatment as the genus Camellia ; that is, 
so far as relates to light, moisture, and soil, not needing the change of temperature 
which is usually given to that genus. <A situation in a house with a western 
aspect, an abundant supply of moisture, both to the roots and also over the leaves 
and branches, during the growing season, and a compost of loam and heath- 
soil, in which the latter should predominate, with careful attention to potting and 


drainage, would doubtless tend much to the improvement of ‘this plant, and also to 


148 ILLICIUM FLORIDANUM. 


its cultivation in a superior manner to that which has hitherto been witnessed. 
We would also suggest, that this plant be turned out into the border of the green- 
house or conservatory, as it is more than probable that, in such a situation, it 
would exhibit itself in a new and far more interesting character than if sonia in 


‘a pot, as it has generally been up to the present time. 


That it is not more extensively distributed through our collections is, we 
conceive, chiefly owing to its being rather difficult to propagate, and also because it 
does not produce a great number of young shoots. Cuttings taken from the 
extremities of the latter, and planted in pure sand, will strike with certainty, 
though tardily, if placed in a gentle hotbed, and covered with a small glass. It is 
usually increased, however, by layers, which should be fastened down into a pot 
placed at the required distance from the one in which the plant is growing, but it 
is almost indispensable to the success of this method that the shoot to be layered 
should either be tongued, or have an incision made in it, at the point from whence 


the roots are expected to proceed. 
This plant is a native of West Florida, and is said to be found in great 
abundance on the banks of the river Mississippi, and in low marshy situations near 
the town of Pensacola. | 
‘The generic name is explained in the preceding page, while the specific appella- 


tion refers to the native country of this species. 


AUGUST 1,18) — 


} 
| 
| 
| 


a) : 2 
ACGLALM VGA YYOMLAMIY. 


¢ 


149 


ECHIUM GIGANTEUM. 


(GIGANTIC VIPER’s BUGLOSS.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


BORAGINEZE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Calyz five-parted. Corolla funnel-shaped or campanulate ; throat wide, naked ; 
segments of the limb unequal in many of the species. Stamens exserted. Style bifid at top, 
hairy at the base. MNzts four, one-celled, turbinate, gigartoid, scabrous, imperforated at the base, 
fixed at the bottom of the calyx.— Don’s Gard. and Botany. 


Specivic Cuaracter.—Stem branched, hoary at top. Leaves lanceolate, bluntish, three to four inches 
long, and about half an inch broad, tapering at the base into half stem-clasping petioles. Calycine 
segments linear, lanceolate, mucronate, unequal. Corolla white, fading to purplish; segments 
obtuse, nearly equal.—Don’s Gard. and Botany. 


Wiru the great majority of the plant cultivators of this country, the preference 
for particular flowers is almost as fleeting and inconstant as that for dress; and as, 
in that fickle propensity, the objects which at one time excite the most lively 
interest, and are held in the highest estimation, are after a time displaced by 
other favourites, and sink into apparent oblivion ; till on a sudden they are again 
elevated to their former position, are invested with their previous or even additional 
charms, and carry away the minds of men willing and enthusiastic captives to their 
attractive influence. 

The primary notice and subsequent neglect of the present plant, as well as of 
many of its allies, prove that it has passed through two of the changes above 
delineated ; but with regard to the reaction of public opinion in its favour, we are 
not aware that any such circumstance has transpired ; and, being fully sensible of 
its merits, we have taken the present opportunity of introducing it by a drawing 
to the attention of our readers, as an old plant that is highly worthy of extensive 


cultivation. - 


It is somewhat singular, that of the numerous species of Echiwm which have 


150 a ECHIUM GIGANTEUM. 


been introduced to this country, so few are now cultivated in our collections ; as it 
is very rarely that we meet with any of the greenhouse species. They are all of 
them exceedingly beautiful, but the one here figured is particularly interesting and 
ornamental. It was received by Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, under the name with 
which it now appears, but there exists some little doubt whether this appellation is 
“correct, as the specimen in the collection of these gentlemen has not at present 
attained the great height for which E. gigantewm is remarkable, and the flowers 


are pale blue. In other respects, it corresponds with the description above given. 


The flowers are produced in a large terminal spike, and after those first 
expanded have faded, they are succeeded by others on smaller lateral spikes, the 
plant thus continuing in bloom for several months; on account of which, and 
of the bright azure colour of the flowers, it is a welcome and valuable acquisition to 


a collection of greenhouse plants. 


It is cultivated without difficulty by being potted in a soil composed of sandy 
loam and heath-mould, not requiring a very large pot, but some caution being 
necessary in the administration of water. Cuttings, if procured, would most 
probably strike freely in sand, under a bell-glass, but the mode of propagation by 


seeds appears to be the preferable one, when these ripen themselves sufficiently. 


This species is a native of the Canary Islands, and, according to Loudon, was 
first introduced to this country in the year 1779. The drawing now given was 
taken from a specimen in the nursery of Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, in the month 


of April of the present year, and is now (August) again beautifully in flower. 


seis 


Bes 


AUGUST 1.1638 


CS ey Vt PAC saallelt WL. 


15] 


EPIMEDIUM MACRANTHUM. 


(LaRGE-FLOWERED BARREN-WORT. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


TETRANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


BERBERACE/. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. v., p. 123. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Leaves thrice ternate ; leaflets cordate-ovate. Petioleshairy. Racemes many- 
flowered. Sepals linear, obtuse. Petals ovate-lanceolate, the exterior ones as well as the interior 
furnished with spurs of double their length. 


Amonest the numerous individuals who are engaged either for pleasure or 
emolument in exploring the botanical treasures of unknown regions, and from 
thence diffusing throughout the world the various new and valuable plants which 
they are fortunate enough to discover, Dr. Siebold is peculiarly entitled to 
honourable mention for his zealous exertions in Japan, which have furnished to the 
collections of Europe during the past few years a greater number of truly beautiful 
plants than had been previously received for a considerable length of time. Several 
of these plants have appeared at various times in our Magazine, and the annexed 
figure represents another of a peculiarly interesting character ; still there are a vast 
number which have never yet flowered in this country, and others which have not 
been received from the Continent, the most deserving of which we shall continue 


to figure as opportunities may offer. 


This species, it will be seen, bears some resemblance to the one (E. violaceum) 
- figured in our last number, though it is obviously distinct from it, and is unques- 
tionably superior, both the flowers and foliage being larger, and of a stronger and 
bolder habit ; the flowers are likewise of a lighter colour, are produced rather more 
numerously, and at a shorter distance from each other on the spikes, and are usually 


in clusters of three. 


We received this plant at Chatsworth in the autumn of last year,-through the 


152 EPIMEDIUM MACRANTHUM. 


kindness of Mr. Newman, the director of the Paris Botanic Garden, since which 
time we have seen it endure the open air during the past severe winter with perfect 
impunity, and without any other protection than a slight additional covering of 


light soil. , 
It flowers most abundantly in the months of Apml and May, at which time 


our drawing was taken at Chatsworth in the present year. 


Hither cultivated in a pot, or planted in the open ground, it is a most delightful 
and ornamental little plant ; and, from the facility with which it may be grown, 
the early period of the season at which it produces its delicate and showy blossoms, 
as well as the great abundance of the latter, (plants of a moderate size bearing 
three or four spikes of flowers,) it should be in the collection of every admirer of 
hardy herbaceous plants. 

The specific name alludes to the large size of the flowers compared with those 
of the other known species, and this plant is frequently called L. grandiflorum, 


which has precisely the same signification. 


153 


PLEASURES OF GARDENING. 


oe ee 


GARDENING, as a recreation, has ranked among its votaries illustrious princes, 
and renowned philosophers, and has ever been the favourite amusement of the 
most eminent and worthy of mankind, whether occupying exalted positions in 
public life, or fulfilling the more retired and unobtrusive duties of a private sphere. 
It is at once a pleasure of the greatest, and a care of the meanest, and indeed, an 
enjoyment and occupation for which no man can be too high or too low. The 
interest which flowers have excited in the breast of man, from the earliest ages to 
the present day, has never been restrained to any particular class of society, or 
quarter of the globe. Nature seems to have liberally distributed them over the 
whole world, as precious medicaments for both body and mind, to impart cheerful- 
ness to the earth, and to furnish agreeable sensations to its inhabitants. The 
savage of the forest, in the joy of his heart, binds his brow with the native flowers 
of his romantic haunts, whilst a taste for their cultivation increases in every 
country, in proportion to its advancement in civilization and refinement. Love for 
a garden has a most powerful influence in attracting men to their homes; and on 
this account, every encouragement that is given to promote a taste for ornamental 
gardening, secures an additional guarantee for domestic comfort, and the unity, 
morality, and happiness of the social circle. It is likewise a recreation which 
conduces materially to health, advances intellectual improvement, softens the man- 
ners, and subdues the tempers of men. 

Flowers are of all embellishments the most beautiful, and of all the sentient 
tribes, man alone seems capable of deriving enjoyment from them. The love for 
them commences with infancy, continues unabated throughout the period of adoles- 
cence and youth, increases with our years, and becomes a great and fertile source 
of comfort and gratification in our declining days. The infant no sooner walks, than 
its first employment is to plant a flower in the earth, removing it ten times in a 
day to wherever the sun appears to shine most favourably. ‘The schoolboy in 
the care of his little plot of ground is relieved from his studies, and loses all the 
anxious thoughts and cares of the tasks in which he has been engaged, or the 
home which he may have left. In manhood, our attention is generally demanded 
by more active duties, or by more imperious and perhaps less innocent occupations ; 
still a few hours’ employment in gardening affords a delightful recreation, and as age 
obliges us to retire from public life, the attachment to flowers, and the pleasure in 
gardening, return to soothe the latter period of our life. 

In the growth of flowers, from the first tender shoots which rise from the earth, 
through all the changes which they undergo to the period of their utmost perfec- 
tion, man beholds the wonderful process of creative wisdom and power. He 

VOL. V.—NO. LV. x 


154 ON THE PLEASURES OF GARDENING. 


views the bud as it swells, looks into the expanded blossom, and delights in its 

rich tints and fragrant odours; but above all, he feels a charm in contemplating 

the precise conformation and mutual adaptation of its organs, and the undeviating 

regularity with which their various metamorphoses are effected ; before which, all the 

combined ingenuity of man dwindles into nothingness. For while the simple cul- 

tivation and management of flowers is productive of much innocent pleasure, how ° 
immensely is that pleasure enhanced when science is secured as its auxiliary! The 

cultivator of flowers on whom the light of science has just dawned, feels like one 

emerging into anew sphere of existence. A multitude of subjects, previously 

unheeded, present themselves to his consideration, which as he proceeds to contem- 

plate them, diverge into successive series of interesting associations, and awaken in 

his mind emotions of pleasure and gratification of which he was before unconscious. 

Instead of being content blindly to follow the ordinary routine of management 

which example prescribes, he perceives that certain plants require a peculiar mode 

of treatment, and is led to inquire why that treatment is necessary. In prosecut- 

ing this investigation, other and more intricate subjects present themselves to his 

mind ; thus, inquiry begets inquiry, and one suggestion gives birth to another, 

until, in the solution of them, he discovers that all nature is governed by universal 

and unerring laws, that the annual changes to which plants are subjected are 

intended to answer specific and important ends, and that the whole chain of grada- 

tion in organized matter is linked together in the most perfect order and harmony. 

This knowledge attained, he suffers not the most trifling of nature’s phenomena to 

pass unnoticed. The development of a leaf on the most familiar tree, offers a 

field for his observation, for he learns that it is destined to bring forth, nourish, and 

mature a germ, which is capable of producing a distinct tree, that in process of 
time would equal or even exceed in size the parent that forced it into existence. 

He observes the leaves wither and fall in the autumn without regret, informed that 

they have duly fulfilled their important functions, and that, were they capable of 
remaining, they would probably excite the young buds into premature action, and 

cause them to fall a prey to the inclemency of the coming season. 

But science is likewise capable of imparting an interest to the most common 
gardening operations. The pupil of science scatters his seeds into the ground and 
covers them with soil, because he knows that they must be thus excluded from 
light, and enveloped with soil, that the various genial gaseous elements involved 
in such a situation may stimulate the vital principle into action; he, however, 
spreads the soil over them very lightly, since he is equally well aware that prox- 
imity to the atmosphere is alike essential to their germination. He watches the 
young seed-lobes as they appear through the ground, and in imagination perceives 
the little rootlet issuing simultaneously from the newly excited embryo ; the first 
leaves are soon formed, and calculating correctly on a similar extension and rami- 
fication of the root, he takes the earliest opportunity of transplanting it to its 
desired destination. This operation he either defers till dull and cloudy weather, 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 155 


or affords his plants an artificial shading from the sun, well knowing that the deli- 
cate seedlings require time gradually to accommodate themselves to their new 
position, before they can absorb sufficient liquid nutriment to counteract the profuse 
evaporation which would take place, were they not screened from the sun’s rays. 

On such a subject, however, it is needless to expatiate, for after all, the plea- 
sures of gardening are not derivable from elaborate treatises, neither are they easily 
communicable. They must be sought after to be duly appreciated; and once 
tasted, the mind will never become satiated, but will rove as the bee from flower 
to flower in search of delicious and nutritive sweets, extracting fresh stores of wis- 
dom and pleasure from each successive object, till finally, it succeeds in amassing 
that which most truly constitutes man rich—a fund of knowledge of his Creator’s 
works. 


REMARKS ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


ARTICLE Il].—THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT—(continued). 


Havine, in preceding articles, directed the attention of our readers to the 
influence of light upon the plants which are usually cultivated in the stove, as also 
upon those which are termed “succulent plants ;” and having, from the varied 
effect of such influence therein demonstrated, deduced a few practical inferences 
with regard to the culture and management of the more important members of 
these sections ; we proposed taking into consideration the effect of different degrees 
of light on the various tribes of greenhouse plants, and endeavouring to show how 
such plants may be improved and cultivated to greater perfection by the application 
of a correct knowledge of sound physiological principles, and the examination and 
investigation of their natural habits in this respect. 

As we intend on the present occasion to treat this subject solely as a practical 
question, we proceed at once to the matter under consideration ; and will premise by 
stating, thatintheterm “greenhouse plants” we include heaths, orange trees, camellias, 
pelargoniums, and miscellaneous plants requiring the protection of the greenhouse ; 
upon which five divisions we propose offering a few separate remarks, not however 
upon the whole system of their cultivation, but solely with reference to the subject 
now before us. ‘There is perhaps no genus or tribe of plants in the whole vegetable 
kingdom, the cultivation of which is apparently attended with such great difficulty, 
and in which such numerous failures are constantly experienced, as the genus Evica ; 
and although some eminent cultivators, who have written on the subject, deny that 
there is any difficulty in growing the plants of this beautiful genus, the very fact 
of their considering it necessary to lay down such a number of specific rules for 
their management, supplies their own confutation of such a statement. The 
difficulty, therefore, in cultivating heaths, as indeed any other plants, ceases io 


156 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


exist only when their particular habits are correctly known, and until this informa- 
tion is acquired, it is vain to think of growing them to perfection. The ill success 
which is so frequently experienced, is in a great measure attributable to the use of 
improper soil, to unskilful potting, and injudicious watering ; but we imagine that 
one ordinary and cogent cause is the want of due attention to the influence which 
solar light possesses or exercises upon them. Every person who cultivates a 
collection of heaths, or even only a few species of them, must have had the 
mortification of witnessing some of his plants wither and die during the summer 
season, notwithstanding he had administered water to them three or four times in 
the course of a day. It becomes then a question of great interest with the cul- 
tivator how this lamentable catastrophe may be averted ; and some may be ready 
to ask, will not placing the plants at a greater distance from the glass, and admit- 
ting a free circulation of air by ventilation, preserve them from this sudden 
destruction ?—to which we answer, that the former of these practices is manifestly 
injudicious, being productive of great injury to the plants in dull weather, by 
causing them to become drawn and weakly, and consequently rendering them still 
more tender and susceptible of injury from the sun’s influences ; while the latter 
method has been proved to be wholly ineffectual, as we (and we doubt not many 
other cultivators) have lost specimens of our most beautiful species in a hot 
summer's day, although the house in which they were kept was ventilated in the 
most perfect manner possible. This is no doubt the effect of the vehemence of the 
sun’s beams causing such rapid and excessive evaporation that the functions of the 
plant are deranged or impaired to such an extent as to be unable to maintain the 
vital principle. We are not prepared to define the connexion between solar light 
and heat, nor to distinguish the influence of the former from the latter upon plants : 
it must be apparent to our readers that heat is so intimately concurrent with the 
immediate light of the sun, that, for practical purposes, it is impossible to consider 
them apart. We shall be excused, therefore, if in this article on “ light” we appear 
to confound it with “heat.” Solar heat and light are such invariable concomitants, 
that the means employed to mitigate the one, will necessarily in some degree 
diminish the other; indeed, when treating of light, we may be understood to 
include its inseparable associate—solar heat. 

From the foregoing demonstration of the powerful and injurious influence which 
the sun’s rays exert on the various species of Erica, it is palpable that they should 
never be placed indiscriminately amongst other plants which require a great degree 
of solar light, but should always be cultivated in a house by themselves ; and we 
are sure that no individual will deny that they are eminently worthy of this 
distinction, as well as of every care and attention that can be bestowed upon them. 
We are aware that some of the best heath cultivators have already practised this 
system, but we are anxivus to see it more extensively adopted ; and what we now 
wish especially to enforce, as one of the most important advantages that may be 
derived from such a system, and as the result of our present inquiry into this 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 157 


subject, is the necessity of shading the house with thin canvass during the heat of 
the day in the summer months. This canvass should be so placed that it may be 
rolled on or off the house at pleasure, and it should always be removed when the 
sun is not shining too fiercely, as it is only a great intensity of solar ight which 
injures these plants, and they should never be secluded from light when the sun is 
not shining. It is the necessity and propriety of shading which we have all along 
had in view in speaking of these plants, and to this we again earnestly urge the 
attention of our readers. It is true that some few of the species of this genus are 
found in situations where they are exposed to great drought, caused by the 
intensity of the sun’s rays during a brief portion of the year; but it should not be 
forgotten that many of these grow naturally in a loamy soil, which every one will 
admit is more retentive of moisture than that in which we usually place them. 
And, again,—others that inhabit exposed localities, grow in mountainous districts, 
or even in the clefts of rocks, im which case their roots are supplied with moisture 
from the portions of rock which surround them, as these constantly retain a greater 
or less degree of it. Besides, who will attempt to argue that a plant, the roots of 
which are confined in a pot, and that pot, as well as the surface of the small portion 
of soil it contains, exposed to the full action or influence of the sun—is not more 
liable to injury from exhausting evaporation, than one in a situation where only 
the surface of the soil in which it is growing is exposed, and where it must likewise 
always receive some moisture by absorption from the sub-soil? No one, we feel 
assured, can for a moment entertain such an opinion, much less endeavour to 
support it. Therefore, admitting that certain species of this genus are found in 
those localities where they are occasionally subjected to a great degree of solar light 
and heat, and consequently of drought, we maintain that even in such situations 
they possess great advantages over those which are kept in our greenhouses, 
enjoying counteracting influences which the latter do not, and are thus enabled to 
endure the full blaze of a summer’s sun. But it is notorious that the majority of 
them are met with in more or less shaded positions ; and this proves that we are 
not deviating from nature’s treatment in proposing an artificial shading for them 
in those purely artificial situations and unnatural circumstances under which they 
are here cultivated. Indeed, we confess that we should not scruple to depart from 
the precepts of nature, where, owing to the adventitious and foreign influences to 
which they are necessarily subjected, a system of treatment could be found more 
congenial to the habits of natural productions when under artificial cultivation ; but 
where that system has not and cannot be ascertained, (which is the case with most, 
we do not say all plants,) we deem it advisable and expedient to adhere as strictly 
as possible to the course prescribed by nature; and when by experiment and 
investigation other systems are found to be more suitable, we shall willingly and 
gladly adopt them. We therefore again repeat, that every person who is desirous of 
making any advancement in the cultivation of heaths, should have them collected 
into one house, placed at. a slight distance from the glass, and shaded from the 


\ 


158 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


scorching rays of the summer sun. By this latter mode of treatment, the plants 
will not only be preserved from sudden destruction by the fierce rays of the sun, 
but the generation of mildew, which is well known to prove so fatal to heaths, will 
be in a great measure prevented. Most practical writers on the subject of heath- 
culture, agree in ascribing the production of mildew on these plants to the effect of 
the too-powerful rays of the summer’s sun; and it is recommended to place the 
more delicate sorts in a frame during the summer season, the lights of which are 
glazed with green glass ; removing the latter entirely when the sun is not shining. 
This practice, however, is far more expensive, and certainly not more effectual, than 
that of shading the house in which the plants are kept, for the lights would be 
entirely useless in the winter season ; the plants likewise would not be exhibited 
to advantage in such a situation ; and we reiterate our opinion, that shading is not 
only a useful and important feature, but the most preferable mode that can be 
pursued, in the cultivation of heaths. 

Passing on to the consideration of the effect of light on orange trees, we find 
ourselves involved in a curious and somewhat intricate inquiry. No person who 
has witnessed the orange houses of this country, which have been built for the 
professed and almost exclusive purpose of cultivating orange trees, but must have 
been impressed with the notion that these plants are impatient of light, and 
incapable of enduring a great degree of it. With massive walls of brick or stone, 
on the southern side of which a few windows are generally introduced, and the only 
other light that can be admitted being conveyed through the roof, which is certainly 
sometimes glazed, but elevated to an immense height ; our orangeries have more 
the appearance of gloomy prisons, than repositories for plants. The general heavy 
character of these structures must appear the more extraordinary to the casual 
observer, from the circumstance of most cultivators exposing their plants to the 
open air during that period of the year in which solar light is the most powerful, 
and its action much more continued, and confining them in these dull and dark 
conservatories when light is so much mitigated from natural causes. These 
apparent discrepancies we must confess we are at a loss to reconcile, but there does 
appear to us to be a propriety in not subjecting orange trees to too great a degree 
of solar light, at all seasons of the year; though we think that most cultivators 
have erred in carrying this principle to the extreme in their construction of houses 
for the reception of these plants. 

Where orange trees are cultivated solely for the production of fruit which can 
be applied to edible purposes, there can be little doubt that full exposure to light, 
at all periods of their growth, is a most important point to be attended to; but 
such is by no means the object of the cultivators of this country, and if it were, is 
not likely to be attained to an extent sufficient to compensate the grower. It is 
the appearance of the plants—both of the foliage and fruit, for which alone they 
can be esteemed in our collections; and to preserve the former in a healthy and 
luxuriant state, and at the same time to ensure a profusion of the latter, either too 


ON THE CULTURE OF PHAIUS ALBUS. 159 © 


great or too limited a degree of solar light would not only be found injudicious but 
seriously prejudicial. Instead, therefore, of adopting either or both of these 
extremes, the latter of which, as before remarked, is the usual course pursued by 
cultivators, we consider that the object of the grower would be much more fully 
attained, were the houses intended for orange trees constructed so as to admit a 
greater degree of light, and the plants retained in them throughout the whole 
season. By these means the trees would be maintained in a constant state of 
luxuriance, without either becoming weak or sickly, (as they almost invariably do 
in a dark house,) or being subjected to injury by a sudden removal from a confined 
and partially shaded situation, to one in which they would be entirely exposed to 
the full action of the sun’s rays. We are necessitated to reserve the consideration 
of the other tribes of plants (mentioned at the commencement of this article), with 
reference to the subject of light, for a future occasion, when we shall endeavour to 
pursue our inquiry in the same practical manner which has characterised the 
present and preceding essays, being fully convinced of the importance of avoiding 
all unnecessary allusions to abstract sciences, except so far as they enable us to 
illustrate or elucidate the subject more simply and intelligibly. 


PLDI 


ON THE CULTURE OF PHAIUS ALBUS. 

Tue treatment necessary to grow this extremely interesting orchidaceous plant 
to perfection being very peculiar, and a figure of it having appeared in our last 
number, a few remarks on its cultivation, as practised at Chatsworth, (where it has 
flowered beautifully in the present season,) may not be unacceptable to those of 
our readers who may happen to possess it, as well as to such of them who have 
not yet obtained it, and who feel interested in studying the peculiar habits of any 
portion of the singular tribe to which it belongs. 

In offering a few brief observations on the cultivation of this lovely plant, it is 
requisite to enforce the imperative necessity of allowing it a proper and sufficient 
period of rest; for if the torpid stems are subjected to any stimulating heat, or 
induced to grow, before, by being kept in a cool house, their vital functions have 
been suspended for a sufficient length of time, and thus recruited and renovated, 
they will almost inevitably perish, as they will not endure the slightest forcing, 
nor can they under any circumstances whatever be excited into action with any 
degree of success before the proper season. The shoots which are produced in June 
and July, will reproduce shoots about the same period in the succeeding summer, 
and as soon as these latter are perfected, which will be about the month of Novem- 
ber or December, those of the preceding year’s growth will perish, leaving only 
the young stems of the present year ; it will thus be perceived that the stems only 
last about eighteen months, which it is very important to bear in mind in cultivat- 
ing this plant. 


To enter, however, more particularly, into the treatment which this plant re- 


160 ' ON THE CULTURE OF PHAIUS ALBUS. 


quires, we will commence with the management of it while in a torpid state, and 
follow it through its various stages, till it again arrives at the same period of its 
existence. When a plant of this species becomes dormant, which is known by its 
shedding its leaves, and by the formation of a brown incrustation or bark over the 
stems, which gives them the appearance of dead branches ; it should be placed in 
a cool house, the temperature of which, throughout the winter season, should not 
be higher than 45° or 50° Fahrenheit ; but should it unfortunately become torpid 
in the summer season, it is better to remove it at once to the open air, and allow it 
to remain in that situation until it naturally commences growing, for, as before 
remarked, this plant will not bear stimulating. After it has reposed, according to 
the ordinary course of nature, the proper time, it will begin to shoot from the base 
of the stems, and when the bud or young shoot is about half an inch in length, the 
plant should be re-potted into heath-soil, well drained at the bottom, and mingled 
with an abundance of finely broken potsherds, according to the usual method of 
potting orchidaceous plants. Fora moderate-sized plant, the pot should be about 
six Inches in diameter at the top, which will allow of its completing the annual 
growth without being again potted. 

When the plant is thus potted, it should be placed in the orchidaceous house, 
in a humid atmosphere, and liberally watered at the roots; when these latter begin 
to form, the plant should be syringed once or twice in each day, continuing this 
practice until the young shoots exhibit their flowers, when syringing must be dis- 
continued, but water should still be copiously supplied to the roots. Like most 
other orchidaceous plants, it requires to be well shaded during the growing season, 
and it may be observed that this species is especially liable to suffer if this par- 
ticular is neglected. 

As soon as the flowers expand, the plant may be removed into a cooler house, 
or drawing-room, for by this practice the flowers will frequently continue for three 
weeks, or even longer. At this stage of its growth, a greater degree of shading is 
necessary to preserve it in flower. 

When the plant has ceased flowering, it should remain in a cool house, and be 
sparingly watered till the leaves begin to turn yellow, when it must be removed 
into a still cooler situation and kept moderately dry, in which state it may be pre- 
served until it again commences growing in the following spring. Throughout the 
winter season, it is particularly necessary to guard against any accumulation of 
superfluous moisture about the roots, and only sufficient water should be applied to 
preserve the plant alive, taking care never to wet the stems. 

The above sketch comprises the most important particulars of our treatment of 
this charming plant at Chatsworth, and we have hitherto experienced the most 
perfect success. This we attribute in a great measure to our having correctly 
ascertained the natural habits of. this plant, and we have not the slightest doubt 
that the more information of this nature we are enabled to acquire relative to 
orchidacewe generally, aided by scientific principles, and actual experience, the 
greater success and perfection will be attained in the cultivation of this splendid tribe. 


161 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR JULY. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONES). 


COMPOSIT ZA. 

CENTAUREA DEPRESSA. Prostrate Centaury. A hardy species, with brilliant 
blue flowers, much resembling the common “ corn blue-bottle” of this country, but 
far superior to it in the colour of its blossoms, and likewise less strong and vigorous 
in its habits. It is a native of dry, hilly places in Iberia, and seeds of it were 
communicated to the Glasgow Botanic Garden, by Dr. Fischer. It appears to 


thrive well in the open border, and blossoms in the month of August. Bot. 
Mag. 3662. 


THE BINDWEED TRIBE (Convolvulacee). 


Ipoma@A BONARTENSIS. Buenos Ayres Tpomcea. <A beautiful new climbing 
species resembling J. Horsfallie in habit, but having pale purple-coloured flowers, 
and the whole plant being clothed with a downy pubescence. Seeds of it were 
introduced to this country by Mr. Tweedie, from Buenos Ayres, where it is stated 
by him to be common on ditch banks, and to possess naturally a large tuberous 


root. It is a stove species, of easy culture, and flowers about the month of August 
in this country. Bot. Mag. 3665. 


THE FIGWORT TRIBE (Scrophulariacee). 


NEMESIA FLORIBUNDA. Many-flowered Nemesia. An interesting little annual, 
growing from nine inches to a foot high, and producing an abundance of its pretty 
blossoms in the open ground from June to August. It grows nearly erect, is dis- 
posed to branch, the leaves are opposite and much serrated, and the flowers are of 
a very pale, bluish-white colour, with a deep yellow spot at the mouth. Requires 
the same treatment as the common hardy species of Linaria, to which this genus 1s 


nearly allied. Bot. Reg. 39. 


THE MINT TRIBE (Labiaie). 


SALVIA CANESCENS. Hoary Sage. Seeds of this pretty herbaceous plant were 
transmitted to the gardens of the Horticultural Society, by Dr. Lebedour, of 
Dorpat, where it has been raised, and proves to be a hardy perennial. Its leaves 
are clothed with a whitish woolly substance, and the flowers are of a showy purple 
colour. It is found on rocks, in that part of the Caucasian chain which runs into 
the west of the Caspian Sea ; hence it is a suitable plant for rock-work. Increases 
readily by seeds or cuttings, plants raised by the former method not flowering till 
the second season. The month of June is its usual time of flowering. Bot. Reg. 36. 

VOL. V.—NO. LV. Y 


162 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


THE CORN FLAG TRIBE (Iridacee). 


TriTonta FUCATA. Painted Tritonia. Although this singular plant has been 
in the rich collection of the Hon. and Rev. W. Herbert for twenty-five years, it 
did not produce its flowers till the summer of 1837. In the preceding autumn that 
gentleman caused a quantity of manure to be placed over the spot in which the 
bulbs were growing, and to this circumstance alone he attributes the production of 
its flowers. ‘These latter are of a bright scarlet colour on the upper side, while the 
lower segments of the corolla and the under side of the tube are yellow, striped 
with scarlet. It is a very showy species, perfectly hardy, and remains in flower 
nearly a month. May be increased with the greatest facility by separating the 


bulbs. Bot. Reg. 35. 
THE LILY TRIBE (Lilacee). 


Founck1a Sreponprana. Dr. Siebold’s Funckia. Another mteresting species 
for which this country is indebted to the celebrated Dr. Siebold, who discovered it 
in Japan, and introduced it from thence to the continental gardens, from whence it 
has been received into the Glasgow Botanic Garden and elsewhere. This species 
is by no means so good as F. albo-marginata, the flowers being paler and less 
showy. It has hitherto been kept in the greenhouse, where it flowers in July, but 


will probably prove quite hardy. Bot. Mag. 3663. 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidacee). 


PHALENopPSIs AMABILE. The Indian Butterfly Plant. Dr. Lindley obtained 
the drawing of this lovely plant from Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, with whom it 
flowered a short time since, having been received by them from Manilla, through 
Mr. Cumming. It is noticed by Rumph, as growing in Amboyna, and he 
describes it as attaching itself to short, thick trees, covered with moss, up which it 
turns like a rope, and from which it hangs down in entangled tufts. It thrives 
best when fastened to a small block of wood, covering the roots with moss, and 
suspending it from the roof of the orchidaceous house. It appears very difficult to 
propagate. Bot. Reg. 34. 

EPIDENDRUM VIRIDI-PURPUREUM. Purplish-green Epidendrum. A new and 
certainly not an uninteresting species, imported from Jamaica by Mr. Horsfall, of 
Liverpool, in whose collection it was first brought into flower. The pretty purple 
blotch on the labellum of this species gives it a rather attractive appearance, 
otherwise the flowers are of a dull-green colour, the sepals being tipped. with 
brown, and of the usual character of many other species of this genus. ot. 


Mag. 3666. 


163 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


Messrs. Henperson’s, Pine Apple Place. Stphocampylus bicolor. A fine 
specimen of this very interesting plant is now flowering profusely in the greenhouse 
of this nursery. It has previously been figured and described in this work, and 
we have only now to notice an excellent feature in its character, which is, that it 
continues flowering in almost constant succession for several months. Lophosper- 
mum scandens. ‘This pretty new species is also beautifully in flower in the green- 
house of these gentlemen, and deserves extensive notice and cultivation. It 
appears to be a remarkably free-flowering plant, an abundance of flowers being 
produced when only two feet high. Pentstemon Cobwa. The large and handsome 
blossoms of this beautiful plant constitute it the finest species of this genus at 
present known in our collections, and it is much to be regretted that such great 
difficulty is experienced in propagating it, and preserving it through the winter. 
It is now in flower in the above nursery, and the flowers are full an inch across 
at the mouth ; but it is remarkable how they vary in colour, as in the present 
instance they are nearly white, while we have sometimes seen them of a deep 
pink colour. Undoubtedly soil and situation must exercise a material influence in 
effecting these changes, and it is most probable that light is the principal agent. 

Mr. Kniauts, Chelsea.  Oncidium Lanceanum. Two specimens of this 
splendid and delightfully fragrant species are now exhibiting their lovely blossoms 
in the orchidaceous house of this gentleman. This is, without doubt, one of the 
most beautiful of orchidaceous plants, and beside the richness and diversity of the 
colours of its flowers, the shortness and boldness of the spikes on which they are. 
produced is a valuable feature in its character, as the flowers are thus brought 
nearer to each other, and their combined beauty rendered more conspicuous. 
Aspasia epidendroides. This is a very neat and interesting little orchidacecus 
plant, with flowers containing a great variety of showy colours, and much. re- 
sembling those of A. variegata. It is now flowering at this nursery, and should 
be in the collection of every lover of orchidacee. Drymonia bicolor. This fine 
stove climbing plant is again in flower at the above nursery. It is a species of 
considerable merit, as it grows rapidly and flowers very profusely : the flowers, 
though not remarkable for showy colours, are highly interesting and ornamental. 

Messrs. Loppices, Hackney. Mawzillaria stapelioides. ‘This is an excellent 
and truly ornamental little plant, the flowers of which, as its name implies, 
bear a striking resemblance to some of the species of Stapelia. They are produced 
in very great profusion, and when a number of them are expanded, (which is at 
present the case in the collection of these gentlemen,) the plant has a most inte- 
resting appearance. The leaves are pale green, and the flowers are likewise of a 
green-coloured ground, but most profusely and beautifully spotted and marked 
with purple. Mawillaria graminca. This is another pretty species of the genus 


164 NEW, AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


Mawillaria, with very narrow grass-like foliage, and small but neat blossoms of a. 
dull yellow colour, which are prettily striped with brown. — It is now in flower at 
this nursery. Phaius albus is also flowering in a high state of perfection, and no 
collection of orchidaceous plants should be destitute of this most interesting and 
valuable species. The same may be said of Maltonia spectabilis, which is likewise 
exhibiting its charming flowers in the collection of these gentlemen. They have, 
besides, a very fine variety of Oncidium luridum now im flower, the leaves of 
which are larger and more luxuriant than any we ever before witnessed, and the 
flowers are much larger than usual. A new and very singular orchidaceous plant, 
which these gentlemen have received from Manilla, is now flowering most pro- 
fusely. It very much resembles the species of Bletia in general appearance, the 
flowers being also of a pink colour, but it is destitute of a labellum, or at least 
the labellum is composed of one of the petals, and it will form a new and distinct 
genus, whith has not yet received a name. 

Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Fuchsia fulyens. 'This is a Mexican species of very recent 
introduction, and of a most extraordinary character. The rapidity of its growth, 
the immense size of its leaves, (many of which are three inches across,) the great 
length and brilliant colour of its flowers, and the tuberous nature of its root, con- 
stitute it an entirely new feature in the genus Fuchsia, and strongly recommend 
it to every cultivator. A large specimen of it is now producing its splendid flowers 
in the above nursery from the extremity of the leading shoot, and if the lateral 
shoots could be brought into flower at the same time (which appears highly pro- 
bable) it would be a most magnificent object. Helichrysum macranthum. This 
interesting new species is now flowering in the open ground, at the nursery above- 
named, and is entitled to a place in every collection; though it appears necessary 
that 1t should be well cultivated, in order to produce its delicate blossoms of the 
large size for which they are remarkable. A very fine specimen of Loasa lateritia 
is now completely covered with its pretty red blossoms, and forms a most attractive 
ornament to the show-house of this nursery. 

Messrs. Rouutson’s, Tooting. Renanthera coccinea. This, though a compa- 
ratively old plant, has very rarely flowered in this country ; but, owing to some 
peculiar treatment, or perhaps to the great age of many specimens, it has been 
recently induced to flower in several collections. An extraordinarily large plant 
of it is now producing five fine spikes of flowers in the orchidaceous house of these 
gentlemen, and as nearly all the flowers are expanded at once, the effect produced 
is truly splendid. Epidendrum ionosmum. A species not very remarkable for 
beauty, but by no means destitute of interest in this respect, and emitting such an 
agreeable fragrance that Dr. Lindley observes of it, that the western world wants 
no violets where this species is found. It has been in flower a considerable time 
at this nursery, and its dark-brown blossoms still remain expanded. Phalwnopsis 
amabile is again in flower, as also is Cyrtochilum maculatum, and a very handsome 
plant of Oncidium pulchellum, which latter is one of the prettiest species of the 
genus Oncidium. These gentlemen have recently received a quantity of orchi- 


ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 165 


daceous plants from China and Demerara; among those of the former importation are 
somenew and very curiousspecimens, many of which havealready commenced growing. 

Mr. Youna’s, Epsom. Nuttallia grandiflora. A very interesting and orna- 
mental new herbaceous plant, with digitate leaves, and brilliant rosy purple- 
coloured blossoms. It is far superior to N. cordata, both in the size and colour of 
its flowers, and will no doubt be found sufficiently hardy for the flower-garden or 
border, if planted in a sheltered situation; though it would have a very pretty 
appearance if kept in a pot. It is now flowering very abundantly at this nursery 
in the open ground. uella elegans. This is, we believe, a new stove species, of 
dwarf habits, and producing a great number of elegant little blossoms, which are 
of a most lively and intense blue colour. It is a highly interesting plant, and well 
worthy of the cultivator’s esteem, particularly as it appears to flower in almost 
constant succession. Hippeastrum ambiguum longiflorum. ‘This is a most splendid 
variety, with flowers of an immense size and length, which are of a cream-coloured 
ground, beautifully streaked with crimson. It is flowering in great perfection in 
the greenhouse of this gentleman. 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


On the treatment of Tropewolum tricolorum. 

Tuts extremely interesting and deservedly esteemed plant, which among green- 
house climbing plants has few equals, either for the striking beauty of its flowers 
or the great profusion in which they are produced, is remarkable for having such 
very weak and slender stems; and though these characters impart to it a great 
degree of gracefulness and elegance, there can be little doubt that any system of 
treatment which would induce the stems to grow stronger and larger, would also 
render the flowers much superior, and, in short, would cause the whole plant to 
assume a different and more luxuriant character. Convinced of the propriety and 
force of this deduction, we shall now lay before our readers a very simple method 
which we have recently seen practised in the collection of Mr. Knight, Chelsea, 
and which we consider will be found effectual in ameliorating this plant, and 
rendering it an object of still greater attraction and interest. 

It is an acknowledged principle among florists and others, that whatever tends 
to increase the size and strength of a bulb, must materially render the flowers 


produced in the succeeding season superior in every respect. 


To carry this prin- 
ciple into effect with the present plant, instead of plunging the bulbs to the depth 
of an inch or more in the soil, they are placed so near the surface as to leave all 
the upper portion of them exposed, and the soil is only allowed to cover the roots 
and the base of the bulb. The effects produced by such treatment are obvious and 
extraordinary ; and though we are at a loss to account for such results, or to 
explain the agency by which they are effected, we cannot but see and admire the 
effects themselves. 


aa 
” 


166 | ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


No sooner is this system adopted, and the plants commence growing, than the 
bulbs swell and enlarge in a truly astonishing manner, and by the time their 
growth is completed, they have attained to a very large size. Of course, during 
the season in which this experiment is being tried, the plants do not flower so 
abundantly, nor do they maintain a healthy appearance, which is doubtless caused 
_ by the bulbs being so much exposed to solar light, and this deficiency of luxuriance 
may in“part account for the concentration of a greater quantity of nutriment in the 
bulb, and consequently for its great increase in size. But this unhealthy appear- 
“ance of the plants, being only of one year’s duration, is unworthy of any consider- 
ation; and although the result of the experiment with regard to a future year is 
not at present ascertained, there can be little question that the bulbs, by being so 
much stronger, and containing so much more nutriment, will produce finer and 
better flowers in the following seasons. This method is doubtless equally useful 
with TJ. brachyceras, and others of slender habits; and with young and small 
bulbs i is unquestionably of great utility ; we therefore recommend it with confi- 
dence to our readers, feeling assured that, by practising it for one or more years, 
these plants may be greatly improved. 

Another system of growing the species of T’rop@olum to greater perfection has 
likewise recently fallen beneath our notice in our metropolitan tours. These 
plants, it is well known, do not require to be planted in very large pots, as their 
roots are neither very numerous, nor do they extend themselves to a great distance 
from the bulb ; still, if they are not placed in pots of a large size, or at least in 
larger pots than from their size they absolutely require, the heat of the sun pene- 
trates the pots to such a degree, as to cause the leaves to assume a yellow and 
sickly hue; and in such cases the plants are not only deprived of the beauty of 
their foliage, and rendered unsightly in this respect, but they never produce their 
flowers in perfection. This is particularly the case with young or newly-imported 
bulbs of J'ropwolum ; and to obviate it, many cultivators have recourse to the 
contrary extreme of placing them in much larger pots than are necessary, by which 
means, besides the waste of soil, the plants frequently become saturated with 
water, and the soil is rendered what is usually termed “ sour,” the consequence of 
which is, that the plants are equally as much injured as those which suffer from 
drought, and in many cases much more so. A rather novel method has therefore 
been suggested, which has been found fully efficient for maintaining the desired 
medium. It is, to place the pots containing the plants in others of a larger size, 
filing up the space between the two with river-sand, which is kept constantly 
watered, and imparts a coolness and moisture to the soil in which the plant is 
growing, which renders the application of water to its surface almost unnecessary. 
The only objection to this system is, that it employs two pots instead of one ; 
but where pots can conveniently be spared for this purpose, the practice will 
doubtless be found of great utility, and deserves to be generally adopted. We saw 
this plan in operation in the nursery of Messrs. Low and Co., Clapton, from 
whence we collected the above hints, which, it is hoped, will prove serviceable to 
our readers in cultivating the various species of this very ornamental genus. 


167 


OPERATIONS FOR AUGUST. 


moe Venn, 


As this and the succeeding month are well known to be the period in which 
the farmer takes advantage of every fine day which occurs for the purpose of 
storing his grain ; and as the sciences of agriculture and horticulture. are perfectly 
analogous, and the operations they inculcate differ chiefly in extent ; the attention’ 
of the gardener will in like manner be now requisite to every plant which may be 
producing seed, and which he may wish to preserve, in order to perpetuate the 
species in a future season by this means. To procure good seed from any plant, it 
is important that each individual seed-pod (excepting of course those which are 
very small and minute) should be plucked from the plant as soon as it is sufficiently 
ripened, and before it has been allowed to burst, drying it carefully on paper, and 
afterwards rubbing out the seed, to be stored in drawers during the winter. This 
process may appear troublesome to some, as we know that most cultivators leave 
the plants which are intended to produce seed in the ground till the greater part of 
it is ripe, and then pull up the whole plant, and suspend it in an airy shed to dry. 
We cannot too severely censure this practice ; for in the first place, the seed which 
ripens first, and which is almost invariably the best, is by this method usually 
scattered in the ground, while the remaining portion is becoming ripe ; and next, 
that which is left being suspended in any place to dry, the ripest and best seeds of 
most kinds fall out and are lost, and nothing remains but the weakest and that 
which is only half ripened, which never produces good plants, and frequently does 
not vegetate at all. These remarks may appear trivial and unimportant, but we 
feel assured that the beauty and interest of the plants in every department of 
floriculture, (at least of that portion of them which is reproduced by seed,) depend 
in a very great degree upon the manner in which the seed is collected and conserved ; 
and we are also convinced that cultivators would be amply compensated for the 
little trouble that might be bestowed in gathering the pods singly at the precise 
period of their maturity, by the great superiority of the flowers produced. To 
establish this position, we need only refer to the seeds (we allude more particularly 
to flower seeds) procured from the shops of seedsmen and others, the smaller and 
- more minute kinds of which are frequently more than half of them abortive, so that 
out of a small packet of seeds very few plants are obtained. In almost every case 
where this occurs, it would not be difficult to prove that it is entirely owing to the 
grower desiring to accumulate so great a quantity of seed that he is compelled to 
allow the plants to remain till the greater part of the seed is ripe, and then to pull 
them up entirely, thus losing the first and best seeds, and mingling with the others 
those which are insufficiently matured. The above observations apply to every 
description of plants the seed of which may be desired; and we shall now briefly 
detail a few of the principal operations which require to be performed in each of 
the particular departments of floriculture during the present month. 


168 OPERATIONS FOR AUGUST. 


Fire-heat, 1f suspended in the orchidaceous house during the last two months, 
must now be again applied during the night, and the quantity of water administered 
to orchidaceous plants in any form should be greatly diminished. The house should 
still be shaded when necessary, but the material used for this purpose may be of a 
thinner and lighter description, and towards the end of the month may be epenaed 
with altogether, except when the sun shines very fiercely. 

In the stove, air should be admitted by all practicable means when the weather 
will permit, as it is of the utmost importance that the wood of stove plants should 
be properly matured and hardened, now that the greater number of them have 
ceased growing. Attention should now be paid to the extirpation of all insects, 
particularly of such as can be destroyed with water (as the red spider) ; for which 
purpose the plants should be syringed in the most vigorous manner possible, 
provided the leaves are not injured. This is more especially necessary at this 
season, as such means cannot be resorted to m the winter months. Continue to 
propagate any desirable sorts. 

Greenhouse plants, like those which are cultivated in the stove, cannot have 
too much air admitted to them this month, and care should be taken to ensure to 
each individual plant a free circulation of it, by keeping them at a sufficient 
distance from each other. Any species of which an increase may be wished for, 
and which has not previously been effected, should be immediately attended to, 
and cuttings put in without further delay, as it is important that the young plants 
should be well rooted and established before the commencement of tle winter. 
Pelargoniums should now be abundantly propagated, and otherwise treated as 
directed last month. Annuals should be sown in pots, to flower in October ana 
November. 

In the flower-garden, besides the attention necessary to the timely and careful 
collection of seeds, before alluded to, another and equally important subject demands 
consideration this month. All half-hardy plants, such as Pefunias, Verbenas, &c., 
that require protection during the winter, may be propagated during this and the 
following month. It is advisable, however, to commence this operation as soon as 
possible, and continue it as the shoots become ready, for the plants which are struck 
this month will be better rooted, stronger, and less liable to damp off in the winter, 
than those raised at a subsequent period. It is better to strike them in a gentle 
heat for the purpose of facilitating the success of the operation, but as soon as they 
are potted they should be gradually exposed to the open air, that they may not 
become too weak and slender.» The shoots, and likewise the flowers of Dahlias, 
may be thinned out as they appear, which will render the remaining flowers much 
larger and finer. 


| ie 


SO FOMM. 


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CT): 


BE Ono 


’ 
MZ 


169 


DENDROBIUM GIBSONII. 


(MR. GIBSON’s DENDROBIUM. ) 


CLASS. ORDER, 


GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA., 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDACE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. iii. p. 77. 

Sprciric Cuaracter.—Plant a stove Epiphyte, with pendulous, round, jointed, tapering stems. Leaves 
ovate-lanceolate, acute. Racemes lateral, many-flowered, twice the length of the leaves. Bracteas 
ovate, situated at the base of the pedicels. Sepals broadly ovate, obtuse. Petals slightly cucullate, 
deep orange. Labellum expansive, very broad, fringed and undulated at the margin, with two dark 
purple spots on the upper part. 

No genus of orchidaceous plants contributes more to the gaiety of the stove 
than Dendrobium ; and perhaps if the species are viewed collectively, it may be 
considered as a group of plants unrivalled in beauty. Through the zeal and 
liberality of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire in furnishing a mission to India, we 
are enabled to bring into notice a new and highly-beautiful species of this genus, 
which was introduced to Chatsworth in 1837 by Mr. J. Gibson, his Grace’s collec- 


tor, having been discovered by him on the Khoseea Hills, in India. 


It is scarcely surpassed in point of real beauty and ornament by any other 
species of the splendid genus. The rich orange-coloured flowers, gracefully depend- 
ing from the almost leafless stem, and produced in astonishing profusion, rendered 
striking by the two large and almost black spots on their delicately-fringed labellum, 
have a most enchanting appearance when expanded, and enliven the orchidaccous 
house for a considerable time. The flowers are produced in long racemes, each 
bearing from ten to fifteen of them, and are somewhat similar to those of D. chry- 
santhum, but of a much deeper orange colour. These two species differ also in the 
mode of flowering, the flowers of D. chrysanthum being produced in pairs along 
the sides of the stems, while those of the one here figured appear in racemes. 


VOL. V.—NO. LVI. Z 


170 DENDROBIUM GIBSONII. 


Mr. Gibson states, that he first saw it in flower in India at the door of one of 
the natives’ huts, and was so much attracted by its appearance, although at a con- 
siderable distance from it, that he was induced to hasten immediately to the spot, 
when, upon examination, he found that he had previously collected specimens of 
it. After making some inquiries with respect to its usual locality, he was directed 
to a place in the neighbourhood ; upon arriving at which, he discovered that the 
same spot had been previously visited by him, and did not succeed in obtaining 
another specimen. It is somewhat remarkable that it never afterwards came under 
his observation, a circumstance which tends to prove the extreme partiality of 


orchidaceous plants to peculiar localities. 


It was found growing upon rocks, at an elevation of about three thousand feet, 
so situated that, during the rainy season, water, in its course down the mountains, 
washes completely over the tops of the plants. This fact should not be lost sight 
of in its cultivation, as it shows the propriety of frequently syringing the plant 
while in a growing state, in addition to the usual practice of keeping the atmo- 
sphere of the house in a state of humidity. We refer the reader to page 121 of the 
present volume of this Magazine for an outline of the principles on which its culti- 
vation should be conducted, which is there given with reference to D. densiflorum, 


but is equally applicable to the present species. 


Our drawing was made from a plant which flowered most profusely in his 
Grace the Duke of Devonshire’s extensive collection at Chatsworth, and it has been 


named after Mr. Gibson, collector to his Grace, by whom it was first discovered 


and introduced. 


Ras 
AN ‘ 


eae 


LAP DAMA. 


SOU 


AS 


He y () 
é WEE wt c Se 


Ye 


fe 


171 


CAMELLIA PRESSII ROSEA. 
(PRESS’S DOUBLE ROSE-COLOURED CAMELLIA.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


MONADELPHIA. POE YANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


CAMELLIACE/. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. iii. p. 101. 
C. Pressii rosea.—A garden variety, with rich, rose-coloured, double flowers, the petals of which are 


sparingly striped with red, and irregularly disposed. 

Nortuine can be more gratifying to the friends of horticultural science, than to 
take a retrospective glance at the rapid advances which have been made in its 
different departments during the present century, and in no respect are these more 
apparent than in the numberless splendid varicties of different kinds of plants which 
are continually being raised. Many of these productions, however, are exceedingly 
fugitive, sharing the popular favour only for a brief period, and then being at once 
consigned to oblivion, because superseded by others of a superior character. This 
is by no means the case with the varieties of Camellia, which, being comparatively 
limited, and of an arboreous nature, if they possess any distinguished features, may 
be regarded as permanently valuable, and will probably be allowed a situation in 


good collections for centuries to come. 


Some Camellias are remarkable for the perfect symmetry of the form of their 
flowers, outrivalling in this respect the choicest works of art ; the flowers of others 
are pleasing on account of the beautifully-irregular disposition of their petals, which 
lovely negligence accords more with our usual ideas of genuine natural productions. 
Of this latter description is the splendid variety represented in the accompanying 
plate, of the history of which we are unable to state anything further than that 
Messrs. Young of Epsom received it from the Continent last year, with the name 


above given, and we presume that it is a hybrid production from seeds of C. Pressii. 


172 CAMELLIA PRESSIT ROSEA. 


Full particulars relative to the culture of this beautiful genus will be found in 
former volumes of this magazine, and some remarks on the influence of light upon 
these plants may be seen in another page of the present Number. To the latter we 
refer the reader for our views on this important subject ; a subject which is, we 
believe, seldom considered by cultivators, and certainly has never received the 
attention it demands, but one which most materially concerns these and all other 


plants, and an acquaintance with which is indispensable to their superior cultivation. 


Those persons who possess a greenhouse or conservatory of a sufficient height, 
will find their Camellias much benefited by being planted out in the bed or border 
of the house, for by this treatment the plants never suffer from want of water, 
and are rendered infinitely superior in every respect to those grown in pots. It is 
better, however, to allow them to attain a moderate size (three to four feet high, 
and bushy in proportion) before they are thus planted, otherwise, if planted too 
young, they would grow too luxuriant and straggling, and be a much longer 


time before they flowered. 


The drawing of this handsome variety was obtained at the nursery of Messrs. 
Young, Epsom, in the month of April in the present year, the plant flowering when 


little more than a foot high. 


It is worthy of remark, as an incitement to British horticulturists to greater 
industry in raising new varieties of this magnificent genus, that m some of the 
Continental gardens more than two hundred distinct and beautiful varieties are 


cultivated. 


BM rad 


ee 


4 


/7 ALi ft LIME tOLM LL 


173 


PHYSOSTEGIA IMBRICATA. 


(IMBRICATED PHYSOSTEGIA. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DIDYNAMIA. GYMNOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


LABIATA. 


Generic Cuaracter.— Calyx tubular when the flower is expanded, inflated after florescence, with about 
ten obscure veins, either with five nearly equal teeth, or truncate and scarcely dentate. Corolla 
tubular, much exserted, inflated at the mouth; limb of two parts, upper lip nearly erect, partially 
concave, entire or emarginate, lower one spreading, trifid, lobes rounded, the middle one frequently 
emarginate. Stamens four, those in the upper lip ascending, lower ones very conspicuous. Anthers 
approximate, two-celled; cells parallel, distinct, open. Style bifid at the summit, lobes subulate, 
crowued with stigmas. Achenium dry, smooth. 


Speciric CuaracteR.—Plant an herbaceous perennial. Stems erect, slightly branched, quadrangular, 
nearly smooth. Leaves opposite, sessile, oblongo-lanceolate, acute, serrated. lowers terminal 
spicate, imbricated in estivatum, generally in pairs. Corolla pink, two-.lipped; upper lip bifid, 
lower one of three lobes, spotted with red internally. Calyx usually five-parted, segments acute, 
nearly equal. 


Amone the innumerable variations in character of plants and vegetables, all 
of which are in some degree interesting and valuable, and contribute more or less 
to our sustenance or delight, there is no class of plants the members of which so 
closely resemble each other in habit, or are more extensively cultivated, and uni- 
versally admired, than that large family which comes within the appellation of 
‘hardy herbaceous plants.” In the small plot of ground cultivated by the peasant 
or cottager, as well as in the magnificent and ornamental flower-gardens of the 
gentleman or nobleman, we invariably find some plants of this description ; and 
even if we walk abroad into our fields and woods, we shall observe no lack of the 


beautiful and valuable subjects of this class. 


These plants are cultivated with so little trouble, and adorn our flower-beds and 
borders with such an extensive and pleasing variety of their delightful blossoms, as 
well as furnish us with some attractive feature at almost all seasons of the year, 
that they are more universally cultivated than those of any other description or 


habits in the whole vegetable kingdom; but though they are so numerous and 


174 PHYSOSTEGIA IMBRICATA. 


varied, any addition to our previous stock requires only to be known as a plant 
worthy of cultivation, to be at once brought into extensive notice, and eagerly sought 


after by all persons possessing a flower-garden or border. 


The subject of our present figure is a plant of no inconsiderable merit, and every 
person who possesses any acquaintance with the bold and showy species comprised 
in the genus Dracocephalum, will at once detect a striking resemblance to them in 
the present plant. Indeed the genus of which this plant is a member, is very 
closely allied to that above adverted to, and few individuals, except practised 
botanists, would observe any material distinction. The chief point of difference is, 


that in the genus Physostegia, the calyx is inflated after the flowers have faded. 


Our figure differs so materially from that given in the Bot. Mag. p. 3386, that 
we were inclined to consider this plant must be the P. truncali ; but on a further 
examination, sufficient identity may be found in its habits and mode of inflorescence 
to induce us to publish it under this name. It is, we believe, percectly hardy ; 
but a few plants kept in pots in the greenhouse will have a very good effect. It 


may be propagated by seeds or offsets. 


This is another of the elegant plants for a drawing of which we are indebted 
to Messrs. Young of the Epsom nursery, from which establishment our figure was 


taken in October 1837, and whence plants of it may be obtained. 


The generic name is taken from physa, a bladder, and stege, a covering, alluding 


to the bladder-like nature of the calyx. 


Pea 


Yi 
AMM) . 


CLS AL. frcfer 


Hi 
Yet ttl 


l) 


ONCIDIUM PAPILIO. 


(BUTTERFLY-PLANT. ) 


CLASS. 4 ORDER. 


GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDACE 5. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Scee vol. iv. p. 77. 


Sprciric Cuaracter.— Plant an Epiphyte. eaves solitary, oval, dark green, with numerous irregular 
brown spots, Scape articulated, two-edged, few-flowered ; upper sepals longest, linear; lower ones — 
distinct, ovate-lanceolate, undulated at the margins. Colwmn two-horned, otherwise fimbriated. 


In almost every tribe of plants there are some species which attract universal 
attention, while others are either wholly overlooked or regarded with comparatively 
little interest. Amongst orchidaceous plants there are few which have been more 
generally admired, or have become greater favourites, than the beautiful species of 


which a drawing is here given, 


With little of the striking magnificence for which some of the members of this 
charming tribe are remarkable, there is something so pleasing and interesting in 
Oncidium papilo, that it never fails to engage the eye of every lover of plants, and 
elicit the warmest admiration and delight. It is difficult to state in what par- 
ticular part of the plant the attraction resides, since every feature is more or less 
intrinsically interesting. Its handsomely-maculated and mottled foliage, its slender, 
wiry stem, waving gracefully with the slightest agitation of the atmosphere, and 
surmounted by what might readily be mistaken for an elegant ephemera, till the 
observer, in his eagerness to possess himself of so beauteous a novelty, discovers 
that it is attached to the plant, constituting indeed its flower, and playfully 
upbraids nature for the formation of objects so very illusory, conjoined with the fact, 
that the flowers are produced in such rapid succession that the plant is seldom un- 
ornamented by them, will in some measure account for the high and extensive 


favour it has obtained. 


176 ONCIDIUM PAPILIO. 


No orchidaceous plant is more easily cultivated. Placed in a moderate-sized 
pot, ina mixture of heath-soil and potsherds, it requires no other attention than 
shifting once a year, and carefully administering water to its roots, or occasionally 
over the leaves. With regard to heat, it is likewise very accommodating, since it 
will thrive in either a high or a low temperature, with a due modification of the 
quantity of water administered according to either of these circumstances. We 
have not the slightest doubt that this species might be grown successfully even ina 
greenhouse, provided that the atmosphere could be maintained in a trifling state of 
humidity during the summer season, as we have seen plants of it flourishing in 
extraordinary luxuriance when kept in a house with a temperature very little 
above that of the greenhouse. It is certain that it would thrive ina lower temper- 
ature than is usually supplied to our orchidaceous houses, and this renders it avail- 
able for those gardens where a sufficient degree of heat cannot be commanded for 


cultivating most other orchidacee. 


Plants of it may be purchased for a triflmg sum of any nurserymen who culti- 
vate this beautiful tribe ; and we would recommend all who have any taste for those 
flowers in which the curious and the beautiful are combined, to obtain this most 
interesting species, even though they may not possess a collection of other orchi- 


daceous plants. 


It was first introduced to this country by his Excellency Sir Ralph Woodford, 
Governor of Trinidad, in 1825; and of its mest appropriate specific appellation 
Dr. Lindley observes (Bot. Reg. 910), “The name has doubtless been suggested 
by the brilliant colours of the flower, its singular form, which may be easily likened 
to the wings, body, antenne, and tongue, of a butterfly, and its fluttering motion 


when hanging from its stalk, at the extremity of the weak, elastic, jointed scape.” 


ON AN IMPROVED KIND OF FLOWER-POT. 

Havine employed with success an improved form of garden-pot, I am induced 
to recommend it to your readers, being perfectly convinced of its superiority for 
growing plants in the conservatory and hothouse. The invention which I have 
tried, and now recommend, consists of a double pot in the form of one pot inside 
another, joined at the bottom, so as to allow a hele for drainage, but leaving a 
space all round between the sides, of an inch or less in width, to be filled with 
water, or moss saturated with water, according to the nature of the plant potted. 

In the usual method of potting, water cannot be supplied gradually and mode- 
rately as nature supplies it, owing to the rapid evaporation caused by the porous 
and absorbing material of the pot, and also by the atmosphere, generally highly 
heated, acting on a large surface of it; so that watering must be sudden and 
copious. Yet the most essential roots, those close on the surface of the mould, are 
exposed to be rapidly dried and destroyed, and the pot itself not only abstracts the 
moisture from the soil, but also from the greater part of the roots. By the practice 
of placing pots in some cases in pans of water, the lower roots only are benefited, 
but the air is excluded from them, and they are the least adapted for elaborating 
sap, on account of their distance from the light and air. 

By the construction which I suggest, and have tried, the plant seldom requires 
watering, except by syringing over the leaves, as the water is supplied to the plant 
by filtering through the inner pot gradually and constantly, at a due temperature, 
and in proportion to the necessities of the plant: drainage is not impeded, and the 
imperceptible steam arising from the surface of the water, may either be allowed to 
nourish the leaves of the plant, and maintain the elasticity of the air in the house, 
or by covering the interval between the two pots, it can be retained to raise 
the temperature of the water. Pots thus constructed, and placed on a com- 
mon smoke flue, combine the advantages of the hot-water apparatus with the 
facility of heating by the common fiue. If supplied with water at 65°, they 
retain the temperature without allowing the plant to be exhausted by the highly 
heated atmosphere, and obviate the incumbrance of a pit, if arranged on shelves 
near the glass; they likewise furnish immediate means for supplying a nourishing 
bottom-heat to plants, are easily attended to, cause no litter, and if the external 
pot be painted of a light stone colour, they make a very neat appearance. 

There are plants of course to which this method is inapplicable, but to many 
it ensures an indispensable means of obtaining healthy luxuriance. It is well adapted 
to Hydrangeas, Lobelias, potted Cucumber plants, Pines (not fruiting), Cockscombs, 
Gloxinias, &c., and to cuttings it supplies a gradual moisture highly favourable for 
causing them to strike. 

In my experiments I employed two flower-pots, one inside the other, joimed at 

VOL. V.—NO. LVI. AA 


178 AN IMPROVED KIND OF FLOWER-POT. 


the bottom by Roman cement, leaving a large drainage hole in the centre. I 
recommend your readers to make the trial, and its success will, 1 am sure, lead 
to the construction of pots of this proposed form. If it be desirable to confine the 
steam between the pots, a circular flat strip of zinc, cut through at one side, can be 
moved up, and closed over the rims. 

I need not add, that, by having the rim of the iaternal pot lower than that of 
the outside one, an excellent small tank will be formed for raising Lotus seeds, and 
delicate aquatic plants. Communicated by Mr. James E. Carolan, Gardener to the 
Marquis of Headfort. May 1838. 

We have great pleasure in submitting this interesting paper to the attention 
of our readers, as we cannot permit ourselves to indulge a doubt with regard to 
the practical utility of the expedient it propounds. Indeed it appears surprising 
that this or some similar method has not been long ere this devised, and exten- 
sively adopted, for every cultivator must have experienced the injurious results of 
the usual system of potting and watering, and we feel convinced that many thou- 
sands of valuable plants have perished solely for the want of such a preservative 
as this contrivance affords. A considerable degree of experience with potted 
plants of all descriptions, has taught us that the operations of potting and watering 
are among the most important details of their cultivation ; but we have seen almost 
numberless instances in which, though the former was performed with the greatest 
possible skill according to the usual system, and the latter conducted with great 
discrimination and punctuality, certain plants have maintained a sickly and un- 
healthy appearance, and some have even perished, either on account of a deficiency 
or a redundancy of water. 

The improvement in the construction of flower-pots here suggested, will entirely 
remove the difficulty experienced in watering potted plants ; as, if the inside pot 
be made of a porous material, the application of water to the surface of the soil 
will be almost entirely superseded. By this method, any superabundance of 
moisture about the roots (by which hundreds of “plants are annually lost) will be 
prevented, and what is of still greater importance, the plants will be preserved from 
the exhausting heat of the sun in summer, which so frequently penetrates the pots 
and destroys the roots, in which indeed exists the vitality of the plants. 

In adapting this system to cuttings, we would recommend that the order of 
proceeding be inverted, and instead of planting the cuttings in the inner pot, they 
should be placed in the space between the two pots, which should in such case be 
filled with potsherds to within two inches of the surface, the remaining part being 
occupied with sand. The value of this method in striking cuttings, consists in the 
body of soil being small, so that it is more easily penetrated by air, and is thus 
preserved from becoming saturated with moisture ; and its importance may be seen 
by examining a pot that had been filled with cuttings, since those in the centre of it 
never succeed so well as those nearer the sides. The fact also that many of the most 
distinguished nurserymen adopt it with those sorts of plants which are difficult to 
strike, is a sufficient evidence of its superiority. The central pot, however, should 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 179 


m this instance be left entirely empty, and care must be taken to provide holes in 
the bottom of the external pot for the escape of water. 

If the additional expense of the invention here noticed be objected to, it may 
be answered, that it is only recommended for those plants which require either a 
very large or an equally limited supply of water ; but there can be little doubt that 
a system which preserves plants from sudden destruction by drought or saturation 
with water, although at a trifling increase of original expenditure, will ultimately 
be found the wisest and most economical. 


REMARKS ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 
—$——— 
ARTICLE IV.—THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT—(continued). 

Resumine the consideration of this interesting subject from the point. at which 
we deferred it in our last number, our next proposal is to inquire generally into 
the degree of light necessary to cultivate the numerous species and varieties of 
Camelia in the artificial structures of this country, so as to flower them in the 
highest possible state of excellence, as well as to maintain the plants in a healthy 
and luxuriant condition. As we were before called upon when speaking of heaths, 
sO are we again now, strongly to condemn the practice of growing a mixed collec- 
tion of plants in one house, as the ill effects of which it is productive are perhaps 
more fully exemplified in Camellias than in almost any other extensive tribe of 
plants. In nearly every collection of plants in which Camellias are cultivated, 
except when they are allowed a house to themselves, they are kept in the green- 
house or conservatory, and exposed to all the light which can be admitted by a 
glazed roof, and what is still worse, are frequently placed in the open air during 
the summer months, beneath the full blaze of a meridian sun. In such cases it is 
not surprising that they never attain that luxuriance of foliage which is one of their 
chief ornaments, and that their flowers are always of an inferior character. It 
would indeed be matter for wonder if these effects did not become manifest, as it is 
well known that Camellias delight in a shaded position, and one in which they are 
naturally, or can be artificially, screened and protected from the more violent rays 
of thesun. Since then it is a fact sufficiently and incontestably proved and estab- 
lished, that Camellias do not require a great degree of light, and indeed that the 
degree of light to which the usual inhabitants of our greenhouses are exposed is 
prejudicial and injurious to these plants, how is it ‘possible that any success can 
attend the system of management wherein their habits are not consulted, but the 
treatment pursued towards them is literally pernicious and detrimental? If an 
individual were to advise any gardener or cultivator to allow his greenhouse or 
stove plants to remain exposed to the inclemency of the weather during a night of 
severe frost, he would instantly scout such a proposition with deserved ridicule and 


80 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


scorn. And yet, strange to say, that very gardener or cultivator is continually 
practising certain systems in the management of various kinds of plants which are 
as decidedly injuricus to those plant as frost would be, although not to the same 
extent ! 

It is somewhat extraordinary that a perseverance in indiscriminate treatment 

‘should render it necessary so strenuously to decry a system which is admitted by 
all intelligent cultivators to be injurious and absurd ; but this is a task which hor- 
ticultural writers continually have to encounter, and certainly it argues rather 
unfavourably for the docility and shrewdness of our practical brethren. The cause 
of this, however, 1s twofold; in the first place, plant-cultivators study too much 
their own convenience, frequently to the prejudice of the plants beneath their care ; 
and, secondly, it appears to be a prevailing (but certainly a most erroneous) notion 
amongst them, particularly with those who possess greenhouses of limited size, 
that the greater variety of plants they can collect together, the more pleasing and 
ornamental will be the effect produced. By cultivators studying too much their own 
convenience, we mean, that they will seldom take the trouble to adapt their treat- 
ment to the habits of each particular plant, and in fact, by cultivating a miscellaneous 
assemblage of plants of the most incongruous habits in one house, it is absolutely 
impossible to give to each the particular treatment it requires, however much 
the cultivator may be disposed to do so. It therefore follows, that, in a collection 
of greenhouse plants, however limited it may be, it is wiser and better to cultivate 
only such as assimilate to each other in habit in one house, and thereby to grow 
them to the highest state of perfection, than reduce to a general system of treat- 
ment, a mixed assemblage of the most contrary kinds, to the great injury of the 
whole collection, and very probably to the total destruction of many plants. 

That the species of Camellia require a house to themselves, and that such a 
house should be peculiarly situated, we have previously demonstrated ; and we 
now recommend that the Camellia-house should have a north-western or western 
aspect, in which case the plants would never be subjected to a greater degree of 
light than they are able to endure without imjury. There are, however, many 
plants of similar habits for which such a situation would be admirably adapted, 
and amongst these Rhododendrons may particularly be mentioned, which of course 
might be admitted to a place in the Camellia-house. But where a situation 
so congenial to their habits cannot be secured, it is important that they should be 
shaded during the summer months; and on no account whatever should they be 
removed to the open air, unless to a very shaded situation, as we have fully expe- 
rienced the ill effects which such treatment is calculated to produce. 

The next description of plants on which we propose offering a few remarks 
relative to the influence of light, is the highly fashionable and popular genus 
Pelargonium. Yt is almost unnecessary here to state, that’ the beautiful species 
and varieties of this genus require a great degree of solar light ; as every person 
must have witnessed the bad consequences resulting from the confinement of these 
plants in a sitting-room, or other situation, where light can be only partially 


ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 181 


admitted. It is not uncommon for amateurs and even gardeners to ascribe such 
effects to the want of air, but it is sufficiently evident that solar light is 
the most essential agent in the production of strong and healthy shoots, and also 
of large and handsome flowers, and that where there is any deficiency in the 
supply of this element, there will be a corresponding defect in the health and 


beauty of both plants and flowers. As we intend furnishing our readers in an. 


ensuing number with some remarks on the general treatment of this genus, we 
refrain from enlarging here, and proceed to offer a few observations on the fifth 
and last division which we proposed to institute of what are generally designated 
‘¢ greenhouse plants.” 

Under the head of Miscellaneous Greenhouse Plants, we intend classing the 
genera Acacia, Banksia, Protea, Fuchsia, and in short, all those greenhouse plants 
which possess no affinity im character or habit to either of the four divisions pre- 
viously considered. Most of the plants of this class thrive best in a house where 
an abundance of light is supplied, and may therefore without impropriety be con- 
eregated together in a distinct house, and kept as near as possible to the glass. 
We may here be permitted to explain what we intend when we recommend allow- 
ing any plants a great degree of solar light, and also to enumerate the means of 
effecting that object ; and first, we would recommend that the aspect of the house 
should be as nearly as possible facing the south, or between this point and south- 
west: secondly, that the materials of which the roof of that house is constructed 
should be of the slightest procurable description, consistent with strength, so as to 
offer as little obstruction as possible to the sun’s rays; and where expense 
is not so much regarded, curvilinear roofs will be found far superior to those of 
the usual construction: thirdly, it is of great importance that the plants should 
receive the rays of light vertically, and not obliquely ; that is, that they should all 
be placed so as to receive the light from the roof, in preference to the sides or front 
of the house ; it may here also be observed, that the roof of the house should be 
so inclined according to the sun’s average declination, that there be the least possi- 
ble refraction of light; lastly, that the plants should stand at a sufficient distance 
from cach other, to admit of the access of light on all sides, and also be so arranged 
according to their sizes, that the smaller plants shall not be shaded by the larger 
ones. With reference to this latter particular, however, where the plants are 
placed out in the bed or border of the greenhouse or conservatory, it should be 
borne in mind at the time of planting them, that there may be a great diversity of 
age in the plants, and thus those which are at that time the smallest may ultimately 
become the largest; so that they should not be planted according to their actual 
height, but according to that which they may reasonably be expected to attain, 
otherwise it will be found that those of more rapid growth will eventually deprive 
the others of the beneficial influences of the sun, and thus materially injure them. 

To the propriety of separating a collection of greenhouse plants into these five 
divisions we are aware that some objections will be entertained, since there are 


182 ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON PLANTS. 


few cultivators who possess sufficient means for building five distinct houses for 
plants of this description ; and the taste for variety is so prevalent, that, as we have 
before remarked, a whole collection of plants is frequently sacrificed, merely because 
the cultivator 1s desirous of possessing as many different kinds as he can possibly 
collect. It were easy to show that a most pleasing variety might be obtained from 
plants of the same habits, and that all that can be called variety in the most 
extensive mixed collections, consists only in the difference of habit and structure, 
while there is one uniform appearance of sickliness and deterioration, and none of 
that health and beauty which can alone be pleasing to a refined taste. We have 
repeatedly witnessed the ill effects of the usual system of mingling plants of varied 
habits, and we recommend all cultivators with limited means to devote their atten- 
tion to one particular class of plants, not merely as an excellent author has observed, 
because every thing around us proves that man is incapable of attaiming success if - 
his attention be directed to too many objects at once, but also because a peculiar 
kind of treatment is necessary for different tribes of plants, and unless they are 
placed in circumstances where that treatment can be properly administered, they 
will never arrive at the degree of perfection to which they are capable of being 
brought. 

In more extensive collections, the object of these remarks may be fully effected 
by erecting glass partitions in the greenhouse for the purpose of separating the 
different tribes of plants, where distinct houses cannot be set apart for this purpose ; 
but we must and will contend, that complete success in the cultivation of any of 
the tribes before named, cannot be attained unless they are allowed a house or a 
division of a house (which is virtually the same) to themselves, and therein treated 
according to their particular nature and habits. 

Before we dismiss the subject of this and the preceding articles, it may be well 
to adduce a few observations on the influence of solar light generally upon vegeta- 
tion, and in these we shall endeavour to embrace all hardy plants. Solar light is 
the grand cause of all colour in vegetation, both in foliage and flowers ; and hence, 
an elegant author has most aptly designated the sun the great dimner of nature. 
It is the action of solar light upon the leaves of plants which produces their lively 
green colour, and also elaborates the sap, converts it into pulp, imparts to the 
plant its vital energies, and sustains them in health and vigour. ‘To solar light all 
flowers are indebted for their brilliant hues, as those which are produced in the dark 
are almost entirely destitute of colour. In fact, all colour in vegetable substances, is 
but the decomposition and partial reflection of solar light, so that no substance has 
actually any colour in itself, but the hue it presents depends upon its capacity 
of absorption of light. The sun may be said to be the prime source of colour in 
vegetation in two ways; first, by qualifying it for, and regulating its capacity of, 
the reception of the prismatic rays, which is undoubtedly the principal and most 
essential one; and secondly, by its actual radiation on the substance, eliciting its 
capacity of absorption, or in other words its colour, by rendering it visible, which 


SOILS USED BY NURSERYMEN IN POTTING PLANTS. 183 


artificial light is incapable of doing, as is proved by the popular opinion, that day- 
light alone displays the true colours, while artificial light, itself decomposed and 
imperfect, is deceptive. Light is also the principal agent in producing the means 
whereby plants may be increased, as seeds will never mature themselves properly 
in the absence of a due degree of this element. 

From these remarks, the necessity of a constant supply of light to all plants 
will be sufficiently obvious, but in the cultivation of plants, either in artificial 
structures or in the open ground, it must be modified and adapted to their parti- 
cular circumstances and habits. As a general rule, however, we may observe, that 
where plants are required to produce seed or fruit, they cannot be too much exposed 
to solar light throughout the whole period of their growth (some few sorts 
excepted) ; and, on the contrary, when flowers alone are desired, they should be 
shaded as much as practicable after the flowers are expanded, though prior to 
this, they should be exposed to solar light as much as is consistent with their 
general habits. _ Again, most plants that are firmly and fully established in the 
ground, will endure almost any quantity of light, if they are well supplied with 
water at the roots; but those which have been newly transplanted, require to be 
shaded from the fiercest of the sun’s rays, otherwise they would be exhausted and 
killed by excessive evaporation. 

Enough, however, has been said to show the great importance of attention to 
this subject in a practical point of view, and we trust what we have advanced will 
have the effect of inducing cultivators to investigate this subject more minutely ; as 
we are confident, that by thus consulting the habits of plants, and the reciprocal 
influences subsisting between them and the atmosphere, their systems of cultivation 
may be ameliorated, difficulties which now attend them will be removed, and that 
which is now in many instances a toilsome and unsatisfactory task may be rendered 
a delightful amusement. | 


ON SOILS USED BY NURSERYMEN IN POTTING PLANTS. 

AN erroneous impression appears to us to have obtained generally amongst 
professional and amateur gardeners, relative to the soil used by nurserymen in 
potting plants, which we are anxious should be removed, as it has tended much 
to retard the superior cultivation of some plants, particularly with those persons 
who are always ready to follow the general practice, without taking the trouble to 
investigate its claims to adoption. We have frequently heard it asserted, that 
when plants are purchased from nurseries, they should be repotted into the same 
soil as that used by the nurseryman ; and so rigorously is this practice adhered to 
by some cultivators, that we much question whether anything but the actual loss 
of the plant, would deter them from using similar soil to that in which the plant 
was received from the nursery. 


184 SOILS USED BY NURSERYMEN IN POTTING PLANTS. 


So far as relates to new plants, however, this opinion may generally be correct, 
for nurserymen are always anxious to obtain large specimens of any rare species ; 
but with regard to the old inhabitants of our greenhouses and stoves (especially 
the former), this principle is by no means to be depended upon. We have con- 
versed with nurserymen on the subject, have examined the soil in which plants 
received from them was potted, and compared it with that which our own expe- 
rience has proved to be most suitable ; and the result of our inquiry has uniformly 
been, that the soil used in nurseries for common plants, is invariably less nutritious 
than is necessary to grow such: plants in perfection. Indeed, a little reflection 
must convince every person that such is the case. No one can doubt that the 
object of nurserymen in growing plants of the description here mentioned, is to 
bring them to a saleable state, and afterwards retain them in that state till they 
meet with a purchaser, without once thinking of cultivating them in a superior 
manner ; while the aim of the gardener or amateur is as obviously to grow them 
to the highest possible perfection. Were nurserymen to attempt to effect the 
latter object on so large a scale as is necessary to maintain their establishments, 
they would require accommodation of nearly twofold extent, and likewise render 
the greater part of their plants unsaleable: for common plants purchased at nur- 
series are seldom required to be large, and indeed, purchasers will rarely go to the 
expense of procuring large specimens, even when they are desirable. 

The real statement of the case then is, that with nine plants out of ten which 
are procured from nurseries, the cultivator who is anxious to obtain fine specimens 
should pot them in stronger and richer soil than that used by the nurseryman. 
This rule, however, is by no means infallible, and we merely wish to expose the 
impropriety of what we believe to be the professed opinion, and urge cultivators to 
be guided more by their own experience, or the general appearance and habits of 
plants. We may likewise qualify this statement by saying, that it is more 
applicable to plants of three, four, or more years’ growth, than to those which are 
younger and smaller. It should be observed, that to the manner in which plants 
are usually potted in nurseries there can be no possible objection, as it is deserving 
of the highest encomium, and it is to the soil alone that these remarks are directed, 
not as being really objectionable, but as containing an insufficient quantity of 
nutriment to induce the plants to attain a high degree of luxuriance or perfection. 

Intimately connected with this subject, because resulting from the same cause, 
is another particular which it may be well to mention here, relative to plants 
purchased from nurserymen. We allude to the size of the pots in which common 
plants are usually kept in nurseries, and would recommend all persons who may 
have occasion to procure plants from such establishments, to examine the roots 
immediately on receiving them, as it will almost mvariably be found that they 
require shifting into larger pots, particularly those of the deseription to which our 
previous remarks on soil are applied. 


185 


~ NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR AUGUST. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONES). 


THE EUPHORBIUM TRIBE (Euwphorbiacee). 

Evupnorpra ricipa. Double-glanded Euphorbia. A hardy perennial species, 
of prostrate habits, and interesting chiefly on account of its thickly-set, rigid, 
glaucous foliage, and the contrast between the bright crimson and yellow colour of 
its floral envelopes, the latter being the internal, and the former the external colour. 
The Hon. F. Strangways brought this species from Italy, and it has endured the 
late severe winter in the garden at Abbotsbury, producing its flowers in March of 
the present year. It thrives well on rockwork if protected from wet, and partially 
sheltered from cold in the winter, and may be propagated by separating the under- 
ground shoots, or planting pieces of the roots with the thickest extremity slightly 
above the surface of the soil. Bot. Reg. 43. 

EUPHORBIA JACQUINIFLORA. Jacquinia-flowered Euphorbia. It is curious to 
observe the striking difference in the appearance and habits of this species to that 
above noticed. This is a most beautiful stove species with brilliant scarlet flowers, 
greatly resembling the E. fulgens, figured vol. iv. p. 31 of this Magazine, and only 
distinguishable from it (as far as we can discern) by the less brilliant colour of its 
flowers, its leaves being of a lighter green, and particularly by the latter being 
destitute of the fine purple colour on the under surface which is so conspicuous in 
E. fulgens. Nothing is known with respect to its native country, it having been 
received at Glasgow from the Berlin Botanic Garden, where it flowered during the 
winter months. Bot. Mag. 3673. 


THE HEATH TRIBE (Ericacee). 


RHODODENDRON ALBIFLORUM. White-flowered Rhododendron. A remarkably 
distinct and well-characterised species, growing from two to three feet high, 
producing leaves only at the extremities of the branches, and these being deciduous. 
The flowers are smaller than those of most other species, cream-coloured, and 
pendent. It was found by Mr. Drummond in the woody districts of the Rocky 
Mountains, and seeds were communicated to Dr. Graham of Edinburgh, plants 
from which flowered in July 1837. Bot. Mag. 3670. 


THE LOBELIA TRIBE (Lobeliacee). 


Loseiia Bripersu. Mr. Bridges’ Lobelia. This is a very elegant and highly 
ornamental plant, first discovered by Mr. Bridges near El Castello de Amorgos, 
Valdivia, in the south of Chili. It grows to the height of three or four feet, with 
leaves occasionally more than six inches long, and the large blossoms are of a 
VOL. V.—-NO. LVI. BB 


186 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


beautifully delicate rose-colour. It was raised from seeds in the Royal Gardens at 
Kew, and has been treated as a greenhouse species, in which situation it flowers in 
the month of July. Bot. Mag. 3671. 


THE NIGHTSHADE TRIBE (Solanacee). 


SoLANUM CAMPANULATUM. Bell-flower Solanum. The distinguishing cha- 
racteristic of this large and beautiful species, besides its flowers being campanulate, 
from which its name has arisen, is its being so liberally furnished with aculei ; 
since the stems, leaves, calyx, and every part of the plant except the flowers, are 
completely armed with these formidable prickles. The well-known Mr. Brown 
first found it near Port Jackson, and noticed it in his excellent Prodromus. It 
grows and flowers freely in the greenhouse, requiring a rich soil and an abundance 
of pot room, Bot. Mag. 3672. 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidacee). 


Maxinitaria Roxtsoni. Messrs. Rollison’s Maxillaria. A very beautiful 
and interesting little plant, which we have before noticed as being very similar to 
M. stapelioides in its size and foliage, but widely different from it in its flowers, 
which are of a lightish yellow colour, the labellum being very prettily spotted with 
pink and red. It was imported by Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, from Brazil, and 
first flowered with them in August last. Bot. Reg. 40. 

CYRTOCHILUM MACULATUM. Spotted Cyrtochilum. This plant is stated to 
have produced its flowers for the first time in this country in the garden of the 
Horticultural Society, having been sent thither by Mr. Hartwig from Vera Cruz. 
It has since flowered at Messrs. Rollison’s, with G. Barker, Esq., of Birmingham, 
and we have succeeded in flowering it at Chatsworth. It is a very neat and pretty 
species, and Dr. Lindley observes that it has been mistaken for the Oncidiwm 
tagrinum of La Llave and Lexarza, which he states is “a very different plant, wale 
a reniform lip placed upon a long stalk.” Bot. Reg. 44. 

CoRYCIUM OROBANCHOIDES. Broom-rape Corycium. An inconspicuous but 
very curious little plant, which flowered in the collection of J. Rodgers, Esq. Jun., 
at Streatham, and which Dr. Lindley believes to be the first Coryciwm that has 
ever flowered in Europe. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, where it grows 
in a sandy soil, and flowers in September and October. Bot. Reg. 45. 

ZYGOPETALUM Murrayanum. Mr. Murray’s Zygopetalum. This is one of 
the interesting productions of the Organ Mountains of Brazil, which have been 
recently explored by Mr. Gardiner, and this plant, with many others, sent to this 
country. It is certainly far inferior to most of the other splendid species, but 
nevertheless a very neat-and pretty plant, producing flowers of a greenish-yellow 
colour, with a white labellum, which is striped with purple, and the column is 
streaked with red. It flowered in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, and is named by 
Mr. Gardiner in compliment to Mr. Murray, the skilful curator of that establish- 
ment. Bot. Mag. 3674. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. ‘s 187 


Oartieya Mosstm. Mrs. Moss’s Superb Cattleya. Unquestionably one of 
the most magnificent of all vegetable productions, surpassing even C. labiata in the 
size of its flowers, and the exquisite richness of the markings of its labellum ; added 
to which, its fragrance is said to be most powerful and agreeable. We give the 
following dimensions as stated by Sir W. J. Hooker :—‘‘The diameter of this 
splendid flower is, from the tip of the upper sepal to the tip of the labellum, seven 
inches and a half; from tip to tip of the two opposite petals eight inches and a 
half! each petal being a little more than four inches long, and two inches and a 
half in breadth ; twenty-four inches in the circumference of the entire blossom !” 
It is named after Mrs. Moss, of Otterspool, near Liverpool, in whose collection it 
first produced its gigantic flowers, and to which it was introduced from La Guayra, 
through the medium of George Green, Esq., of Liverpool, in September 1836. It 
differs from C. labiata, to which its flowers bear a great resemblance, ‘by its 
elongated, branching stem, bearing many deeply sulcated pseudo-bulbs, by the 
much broader sepals and petals, which latter are unguiculated at the base, and by 
the colour, and markings and size of the lamina of the labellum.” Bot. Mag. 3669. 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


Mussrs. Henperson’s, Pine Apple Place. Eutoca Wrangeliana. This pretty 
annual is now flowering most abundantly in the open ground at the nursery of the 
gentlemen above named, and is well calculated for planting in beds or masses in 
the flower-garden, as 1t makes a most brilliant display when thus treated. Poten- 
tilla Tongui. This is a neat and very interesting little plant, of trailing habits, 
and producing a great number of its showy orange and brown-coloured blossoms ; 
it is a valuable species for planting on rock-work, mounds, or any elevated and 
conspicuous situation. Sedwm Sreboldu.. A Japan species of some interest, and 
apparently perfectly hardy ; its dense clusters of small pink blossoms, with which 
the plant is most profusely furnished, are now exhibiting themselves at this nursery, 
and remain expanded a considerable time. 

Mr. Knieut's, Chelsea. Gesneria rupestris. This elegant little plant, of 
which a figure has been given at page 53 of the present volume of this Magazine, 
is flowering in great perfection in the stove of this gentleman, and is one of the 
most delightful objects which have yet been cultivated in our stoves. Aristolochia 
hyperborea. We noticed this species in our July number, and there stated that it 
was destitute of a specific name. We now give the one under which Mr. Knight 
received it, and add, that it is again flowering much more abundantly in the 
collection of that gentleman. It is a very handsome species, and possesses but 
little of the offensive odour for which its allies are remarkable. Ferraria azurea. 
An extremely beautiful, and we believe new, species of this interesting genus of 


183 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


bulbs, with bright azure-coloured flowers; it is flowering at the present time in 
the greenhouse of the above nursery, but the flowers are extremely fugitive. 

Messrs. Loppicres, Hackney. Cyrtochilum Bigtonense. A new and highly 
beautiful orchidaceous plant, of a rather extraordinary size for a species of the 
above genus. The plant which is now flowering in the splendid collection of these 
gentlemen, has a flower-spike full three feet im length, but 1t is said to attain the 
astonishing height of six feet. The flower-stem grows quite erect, and the flowers 
are produced at the distance of about an inch from each other, nearly its whole length. 
The blossoms are of a rich lilac and brown colour, and exceedingly ornamental. 
These gentlemen have also recently flowered a new species of Cyenoches, which is 
somewhat similar to C. ventricosum, but the flowers are much larger, and their 
colour is a dingy yellow, approaching to orange. Angrecum gladiufolium. A 
small but interesting new species of this genus, with delicate white blossoms, and 
ovate-lanceolate leaves, is flowering very freely at this nursery, and is worthy of 
the notice of all admirers of this tribe. Some magnificent specimens of Lilium 
speciosum and L. lancifolium roseum, are now most splendidly in flower, and their 
exquisite delicacy and beauty cannot be too highly appreciated. 

Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Liliwm lancifolium album. <A fine variety, for which 
our collections are indebted to Dr. Siebold ; its flowers are large and pure white, 
with reflexed petals, and the habit of the plant is very bold and handsome. It 
is now flowering profusely at this nursery, and L. lancifoliwm roseum has 
likewise recently flowered with this gentleman. Both varieties are indispensable 
to a collection of greenhouse bulbs. Verbena Tweedicana splendens and grandiflora. 
Two distinct varieties of this very beautiful species, the former of which has 
flowers of a richer colour than those of even V. chamedrifolia, with the superior 
character of the species to which it is allied; the latter variety is not of so brilliant 
a co.our, but its flowers are larger, and either or both of them are admirably 
adapted for flower-garden purposes. In the nursery above-mentioned they are now 
flowering, as well as im those of Messrs. Rollison and Young. 

Messrs. Roxuison’s, Tooting. In the orchidaceous house of these gentlemen, 
there has recently flowered a species of Stanhopea, which surpasses in size and 
splendour all other species which we have previously seen, and (Cattleyas excepted), 
we may safely add, all other orchidaceous plants. This most magnificent plant 
possesses the following distinctive characters :—the leaf-stalks are furrowed only to 
within about two inches of the pseudo-bulbs, which latter portion of them is 
perfectly smooth ; the flowers are produced in pair's, after the manner of S. grandt- 
flora; their extreme width from the tip of one sepal to that of the opposite one, is 
eight inches; the sepals are of a stone-coloured ground, but the lower part of them 
is completely obscured with a rich sanguineous purple, there being otherwise but 
few spots and blotches on them; the petals are marked with broad horizontal 
stripes, of a still darker hue than that of the sepals, and the lip bears some 
resemblance to that of 8. insignis. The specimen we are now noticing produced 


ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. is9 


eight flowers, which were all developed at the same time, and besides the surpassing 
splendour of their colours, their odour was extremely grateful. Amphicome arguta. 
A very elegant plant, said to be nearly hardy, with delicate rose-coloured, trumpet 
shaped flowers. It is now beautifully in flower in the greenhouse of this nursery. 
Lilium speciosum. A remarkably fine specimen of this splendid plant, in the 
possession of the above gentlemen, has eleven flowers now expanded, and it is 
needless to observe that it isa most superb object. Rudbeckia Drummondu. This 
is a very showy species, introduced by Mr. Drummond, and has large yellow 
flowers, with a rich dark brown blotch at the base of each petal. It is flowering 
in a frame in this nursery, but it is most probably hardy. : : 

Mr. Youne’s, Epsom. Lilium aurantiacum. A handsome new species of 
lily, from Japan, discovered and introduced by Dr. Siebold ; the flowers are large 
and expansive, the petals very slightly recurved, and of a beautiful dark orange- 
‘colour. It is now exhibiting its showy blossoms in the greenhouse of this gentle- 
man. Lisianthus Russehanus. This beautiful herbaceous plant is flowering at 
the above nursery, and its large blue blossoms form a striking contrast to its slender 
and graceful habits. Itis a most valuable plant, and should be in every collection. 
Chelone barbata alba. A pretty variety of this interesting species, with white or 
cream-coloured flowers. When planted in company with the original species, it 
has a very ornamental effect, and merits a place in every flower border. Shenogyne 
speciosa. ‘This is a new annual species, with bright orange-coloured flowers, in the 
centre of which there is a circle of a shining, almost black hue, which adds much to 
its beauty. It is aremarkably free-flowering plant, and makes an excellent aispay 
in the flower-garden. 


aa araas 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 
IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 
On the Propagation and Culture of Statice Arborea. 

NotwitustANDING the high encomiums with which this truly beautiful plant 
has been favoured, and the deserved esteem in which it is held by cultivators, it is 
unfortunately placed beyond the reach of all but the wealthier classes of horticul- 
turists, by the high price at which it was first issued, and which, though now 
much diminished, is still likely to prove for some time an effectual barrier to its 
extensive distribution. On a cursory examination into this subject, the question 
immediately occurs, to what is this extravagant cost to be attributed? The 
answer to which, and the manner in which it may be reduced, will form the basis 
of the present remarks. 

We imagine that the cause of the high price at which this beautiful plant is 
necessarily sold, may be traced to the difficulty experienced in propagating it, as it 
produces naturally so few lateral shoots. This circumstance has called forth the 


190 ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


ingenuity of the London nurserymen, who have devised a method for inducing it 
to throw out lateral shoots, which is highly creditable and ingenious, and will no 
doubt ultimately be the means of bringing it within the reach of all classes of 
plant cultivators. The method in question we shall now briefly detail, for the 
purpose of facilitating its dispersion. 

It is well known, that in the axil of the leaf of most shrubby plants, there 
exists the germ of a new system of life, which only requires to be excited and 
developed to furnish the means of producing a distinct plant. In many evergreens, 
however, these germs or buds are so latent, or develop themselves so tardily, that 
without the application of some artificial stimulus, they can seldom or never be 
employed for the purpose of propagation. This stimulus must likewise be accom- 
panied with some counteracting principle, in order to produce the desired effects ; 
and for this means, either incision or decapitation is practised. Statice arborea is a 
plant to which this description may be properly applied; and as the process of 
decapitation is attended with some risk, and deprives the plant thus headed down 
of its principal shoot, it has been found better to resort to the practice of incision. 

The plant intended for propagation is placed in a rather larger pot than is 
really necessary for it, to allow of the further extension of the roots without its 
being shifted; then, with a sharp knife, an incision is made in the stem at the 
axil of all the lowermost leaves, taking especial care to cut within the bud, 7. e. 
further into the stem, than the point from whence the bud is expected to proceed. 
This incision should neither be made horizontally nor longitudinally, but in a 
sloping direction, inclining more to the latter than the former, and as deep as may 
be deemed necessary to check the ascent of the sap, and induce it to flow towards, 
and concentrate in the bud, but by no means so much as to injure the plant. 
Immediately after the performance of this operation, a stake of about a foot 
higher than the plant should be inserted in the soil, as near as possible to the stem ; 
and in this stake several notches should be made above the plant, for the purpose 
of securing to it a small strip of matting, which is likewise to be fastened to the 
stalk of each leaf, to support and preserve them from breaking off or being other- 
wise injured ; observing previously to place in each incision a small chip of wood, 
so as to keep it very slightly open. | 

This part of the operation completed, some pieces of turf or heath-soil partially 
decomposed, should be placed round the stem of the plant, so as to reach, but not 
to cover the young buds ; and, if this be kept moderately moist, and the pot con- 
taining the plant be plunged to the rim,in bark with a brisk bottom-heat, a shoot 
will speedily appear from the axil of each leaf, and in many instances will form 
roots in this situation, particularly if a trifling incision be made in the outer bark, 
just below the base of the leaf-stalk,'as soon as the buds commence growing. If 
they fail to produce roots in this manner, the young shoots must be carefully taken 
off and treated as cuttings ; though in this case they will require great attention 
with regard to shading, watering, and drainage, as they do not strike root very 


OPERATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER. 191 


freely, and are therefore liable to perish from any excess of moisture or evaporation. 
This practice of increasing this plant by cuttings is preferable, when by combina- 
tion of favourable circumstances they can be induced to strike freely ; as, the base 
of the shoot thus being left, will in the course of time produce fresh shoots, while 
by the system before detailed, the whole shoots, and consequently ail the buds, are 
removed. ; 

By either method, the plant operated upon is not deprived of its leading or 
central shoot, and is by no means so much disfigured as if it had been decapitated, 
besides producing shoots much more speedily, and with much greater certainty. 
We strongly recommend the practice to all who may wish to propagate this plant, 
and indeed any other of a similar character, and hope that by the continued 
application of it, the collection of every lover of plants will speedily be enriched by 
the accession to it of this most delightful and desirable ornament. 

There are two points in the cultivation of this plant which require particular 
attention ; and these are, first, that it should always be planted in a sufficiently 
large pot ; and secondly, that the soil in which it is grown should be somewhat 
more nutritive than that which is usually employed. Any injury that might be 
sustained by inattention to the first of these particulars, would be entirely pre- 
vented by placing the plant out in the prepared border of a greenhouse, where such 
a one exists ; and by this practice we feel assured that the striking beauty of this 
plant might be greatly enhanced. As we entertain considerable doubt relative to 
the plant we are now noticing ever being found capable of enduring the open air 
in this country, even though it should be duly protected, we cannot recommend 
planting it in the open border ; otherwise, such a situation would be found highly 
advantageous to it. Treated as a Conservatory plant, however, that is, turned out 
into the border of the Conservatory as above mentioned, it has few equals, and its 
superior cultivation should be the aim of every lover of floriculture. 


OPERATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER. 

LITTLE active exertion being required of the gardener this month (we mean 
in the departments of floriculture), except such as is necessary for the continued 
performance of the most ordinary operations, advantage should be taken of this 
period to devise and mature plans for the improvement of the pleasure-grounds, 
the erection of houses, or other alterations that may suggest themselves, as it is 
very impolitic to defer the consideration of these subjects till the time (winter) 
arrives for carrying them into execution, it being difficult to apprehend the general 
effect of such alterations at that desolate season; and there are few gardens in 


which, by the exercise of a judicious taste, some improvements may not be 
effected. ; | 


192 OPERATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER. 


In the orchidaceous house and stove all the pots should be carefully examined, 
and those in which water is observed to stagnate, owing to inefficient drainage, 
should receive immediate attention. In most cases it will be better to turn out 
the plant entirely, very carefully remove some of the external soil from the 
ball of earth about the roots, and repot it in fresh soil; for if this shift is not 
now effected, it is more than probable that the plant will perish during the 
winter. No plants should be potted at this season under any other circumstances 
than those just mentioned, except such a change is peculiarly requisite, as it is 
desirable that no stimulus be applied to induce them to continue growing. As the 
temperature of the external atmosphere declines, that of the plant-stoves should be 
decreased to a commensurate extent, and not, as 1s absurdly done, augmented in 
consequence ; for it is incompatible with the health of plants to keep their func- 
tions in unabated action. Besides being manifestly imimical and irrational, such a 
practice could not be successfully pursued in this country, for this single reason ; 
that however easy it may be to supply the plants with artificial heat, it is impos- 
sible to produce a substitute for light; and solar light is as essential to a healthy 
growth, as heat is to induce any elongation or development of the parts of the 
plant. With a diminution of heat, a less supply of water will be necessary, and 
the latter must always be proportioned to the former, with due regard to particular 
circumstances. 

Those greenhouse plants which have been placed in the open air, must be well 
protected or housed towards the end of the month, and where practicable, they 
should be elevated to within a foot or eighteen inches of the glass. Air cannot be 
too freely admitted into the greenhouse in fine weather ; and, as in the stove, it 
should be specially ascertained that every plant has an efficient drainage before the 
winter commences, watering them only when the surface of the soil becomes dry. 
Those plants which are intended for forcing during the winter, should be daily 
exposed to as much light as possible in the open air, as this will prepare them for, 
and greatly promote, a premature development of their flowers. All young stock 
should be placed on shelves, at a slight distance from the glass, which, where such 
convenience exists in the house, is preferable to frames. Annuals may still be 
sown in pots, particularly stocks and mignonette, to flower early in the spring. 

The principal seed-harvest in the fiower-garden will occurthis month, directions for 
collecting which have already been given in our last number. Continue to propagate 
with all possible expedition all plants which have been planted out in the flower- 
garden, and will not endure the open air through the winter. Measures should 
be taken to entrap earwigs on Dahlias, by suspending any slight hollow tubes from 
different parts of the plant, and occasionally examining them, and shaking out 
the insects into hot water. The seed of biennial and perennial plants should be 
sown as soon as it 1s ripe im an open exposed situation. A few of the hardier kinds 
of annuals may likewise now be sown in the open ground, where they can be shel- 
tered as much as possible from cutting winds during the winter. 


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193 


VANDA TERES. 


(TAPER-LEAVED VANDA. ) 
CLASS, ORDER. 
GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDACE, 


Generic Cuaracten.—Labellum spurred, divided at the base (either short or long), always joined to the 
column, trifid; middle lobe fleshy. Petals spreading, distinct. Pollen-masses two, obliquely 
two-lobed. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Leaves cylindrical. Racemes ascending, usually two-flowered, equal with the 
leaves. Sepals oblong, obtuse, the highest one erect, lateral ones slightly twisted under the 
labellum, Labellum conical at the base; side segments ascending, nearly truncate; middle one 
pubescent at the summit, extended, truncate, emarginate. 


It may safely be asserted that Orchidaceous Epiphytes are the most exquisitely 
beautiful of all nature’s productions. Rich in every shade or variety of colour,— 
airy and fantastic, but always elegant in habit,—replete, beyond description, with 
every charm that can allure the senses, or enchant the mind ;—they totally eclipse 
all the old inhabitants of our stoves, and moreover present in their number and 
variety a field of research to the botanical student and the enquiring cultivator, 
which, from the comparatively little knowledge of them we yet possess, appears 
really illimitable. 

This unqualified assertion of the superior beauty of the tribe, will be divested 
of all semblance of bombast or exaggeration when viewed in connexion with the 
magnificent plant represented in the annexed drawing ; a plant which defies alike 
the arts of painting or description to convey an accurate and adequate idea of its 
distinguished merits. It is indeed an object that is scarcely surpassed in beauty 
(although it is exceeded in size) by any of the splendid family to which it belongs ; 
but, being unfortunately of rather slow growth, and likewise difficult to propagate, 
it is at present confined to the collections of the more enthusiastic cultivators. 

To a person unacquainted with the habits of Orchidaceous plants, the one here 
figured must appear a perfect phenomenon, and such an individual would be ready 


to imagine that the drawing was taken from the plant while in a leafless state ; nor 
VOL. V.—NO. LVII. CC 


194 VANDA TERES. 


will their astonishment be at all abated, but rather augmented, when we inform — 
them that the cylindrical stalk-like branches which are protruded from the stem 
are considered by botanists to be perfect leaves, no doubt performing the usual 
functions of those organs, though not deciduous, and ultimately becoming true 
stems. This instance, as well as the habits of many other Orchidaceous plants, 
may afford some confirmation of the astounding theory which asserts every part of 
a plant to be a stunted branch ; as it is certain that there are many cases of the 
leaves of plants actually becoming elaborated into perfect branches. 

In its habits this plant is, in the strictest sense of the term, an Epiphyte ; con- 
sequently, it requires no soil about its roots, but merely to be secured to a block of 
wood, and its lowermost roots protected with moss, which is employed solely for 
‘the purpose of excluding light, and retaining a sufficient quantity of moisture, 
being wholly unnecessary when these important objects can be otherwise attained. 
It should be kept in a warm and humid part of the Orchidaceous house, and an 
excellent situation is to suspend it over the cistern (with which, we may here 
observe, the Orchidaceous house should always be furnished), where the application 
of moss to its roots will be needless, provided the house is sufficiently shaded, by 
the constant exhalations from the water kept in the cistern. It is scarcely prudent 
to keep this plant in a constant state of excitement till it has been induced to 
flower. and after this period nothing can justify the practice. 

Propagation may be effected by carefully detaching the lateral shoots after they 
have grown to the length of six or eight inches, and attaching them to another 
block of wood in a similar manner to the old ones; but extreme caution will be 
requisite to preserve them from excision by moisture till they have recovered from 
the effects of being dissevered from the parent plant, and commenced growing. 

Its native country is Sylhet, m India, where it was first discovered upon 
trees by Dr. Wallich, superintendant of the Calcutta Botanic Garden ; it has since 
been found by Mr. William Griffith, near Medown, in the Burmese empire ; and 
we have plants of it at Chatsworth, which were brought home by His Grace the 
Duke of Devonshire’s collector, in 1837, having been found by him near Pondooah, 
at the base of the Khoseea hills. 

For the drawing of this splendid plant we are obliged to J. Bateman, Ksq., of 
Knypersly Hall, Cheshire, in whose excellent collection it flowered in the early 
part of the present season, and our artist was at the same time engaged in figuring 
a specimen at Messrs. Loddiges, Hackney, who alone, as far as we are aware, 
possess saleable plants. 


The generic name is the Hindoo term of the original species. 


pe 
ey sh 


see 
i 
na 
‘ 


Pata 


bi? and 


Lo Zee Vea ticle 4 


195 


CHILODIA SCUTELLARIOIDES. 


(SCUTELLARIA-LIKE CHILODIA. ) 


CLASS. ORDER, 


DYDYNAMIA. GY MNOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


LABIAT Zi. 


Generic Cuaractrr.—Calyx campanulate, tube short, with about thirteen streaks, two-lipped ; upper lip 
entire, lower one emarginate; throat naked internally. Corolla with a large but short tube ; limb 
campanulate, barely two-lipped; upper lip erect, nearly smooth, emarginate, bifid ; lower one trifid, 
middle lobe largest, bifid or emarginate, all of them smooth and spreading. Stamens four, nearly 
equal, shorter than the tube of the corolla, SF %laments glabrous, naked. Anthers two-celled ; 
cells parallel, smooth, naked, not bearded. Styles bifid at the summit, divisions nearly equal, 
crowned with stigmas. 


Sprciric Cuaracter.—A shrub with glabrous or pubescent branches. eaves sessile, scarcely half an 
inch long, linear or lanceolate, acute, quite entire, with subrevolute edges, green on both surfaces, 
glabrous, or finely downy beneath in the young state ; floral leaves exceeding the flowers. Pedicels 
axillary, bibracteate. Calywes ciliated. Corolla glabrous, exceeding the calyx a little. Don’s 
Gard. and Botany. 

A very neat and pretty greenhouse shrub, introduced to this country in 1828, 
seeds of it having been received at the Royal Gardens at Kew. It is a native of 

New South Wales, and is said to be rarely met with in that colony, being found 


principally in barren forests in the vicinity of the Nepean river. 


The plant of which a drawing is prefixed, is, we believe, the only known 
species of the genus, which was founded by Mr. Brown, and is closely allied to the 
genera Prostranthera and Scutellaria, but differs from them in having the lower 
lip of its calyx emarginate, or more frequently bifid, in the base of the calyx being 
furnished with bractex, and in the anthers being destitute of the spur-like appen- 
dages which are seen in the genus Prostranthera ; though in other respects it 


greatly resembles that genus, particularly the species violacea. 


It requires to be potted in a mixture of light sandy loam and heath soil, with 
the addition of a little white sand, if this is not naturally comprised in either or 


both of the above soils ; and care should be taken to allow it an effective drainage, 


196 CHILODIA SCUTELLARIOIDES. 


both by placing an abundance of potsherds in the bottom of the pot, and also by 
mingling small pieces of them, or of broken sand-stone, with the soil. It is very 
susceptible of injury from any superfluity of moisture about the roots, therefore 


water should be applied sparingly aud with due discrimination. 


If it were kept m a heath-house, and treated as the Heaths, (soil alone 
excepted,) there can be little doubt that it would thrive in gréat perfection, and its 
pretty purple blossoms will exhibit themselves during the . greater part of the 


summer months in very pleasing profusion. 


In its propagation, cultivators have experienced some difficulty, but cuttings of 

it will strike (though slowly) if planted in sand, and one principal reason why they 
do not produce roots more speedily is their tendency to flower after being planted 
as cuttings. If the flower-buds be timely removed, and the cuttings judiciously 
treated in other respects, they will most probably succeed better than they have 


hitherto done, and the plant become a common ornament to our collections. 


Seeds are occasionally ripened, but the produce from them has been very 
_inconsiderable, and this is by no means so certain and expeditious a mode of propa- 


gation as that by cuttings. 


The collection of Messrs. Rollison, of Tooting, furnished the subject of the - 
present drawing, from whom, and from Mr. Young, Epsom, plants of it may be 


procured for a trifling sum. 


The generic name is taken from chei/os, a lip, and odous, a tooth, in allusion to 


the indentation in the lower lip of the calyx. 


IAP LIAAMW FAL 
/ 


197 


CAPSICUM USTULATUM. 


(BURNING CAPSICUM, OR TRUE CHILI.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


SOLANACE/L. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Calyx permanent, five-toothed. Corolla rotate, limb plicate, five-cleft. Anthers 
connivent, two-celled, dehiscing lengthwise. Stigma obtuse. Berry dry, inflated, and hollow, of 
a papery consistence, two to four-celled, many-seeded, naked. Placent@ adnate to the dissepiment. 
—Dons Gard. and Botany. 


Speciric CuaracteR.—Plané frutescent, much branched. Branches flexuose, divaricate, angular. 
Leaves very large, ovate, acuminate, glabrous, as well as the petioles. Calyx entire. Peduncles 
usually solitary. /’ruit anguiar, pendulous, from one and a half to two and a half inches long, 

_ covered with irregular protuberances, bright red. 


Sreps of this very distinct and handsome species of Capsicum were originally 
received by us from J. Bateman, Esq., of Knypersly, and as it is new, valuable, 
and by no means unornamental, we have pleasure in introducing it to more general 
notice by the accompanying plate. The brilliant colour of the pods will render it 
an acceptable feature in the greenhouse during the winter months, as, by a little 
attention to the time of sowing, they may be induced to ripen at the above season, 


and will continue in this interesting state a considerable time. 


It may appear inconsistent with the character of a botanical work to allude to 
the cultivation of an esculent vegetable, but the very ornamental appearance of this 
species, combined with its excellent qualities as a condiment, will excuse our notice 
of it; and we have no doubt that the few following hints will be generally well 


received by our readers. 


The seeds should be preserved in the pods till they are required for sowing, and 
about the month of March they should be taken out and sown in shallow pans, 
covered with about a quarter of an inch of soil, and placed in a cucumber or other 


hot-bed frame, plunging the pots in the soil or bark which is usually spread over 


198 CAPSICUM USTULATUM. 


the bed for the-suppression of steam. As soon as the plants have perfected their 
seed-leaves, they should be planted singly into small pots, and these pots again 
immersed in the hot-bed, keeping them as near as convenient to the glass through- 
out the whole period of their growth, and shifting them frequently and by slow 


degrees till they arrive at a fruiting state. 


The soil used for potting should be a light loam, greatly enriched with decayed 
manure ; and thouglf they will grow tolerably well if placed on the flue of a vinery 
or other forcing-house, they thrive much better when supplied with a gentle 
bottom-heat by being plunged in bark or other fermenting material. In either 


case, a liberal supply of water is necessary, though much less so in the latter. 


The house, pit, or frame in which they are kept, should always be maintained 
at a temperature not lower than 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and as little above this as 
circumstances will permit ; but a humid atmosphere is indispensable, and they will 
be much improved by frequent syringing, particularly when the temperature is 
usually higher than the above ratio, as they are very liable to the attacks of the 
red spider. These observations, however, apply only to the plants which have not 
matured their fruit, for after this period of their existence, they will continue 


healthy a much longer time in a lower temperature. 


Used as an ingredient in pickles, this is decidedly the most valuable species 
~ with which we are acquainted, the pods having an unusual spicy and pungent 


flavour, but very agreeable when employed sparingly. 


Our drawing was taken at Chatsworth in the autumn of last year, and we have 
cultivated it extensively both for culinary and ornamental purposes during the 


present season. 


The generic name is derived from kapto, to bite, in allusion to the pungent 


qualities of the fruit of the species. 


The specific appellation refers also to the remarkably hot and burning qualities 
of the fruit, and when thus superadded to the generic, implies that this species 
possesses these properties in an extraordinary degree. We received it under the 


name of “ True Chili Capsicum.” 


L 4 
ie be 
, 


Cy 
OMlotia/ ph ew 


MMP LOL. 


OCTR |, (838y 


199 


EUTOCA WRANGELIANA. 


(BARON WRANGEL’S EUTOCA.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


PENTANDRIA., MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


HY DROPHYLLE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Corolla deciduous. Ovariwm roundly-oval, hairy. Placent@ linear, adhering 
to the back of the partition of the ovary, from four to many-seeded. Capsule with incomplete 
divisions, usually two-celled. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Plané an annual, growing from four to six inches high. S¢ems numerous, par- 
tially declinate, somewhat tortuous, hairy. Leaves ovate, acute, entire. Corolla, twice as long as 
the calyx ; and about equal in length to the stamens. Placentas eight to ten, ovulate. 


CONSIDERED as the principal ornaments of the flower-garden throughout the 
most delightful period of the year, and, during a considerable portion of it, the 
most interesting features in the greenhouse, annual plants have great claims to our 
attention, and should be very extensively cultivated in every pleasure-garden. 
But the vast number and variety of sorts that are now known in our collections, 
the whole of which it is almost impossible to introduce into even the most exten- 
sive gardens, renders necessary a judicious selection of the best kinds, in order to 
compensate for any deficiency in number or variety by the superior beauty of those 


which are admitted. 


In such a selection, the showy species here figured is well worthy of a distin- 
guished place, as it is a most elegant and ornamental plant, and one of which no 
flower-garden, greenhouse, verandah, or other suitable plant structure should be 
destitute. 


Although an excellent species for planting im beds in the flower-garden, it is 
peculiarly adapted for growing in pots, to supply the deficiency of other flowers in 
the greenhouse during certain periods of the year, as its dwarf and compact habits 


render it unnecessary to support the branches with more than a few very short 


200 EUTOCA WRANGELIANA. 


stakes, and if the stems are tastefully disposed at an early stage of their growth, these 
stakes will be entirely concealed, and an almost unbroken surface of beautiful blue 
blossoms will be exhibited. It is scarcely necessary to recommend the practice of 
ovowing delicate and showy annuals in the greenhouse during the dull season of 


the year, as every cultivator must be aware of its advantages. 


Seeds sown very late in the autumn of one season, the plants being potted into 
small pots, three in each pot, and kept through the winter in a frame or ereen- 
house where they can be placed close to the glass, re-potting them into larger pots 
if requisite, will produce flowers early in the spring of the following year, and 
prove valuable and interesting ornaments to the greenhouse. Again, if these 
plants are allowed to perfect their seed, and some of this is sown in August or 
_ September, or even later, and treated in a similar manner to that above narrated, 
they will flower during the whole of the last months of the year, and probably 


much longer if properly managed. 


Any light and open loamy soil will be found suitable for this plant, though 
those which are grown during the summer will require one stronger and more 
retentive. Water should be applied to them very cautiously in the winter, and the 
atmosphere of the house or frame kept as free from damp or vapour as possible ; 
but if they are retained in pots through the summer, a larger supply of it will be 


necessary. 


This species was first discovered in the Russian colony of Ross in New 
California, which is situated on the north-west coast of North America ; and seeds 
of it were communicated to the Imperial Botanic Garden at Petersburgh, from 
whence it was received in this country, we believe, by the Horticultural Society. 
It was named by Fischer and Meyer after Baron Wrangel, a Swedish nobleman 
of distinction, who has been employed in the Russian service in exploring the 


districts round Behring’s Straits. 


We are indebted to Messrs. Henderson, of the Edgeware Road, for the oppor- 
tunity of figuring this showy species, in whose nursery our drawing was taken in 


the month of May last, and from whom plants or seeds may be obtained. 


The generic name is taken from eutokos, fruitful, and was applied to the genus 
by Mr. R. Brown, on account of the number of seeds borne by the placenie ; a 


character by which it is distinguished from Nemophila. 


201 


ON THE CULTURE OF RHODANTHE MANGLESII. 

Few annuals have ever been introduced to our collections that can at all vie 
with the delightful little plant which forms the subject of the following brief 
remarks. All that we can conceive of beauty or loveliness in a plant—and in this 
respect plants maintain an absolute pre-eminence over all other created objects, 
unendowed with volitive motion,—seems concentrated in Rhodanthe Manglesii. 
Its sprightly, elegant habit, now erect, then tortuous, and anon curving and inter- 
weaving its slender branches in all directions, so as best to exhibit their charming 
blossoms,—with flowers of a brilliancy of hue, and compactness of form, which 
laugh to scorn all the labours of the most skilful artisans to imitate,—the petals of 
these being likewise of an extremely delicate and glossy texture, and of what is 
usually termed everlasting duration, render it an object of more than ordinary 
interest, and constitute it indeed a perfect gem of its class. 

A tolerably faithful coloured representation of it may be seen by referring to 
p. 173 of the third volume of this work, but we regret to find that it has not yet 
been cultivated to the extent it merits. As any remarks on its cultivation from 
the individual by whom it was originally raised cannot prove otherwise than 
interesting, we proceed to give the substance of a communication furnished to us 
by Mr. D. Mackay, Gardener to R. Mangles, Esq. 

The main purport of these observations is to inform cultivators how they may 
obtain flowering-plants of this species in the month of March, to effect which 
object, the seed should be sown in August, in a compost of decayed leaf-soil and 
light maiden earth, equal parts of each, filling the pot or pan in which it is to be 
sown to about half its depth with broken potsherds, to ensure good drainage. The 
seed should not be covered with more earth than will seclude it from light, and 
after sowing, it should be gently watered through the fine rose of a small watering 
pot, and placed in'a temperature not lower than 60°, and of which 80° is the 
maximum degree. The pots should be examined once or twice daily, and the 
earth never allowed to become too dry, taking care to apply water of a tempe- 
rature nearly equal to that of the house. 

Under this treatment, the plants will make their appearance in three weeks or a 
month after the time of sowing, and while yet in the seed-leaf they should be 
removed to a part of the house as light and airy as possible, that they may not 
grow too weakly and slender. As soon as they have attained a sufficient size, they 
should be potted into small sixty-sized pots, three in each pot, using the compost 
before recommended, and bearing in mind that the pots cannot be too well drained 
at all stages of their growth. 

{tis difficult to assign any specific rules relative to the period at which they 
should be repotted, as much depends on the state of the weather, the mode of 

VOL. V.—NO. LVII. DD 


202 ON THE CULTURE OF RHODANTHE MANGLESII. 


treatment, and other casualties ; and some plants will require shifting a considerable 
time before others, although the seeds were sown at the same period. The surest 
criterion is the emission of roots through the drainage-hole at the bottom of the pot, 
upon observing which, they should immediately be shifted into larger pots. This 
will most probably occur during the month of November, at which time it will be 
particularly necessary to avoid placing them in confined or damp situations, or 
supplying them with an immoderate quantity of water. 

Fire-heat should never be employed except in very severe weather, and then 
only to such a degree as to exclude frost. Asa general rule, the winter tempera- 
ture should never exceed 65°, nor be allowed to fall below 40°, as the slightest 
degree of frost is fatal to this plant. In the month of January they will again 
require shifting into pots of a still larger size, and at this period, decayed manure 
should be substituted for the leaf-mould, and a small portion of white sand added 
to the compost. In March they may receive another and final removal, which 
must be regulated according to their size, and after this, they will speedily flower. 
Those who are acquainted with this plant need not be informed what an acqui- 
sition a number of flowering specimens are to the greenhouse at this season, and few 
we think will be willing to forego the pleasure which such a display would afford 
on account of the slight trouble it requires. 

Seeds sown in September, and managed according to the above directions, will 
generally produce finer specimens, though they will be somewhat later in flowering 
than those of the August sowing; and if another portion be sown in October, they 
will flower beautifully in the succeeding May. Finally, if a sowing is effected in 
March, the plants obtained from it will be fit for planting out in the flower-garden 
in May, where they will have a most enchanting effect during the autumnal 
months. After the plants raised from any of the sowings have been potted, they 
should be removed to a much cooler house, and when they are sufficiently esta- 
blished, should be placed on a shelf, or other elevated position, near the glass. 

It should be observed, that, if during the time these plants are kept in the 
greenhouse, the remainder of the plants in the house require fumigating, those of 
this species should be removed during the operation, as they are always greatly 
injured, and most frequently destroyed by tobacco-smoke. 

There is yet another fact connected with the cultivation of this species that is 
worth recording, which is, that the plants do not die immediately after producing 
their flowers, provided they are not allowed to mature seed. As soon, therefore, 
as the first flowers begin to fade, they should be plucked off; and when the whole 
of them have been removed, the plant should be repotted, which will have the 
effect of renovating it, and inducing it to flower again most abundantly. 

To procure good seed, it must not be obtained from those plants which are 
growing in the open ground, unless they can conveniently be protected by a hand- 
glass or frame, as it will not ripen thoroughly when exposed to rain ; so that it 
will be better to collect it from the plants which are retained in the greenhouse. 


203 


ON THE AGENCY OF SOLAR LIGHT. 

THE article upon the “ Influence of Climate”—if it be perused with the interest 
which the subject, and the way in which it is treated, merit, will make a great 
impression upon the physiological gardener. We hope the writer will pursue 
the inquiry, and adduce many facts which will assist the practice of those amateurs 
who have few opportunities to obtain correct information concerning the native 
habitats, climes, and situation, as respects soil and exposure, of those plants which 
are the objects of their solicitude. | 

It is allowed that, under any circumstances, however favourable they may be, 
exotics, introduced to our greenhouses and stoves, are and must be, treated 
unnaturally. Were we able to apply the great natural agents—air, moisture, 
and temperature, in a manner and degree closely approaching to those of nature, 
certain it is that the intervention of a screen of glass would at once change the 
operation of solar light; for the rays, in their passage through that chemical 
medium, become’ more or less refracted, and decomposed. Now, if allowance be 
not made for the alterations so produced, there will be perpetual miscalculations ; 
of this the following fact—of too frequent occurrence—will afford some degree of 
proof. 

A fig-tree in a large pot, which had set two dozens, or more, of fruit, in a stove, 
remained healthy, and clothed with a richly verdant foliage ; but, owing to the 
high temperature of the house, it lost every fig in succession, when about half swelled. 
When it was found that the figs could not be produced ripe in that situation, 
the tree was removed ; and, the weather being fine and warm, it was placed in 
the open air, and—without due reflection—in a sunny exposure. In the house 
the rays had fallen upon the tree, which had no protecting screen, other than that 
of the glass; but the angle of the lights was not above 26 degrees, according to 
the French method of dividing the quadrant, or of 64 degrees according to that 
practised in England (see this subject elucidated at p. 257-8, vol. ii.) ; consequently: 
the light was considerably broken, and its power much qualified. The fig-tree had 
not been exposed during many hours, ere every leaf was paralysed and drooped ; 
in two or three days the verdure was changed to a sickly yellow, and the entire 
foliage perished ! 

Greenhouse plants placed abroad in their summer quarters have to pass through 
this trying ordeal ; there is not one of them but suffers more or less; all are tor- 
pified ; and, unless they be well shaded on their first exposure, lose much of their 
beauty, and become anything but objects of attraction during the best of the 
summer months. 

From these considerations, the remarks on light—at p. 112—must be received 
with some qualification, and that upon the following ground :—first—the solar 
rays passing through glass, lose much of their direct power; second—a great 


204 ON THE AGENCY. OF SOLAR LIGHT. 


volume of atmospheric moisture is maintained by the glass, which has no existence 
in the open air: the situation, therefore, of a plant is rendered unnatural ; and, 
although the knowledge of the native habitats, and of their concomitants, must be 
essentially useful, as affording the basis of analogical reasoning, still, a vast deal 
must depend upon the observation of the gardener, and his adroit readiness to seize” 
at once upon facts as they present themselves to his view. General features which 
are observable in nature, ought to be attentively regarded; thus, as is observed, 
plants which “ are never subjected in the native localities to the immediate influence 
of solar light” ought not to be placed in a situation where they constantly receive 
the most powerful rays of the sun (113), but the particular effects which attend 
an artificial mode of treatment, must be observed with accurate minuteness. 
Plants exposed to the “ skyey influences,” be they surrounded, and buried, as it 
were, by underwood, in the deep recesses of forests and drundles, have still freedom 
of exposure to atmospheric agency, without the intervention of a transparent roof. 
But with us, im our glazed stoves, and surrounded by the natives of climates widely 
remote from each other, they have to conform to their new situation, and what is 
perhaps of greater consequence than it is generally thought to be, they have to 
support the influence of an atmosphere charged with the gaseous transpirations of 
other plants, which may be extremely pernicious. Upon what other ground can 
we account for the failure of the hardy heath tribe, unless it be indulged with an 
abode prepared exclusively for it? All greenhouse plants like air, a due supply of 
water, cleanliness, and correct attention ; but the heaths, and some other subjects of 
extremely hardy and healthy habits naturally, droop, sicken, and fail, if they be 
made tenants in common with any other tribes. It may be said, that heaths and 
their congeners are “‘miffy,” because they are impatient of water, of wind, and of 
the full south sun; that with care, and attentive regulation they might, and 
would, succeed among other plants. We grant the point, and admit that they 
might exist, as they do in parlours, during two or three seasons; but has ever 
any one seen a heath in full verdure, in the plenitude of health, so situated, growing 
and blooming for a succession of years? Such an exception may have occurred, 
but has rarely been witnessed. 

Light acts powerfully upon plants at the different stages of their progress; the 
fertility of a vine depends mainly upon the solar direct ray operating upon the 
foliage during the growth of the fruit-bearing wood, but the fruit itself will swell 
to the greatest perfection when shaded by the foliage. Light is instrumental in 
promoting all the functions of the fruitful organs, but it operates inimically upon 
the expanded flower. Thus, if a blowing plant of Streptocarpus Reaw be exposed 
to the direct ray, the blossoms will be seen to shoot off, and become pendent on 
the pistillum, within a day or two after they have expanded. In the shade, on 
the contrary, we have frequently retained a plant in full flower, on a mantel- 
shelf, for a month, every individual blossom remaining expanded, and to all appear- 
ance perfect, for more than a week. Every fact proves that information upon native 


ON THE AGENCY OF SOLAR LIGHT. 205 


habits, climate, and soil, ought, if possible, to be obtained, and studied as the 
basis of a wise system of culture; but that success will chiefly depend upon the 
vigilant foresight (founded upon experience) of the gardener. What a system of 
education and observation does not this imply—and how ought men so educated to 
be rewarded by their employers ! 


This Paper is the favour of a highly respectable correspondent, and was received 
by us (as will be seen from its commencement, ) shortly after the insertion of our 
first article on the ‘ Influence of Light.’ The subjects to which it more particularly 
alludes, viz., the necessity of actual experience in the cultivation of plants, and of 
considering the obstruction which a glazed roof presents to the rays of solar light, 
are of the utmost importance, and had not been overlooked by us. We may, 
perhaps, be permitted a few further remarks on the latter of these points, for the 
former is too plain and palpable to require substantiating. 

In the construction of houses for the reception of plants, there can be no more 
serious error than that of omitting to take into consideration the angle at which the 
rays of light are most freely and directly transmitted, allowing more or less decli- 
nation to the roof, according to the aspect of the house, and the kinds of plants that 
are intended to be grown in it. ‘To such an astonishing extent indeed is the light 
deflected by a glazed roof, that one which is constructed so flat as to render its 
inclination scarcely perceptible, is said to offer an obstruction to light of at least 
fifty per cent. 

Gardeners too seldom allow this most vitally important circumstance due 
consideration, and as architects study rather the general appearance of such struc- 
tures than their adaptation to the cultivation of plants, the hot-houses of this 
country are frequently little better than places of shelter from the inclemency of 
the climate, instead of affording with the shelter every facility for the liberal 
admission of solar light. 

Those cultivators, however, who erect houses for the express purpose of growing 
any particular kind of plants which usually require some degree of shade, and think 
to incline the roof just so much as to render shading unnecessary, will be as 
egregiously in error as those who wholly neglect the subject ; for it is very easy to 
afford the plants any required degree of shading during the summer, but it is 
impossible to supply the deficiency of solar light in the winter, which would 
undoubtedly be requisite if the roof were inclined only to suit the plants kept in 
the house through the summer months. Besides, the purpose of shading is not so 
truly effected by decreased declination of the roof, for in that case, the intensity of 
the light is only lessened by being wholly refracted, whereas, by interposing a 
denser medium, but at the proper inclination, some of the rays only are inter- 
cepted, while those which reach the plants are mitigated but not refracted, and 
consequently approximate nearer to the natural and desired method. 

The case of the fig-tree cited by our respected correspondent is very apropos ; 


206 THE REJECTIONS OF PLANTS. 


and if it were retained in the pot, which we have no reason to doubt,, affords a 
striking illustration of the subject in question. We have never witnessed such 
marked effects as those alluded to, although we have had frequent occasion to 
regret the sudden exposure of many plants to the full power of the sun. 

As we have before shown, it is possible to injure some plants by an extreme 
degree of solar light as well as by a defalcation of it, and in this as in all other 
subjects, there is a happy medium to be attained, but it requires diligently to be 
sought after. We have presented our readers with the result of some of our 
researches, and we shall now be most happy to insert the communication of any 
correspondent whose inquiries have extended beyond our own, or who will further 
elucidate the subject in any of its numerous bearings. 


THE REJECTIONS OF PLANTS. 


ses Nee 


WueEn the theory relative to the excrementitious discharges of plants was first 
promulged, it naturally provoked a considerable degree of astonishment and incre- 
dulity among horticulturists of all classes; and many practical gardeners, under 
the impression that it was purely fallacious and absurd, made several attempts to 
refute it, and expose its alleged inconsistencies. As the controversy it occasioned 
has now in a great measure subsided, and the prejudices of different individuals 
have either been mollified or removed, it appears almost needless to bring forward 
any further arguments in its support than have already appeared in various works, 
more especially as the most convincing proofs of its correctness are daily occurring 
both in garden and field. That many plants and vegetables do emit an excremen- 
titious slime, is a fact which we consider perfectly incontrovertible ; how, otherwise, 
is the deterioration of any soil by growing in it successive crops of one kind of 
plant (notwithstanding it may be plentifully manured) to be accounted for? Is 
it not clear that the deterioration must proceed, not so much from the abstraction 
of nutritious, as from the transfusion of deleterious particles? But much more 
palpable evidence than this may be adduced ; which is, that if plants, such as 
bulbs, are placed in a vessel of water in a growing state, and that water is not 
daily removed, in a few days the roots will be enveloped with a viscid, slimy 
substance, which has evidently exuded from them, and unless this is washed away 
by a fresh supply of water, the health of the bulbs will be materially injured. 
Assuming, then, this theory to be established, and almost universally admitted, we 
intend offering a few general remarks on the particular influence of vegetable feeces 
on certain plants, and then drawing from them some practical inferences relative to 
the cultivation of those plants which are most materially affected thereby. 

It must be obvious to all who have investigated this subject, that some plants 
deteriorate the soil much sooner than others, and consequently that their rejections 
are either more copious, or of a more virulent character ; but we are not aware 
that the cause of this difference has yet been explained. We are inclined to 


THE REJECTIONS OF PLANTS. 207 


consider it to be the effects of repletion; or in other words, that those plants 
which are supplied with, and are capable of imbibing, a larger quantity of liquid 
sustenance, must necessarily eject a greater portion of that food in the form of 
excrement; and in this opinion we think we are borne out by the fact, that those 
plants which possess the strongest and most juicy roots, are productive of the 
greatest injury to the soil. If this hypothesis be correct, it follows that when by 
any means a plant is furnished with a superabundance of moisture, it will become 
so completely saturated, as to cause an unusual discharge of excrementitious 
matter ; which, accumulating about the roots, renders the plant unhealthy, and is 
in fact the cause of what is usually termed “sour” soil, instead of the stagnant 
water, as is generally supposed. Plants in pots may frequently be observed to 
become sickly from this cause, and we have repeatedly taken them from the pot 
when such has been the case, removed part of the soil, and placed them in another 
pot with some fresh soil, without producing the slightest beneficial effects ; but 
when the roots have been cleared of every particle of soil, and potted in a fresh 
compost, the plant has speedily recovered its usual health and luxuriance, and 
flourished with its wonted vigour and energy. Still further, we have seen orange 
trees, the roots of which had been so much injured by superfluous moisture as to 
lose every leaf, and in this state they have been taken from the soil, their roots 
carefully cleaned and washed several times in soapy or other water, after which 
they have been replaced in tubs in a fresh soil, and by being kept in a moist 
heat have speedily commenced growing, and in a short time have been again 
clothed with healthy and luxuriant foliage. Nor are orange trees alone to be 
mentioned here, for we have seen many other plants in a similarly unhealthy state 
treated in precisely the same manner, with equally beneficial results; and we 
believe the system of washing the roots of plants is frequently practised by the 
growers of Heartsease, though probably without any knowledge of the principles 
which render such a process necessary. 

These facts, if they do not establish the opinion we have above expressed, at 
least demonstrate the existence of certain functions in plants which are capable of 
discharging any refuse matter, and also that these rejections are highly detrimental 
to the plant emitting them. The question therefore naturally arises, how are 
these injurious influences to be counteracted or rendered nugatory? In the first 
place it has been clearly ascertained, that the rejections of plants are only injurious 
to those of their own species; while they are perfectly innocuous, perhaps nutri- 
mental, to all others. This is a very important discovery, and as far as kitchen- 
garden practice is concerned, establishes the propriety of attending to the alter- 
nation and rotation of crops. In the flower-garden, however, the case is widely 
different, the majority of the plants being of perennial duration ; attention to this 
object is therefore of still greater importance, and its attainment more difficult, as no 
plant should be allowed to remain in the same spot for more than two years, otherwise 
it will inevitably degenerate. These remarks are especially applicable to bulbs and 


208 THE REJECTION OF PLANTS. | 


tubers, and we imagine that the advantages which these derive from an occasional 
removal from the soil, are not only attributable to what is usually termed “a 
season of rest,” but also to a change of soil; hence, the good effects of such treat- 
ment will be greatly diminished, if this latter fact is not taken into consideration 
and acted upon. 

Plants in pots are still more materially affected by their own rejections, on 
account of their roots being more confined, and consequently unable to extend 
themselves into uncontaminated soil; but even in this case there are means of 
removing them, or counteracting their effects, which we shall now explain. It 
has been asserted, but we scarcely think it has been sufficiently demonstrated, that 
this excrementitious matter is voided solely by the tips or extremities of the 
rootlets ; and if this be correct, the importance of their being repotted annually 
must be very evident. These rootlets, it is well known, are usually found at the 
sides of the pots, and by removing a portion of the external soil of the ball, this 
injurious matter will be entirely taken away, and fresh soil may be substituted in 
its place. The fibrous roots of many plants lkewise lie near the surface of the 
soil, and with such plants the operation called “‘ top-dressmg” has a beneficial 
effect, similar to that of pyotting with others, provided always a portion of the 
surface-soil be taken away before any fresh earth is added. 

But there are other means of removing or neutralising these rejections, a know- 
ledge of which is equally essential to the gardener or cultivator of plants; and 
these are, a free circulation of water, and a thorough exposure to the air. By the 
advantage resulting from the former of these processes, it will be seen that an 
efficient drainage to plants in pots is necessary for other purposes than are usually 
considered ; and that a stagnation of water about the roots, besides saturating the 
plants, and thus, as we conceive, making their rejections more abundant, causes a 
retention of this noxious feculence in the pots, which is highly pernicious and 
sometimes destructive to the plants. 

By freely exposing soil to the varied influences of the atmosphere, it has been 
proved that the rejections of plants which it contains are either evaporated or 
decomposed. Hence the great advantage of spreading out soils to the air, and 
frequently turning them previously to using them for potting. Perhaps also this 
may be one instance of the utility of the operation of digging, and a still more 
prominent one in that of ridging. It is certain, however, that the practice of 
throwing away expensive and valuable soils after they have once been used for 
potting plants, is a most injudicious and wasteful proceeding ; since, by exposing 
them to the air for one or more years, and repeatedly turning them, they might 
again be rendered available for the same purpose; and with a slight addition of 
well-rotted manure to enrich them, would be equally suitable and nutritive to the 
same or any other similar kind of plants. We would especially direct the attention 
of those of our readers who have to purchase soils to this latter declaration ; and to 
establish the truth of it, we need only say, that were this theory not correct, every 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 209 


portion of cultivated ground would have long since become a barren waste, and the 
most essential and valuable vegetable productions of the earth would now be 
unknown. 

The practice of burning soils or subjecting them to the action of intense heat, 
has been recommended by some for destroying extraneous matters ; but however 
useful this may be with clayey earth, to promote pulverization, we cannot think it 
worthy of adoption for the purpose here alluded to ; and we would recommend 
exposure to the air as one of the most simple, and at the same time the most 
efficacious, method of regenerating all soils that are impregnated with the rejections 
of plants. Our objects in these remarks has been to place the most prominent 
parts of this subject before our readers in their true light, with their practical 
consequences and suggestions ; and as our limits have not permitted us to enter so 
minutely into the consideration of it as it deserves, we shall perhaps revert to it 
at some future opportunity ; we now leave it to the candid attention and investiga- 
tion of the reader, convinced that a knowledge of it is of the utmost importance to 
the practical cultivator. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR SEPTEMBER. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONES). 


THE MELASTOMA TRIBE (Melastomacee). 


ARTHROSTEMMA VERSICOLOR. Changeable-flowered Arthrostemma. A most 
interesting little half-shrubby stove plant, recently raised in the Glasgow Botanic 
Garden, from seeds sent there by Mr. Tweedie, but had previously been discovered 
by Mr. M‘Rae, collector to the Horticultural Society, at St. Catharine, on the 
eastern coast of Brazil. It bears a great number of pretty pik blossoms from the 
extremities of the shoots; they are produced in the months of July and August, 
and render it very ornamental. It is the Rheaia versicolor of Dr. Lindley. 
Bot. Mag. 3678. 

THE ROSE TRIBE (Rosacee). 


PoTENTILLA GLABRA... Glabrous Potentilla. This is by no means a showy, 
although a shrubby species of the genus. It is dwarf, entirely smooth, and the 
branches incline downwards, producing their neat yellowish-white flowers at their 
extremities. Being quite hardy, it is said to form an interesting feature among 
the various species of Cistus, where these are cultivated collectively. Siberia is its 
native country, and it was first imported by Messrs. Loddiges, who state in the 
Botanical Cabinet that it is somewhat difficult of propagation. We presume it 
may be increased by layers. Bot. Mag. 3676. 

VOL. V.—NO. LVI. EE 


210 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


THE LOBELIA TRIBE (Lobeliacee).' 

LoBELIA FENESTRALIS. A rather pretty species, bearing a great number of 
neat purple flowers in a terminal spike, the latter being interspersed with leaves, 
which are nearly amplexicaul, and much jagged. It was originally found by 
Humboldt and Bonpland in the temperate parts of Mexico, but seeds obtained from 
the same country have recently been communicated to the Horticultural Society, 
by G. F. Dickson, Eso. The seeds are recommended to be sown about the end of 
June in a decayed hotbed, with a very slight covering of sand, and kept through 
the winter in pots in the greenhouse, either placing them in larger pots, or planting 
them out in the open border im the spring, when they will flower in July and 


September. Bot. Reg. 47. 


CLASS II1.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONEZ). 


THE NARCISSUS TRIBE (Amaryliidee). 

IsMENE MACLEANA. Mr. M‘Lean’s Amancaes. ‘This is a new and delightfully 
fragrant species, the bulbs of which were sent to the Glasgow Botanic Garden, 
from Lima, by John M‘Lean, Esq., after whom it has been named. It is a strong 
growing species, and produces a large cluster of showy whitish-yellow flowers ; 
requiring the temperature of the stove, or probably only of the greenhouse, and 
the usual treatment of Cape bulbs. Bot. Mag. 3675. 


THE CORN-FLAG TRIBE (Iridacee). 

GLADIOLUS MorToNIUS. Mr. Morton’s Gladiolus. This new species has been 
figured from a specimen in the collection of the Hon. and Rev. William Herbert 
of Spofforth, who, we hear with pleasure, is now devoting his enlightened attention 
to the Ivridew. It was originally received by Messrs. Rollison from the eastern 
coast of South Africa, and is named after the gentleman who transmitted it. The 
flowers are of a pale delicate rose colour, but beautifully blended with white, which 
renders them very ornamental. Bot. Mag. 3680. 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidacee). 

OncIDIUM RANIFERUM. Frog Oncidium. One of the smallest flowering of all 
Oncidiums, but certainly an interesting little plant, and most prolific in its pro- 
duction of flowers. They are displayed in pendent racemes, and not erect ones, as 
is the usual habit. They are principally of a yellow colour, the upper part of the 
lip being dark brown, and of so curious a construction as to suggest the name, 
which is given from its supposed resemblance to a frog. This species is a native of 
Brazil, but occurs among other places in the damp forests of Bananal, and M. 
Descourlitz observes that it, attaches itself to those branches only which are within 
twelve feet of the ground. It requires a hot and damp stove during the growing 
season. Bot. Iteg. 48. 


21] 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


Messrs. Henperson’s, Pine Apple Place. Gardoquia multiflora. This is a 
rare and elegant species, well adapted either for stove or greenhouse purposes. A 
great profusion of neat purple blossoms is exhibited during the autumnal months, 
and on this account it will be a welcome addition to any collection. Its usual 
height is about one foot or eighteen inches, its habits very slender and graceful, and 
the flowers are nearly the size of those of G. Hookerw. It is most beautifully in 
flower in the greenhouse of this nursery. T'ropwolum peregrinum. This species 
has now been in our collections for two or three years, but we were particularly 
struck with the extraordinary beauty of a specimen in the collection of these gen- 
tlemen. Its bold character, handsome foliage, and delicately fringed yellow 
blossoms, give it a very ornamental appearance when well cultivated, and render it 
little inferior in ‘some respects, and certainly superior in others, to 7’. tricolorum. 
It thrives well in the open ground during the summer season, and is always a 
valuable ornament to the greenhouse. Several excellent varieties of Petwnia are 
most brilliantly in flower at this nursery, some of which are of a very superior 
character, and have flowers of an exquisitely rich colour. 

Mr. Kwnicur’s, Chelsea. Funckia albo marginata. A very interesting new 
Japan species, discovered and introduced by Dr. Siebold, and at present rather 
rare. Itis an ornamental border-plant, with fine spreading foliage, which has a 
stripe of yellowish white round its margins, and forms a pleasing contrast to the 
pale lilac-coloured flowers, which are produced numerously. It is flowering in a 
pot in the above nursery, and is treated as a half-hardy plant, but will probably 
succeed in the open border with a slight protection in the winter. Jonopsis 
utricularioides. A rare and extremely elegant little orchidaceous plant, the 
minuteness of the flowers of which is sufficiently counterbalanced by their delicate 
hue, and the graceful manner in which they are produced. It is unquestionably a 
favourite with all lovers of Orchidacez, though far from being a showy species. 
It would seem to grow best when attached to a piece of wood, and suspended from 
the roof of the house, but will thrive almost equally well in a pot, if due caution 
is exercised in preserving it from superabundant moisture. 

Messrs. Loppiexs, Hackney. Stanhopea Wardi. This is a new and distinct 
species, received by these gentlemen from La Guayra, and named in compliment 
to the gentleman by whom it was sent. The flowers are not quite so large as 
those of some other species, but are very handsome, the ground colour being a dull 
yellow, with a few spots of brown ; the labellum is of the richest atrosanguineous 
hue, surrounded by a circle of bright orange, and the flowers are produced in pen- 
dulous racemes, indefinite in number. It has recently flowered at this nursery, 
and other flowers will again shortly be developed. Dendrobium Gibsonii. This 


912 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


very lovely species is now splendidly in flower in the collection of these gentlemen, 
and the richness and brilliancy of the colour of its flowers impart to it an air of 
elegance and beauty rarely surpassed. Epidendrum tenuiflorum. This species 
has been most appropriately named, for the sepals and petals of its flowers are 
extremely narrow and slender. In habit it approaches nearest to E. diffusum, like 
that species also producing its flowers abundantly ; but these latter are almost 
devoid of interest, at least of beauty. 

Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Salvia patens. This is a highly interesting and well- 
distinguished species, raised in the nursery just mentioned, from seeds imported 
from Mexico. It has rather large, broad, and rugose foliage, and the flowers are 
produced freely in terminal spikes, both from the principal and lateral shoots. 
They are of a most intense and almost inimitable blue colour, which for loveliness 
and real beauty we have seldom seen excelled in any other flower, and we can 
candidly pronounce it to be a species of sterling merit. It is most probably a 
half-hardy perennial, as it is at present growing and flowering in the open ground. 
Two other plants, apparently new species of Lobelia, are also now flowering with 
this gentleman, which were raised from seeds received with the other from the 
same quarter, one of which has pmk flowers of a very neat character, and is 
certainly worthy of notice and cultivation. Mr. Low also possesses a new species 
of Verbena, raised from imported seeds, the flowers of which are of a beautiful and 
delicate rose-colour, but materially different from those of every other species or 
variety, and of a larger size than those of any we have previously seen. 

Messrs. Roxtson’s, Tooting. In our last number we were led into an error 
respecting the habits of the new species of Stanhopea, which flowered in the nur- 
sery of these gentlemen, as we there stated that the flowers were produced in 
pairs, a circumstance which we were induced to believe from the rather singular 
coincidence of the plant producing four spikes, each of which bore only two 
flowers ; we have since ascertained that the scape is continuous, and consequently 
that the number of flowers depends on local circumstances, and the strength of the 
plant. Tweedia floribunda. An interesting new greenhouse plant, with numerous 
pretty pink blossoms, which appear ina terminal spike. The flowers are not large, 
but of a very neat character, and by no means unornamental. Crucianella 
stylosa. An exceedingly pretty little herbaceous plant, of trailing habits, with 
dense corymbs of elegant pink flowers, which vie in beaaty with almost any 
species of Verbena, although they are much smaller. It is an imported species, 
and was raised from seeds in the garden of these gentlemen, where it is at this 
time flowering most beautifully. ! 

Mr. Youne’s, Epsom. Chelone Mewicana. This is a new and ornamental 
species obtained from seeds of Mexican importation. It is remarkable for the 
great length of its slender foliage, and differs in this respect from C. burbata, as 
well as in the colour of its flowers, which is of a much lighter crimson than that 
of the specics just named. It is an interesting addition to our half-hardy herba- 


ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 913 


ceous plants, and ranks next in value to the splendid species of Pentstemon. This 
gentleman possesses plants of it now finely in flower. Verbena Neilli. A showy 
lilac-coloured species, resembling V. Drummondii, but superior to it in the size and 


colour of its flowers. It is named after Mr. Neil of Edinburgh, and is well worthy: 


of a place in the flower-garden. Verbena chameedrifolia superba. This is indeed 
one of the most superb little plants with which we are acquainted. The flowers are 
of a much darker colour. than those of the original species, and equally, if not 
more brilliant. As a flower-garden ornament, nothing can surpass it in beauty, 
and it will assuredly become a favourite when it is sufficiently known. 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 
IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


On the Advantages of removing Greenhouse Plants to the open ground in the 
Summer Season. 
cee eet 


THERE are many species of plants which, in their natural localities, are of very 
luxuriant habits, and exceedingly ornamental, but when they are confined to a pot, 
and kept constantly beneath a glazed roof, assume an unhealthy appearance, acquire 
stunted and unnatural habits, and are divested of nearly all their beauty, both of 
foliage and flowers. To these a full exposure to the atmospheric influences during 
a brief period, and an abundance of soil in which their roots can ramify and extend 
themselves without obstruction, would be highly advantageous. 

On the other hand, it must not be forgotten that there are some which, if treated 
in this manner, would attain to an inconvenient size, and instead of becoming more 
ornamental, would actually grow unsightly and cumbersome. It must be evident 
to every intelligent cultivator, that it would neither be expedient nor desirable to 
have plants of their natural size in our greenhouses and stoves ; consequently, those 
plants which grow naturally to the size of trees, should be very cautiously subjected 
to the treatment we are about to recommend. It is to what are usually termed 
‘shrubs’ that the following remarks will chiefly apply, as there will be no danger 
of these becoming too large for ornamental purposes. 

In several of the London nurseries we have seen greenhouse, and even stove 
plants of the latter description, placed out in the months of June or July in a well- 
prepared border, and again potted in September; and it would be difficult to 
imagine, unless it were witnessed, the extraordinarily beneficial effects which such 
a mode of treatment produces. Plants that were previously in a languishing and 
unhealthy state, have in a few weeks been completely renovated, their proper and 
natural health and vigour has been restored, and when again removed into pots, 
the change in their appearance has been so striking, as to render it almost impos- 
sible to recognise the individual specimens. 

Nor is this system applicable to sickly plants alone. The universal deteriora- 
tion consequent on keeping any kind of plants in pots, may be speedily remedied 


214 ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


by a few weeks’ application of this practice. We witnessed a marked instance of 
its utility in the nursery of Mr. Knight in the present year on a plant of Anthro- 
cercis viscosa. When planted out, the specimen was in an apparently healthy 
condition, and certainly as luxuriant as the generality of other plants of the same 
species. After it had been in the open ground a short time, it was again potted, 
and through the autumnal months it has been one of the most beautiful objects of 
the kind we ever remember to have seen. Its large, verdant, and luxuriant foliage, 
but more especially its immense flowers, which were nearly double the usual size, 
contrasted most strikingly with the appearance of those which had not been thus 
treated. ; 

This case is mentioned, not by any means as an isolated one, for we could adduce 
proofs innumerable in support of the practice, but because the effects produced were 
upon a healthy plant, and were so speedily manifested, and so clearly attributable 
to the change of situation and circumstances. In sickly plants, the change is 
unquestionably much more marked, but we wish to show the propriety of applying 
the system to such plants as, from their appearance, do not seem to require it. 

The utility of this mode of treatment being thus demonstrated from fact, it 
remains to state the method of carrying it into effect; and although this appears 
exceedingly simple, there are certain principles to be considered in adopting it, 
which, if overlooked, would lessen, if not completely nullify, its advantages. The 
period of the year at which the plants should thus be removed, is of great import- 
ance. The month of June or July is the earliest period at which this operation 
should be attempted, as these plants are usually extremely tender at this season, 
and the shghtest frost would probably destroy them. The state of the weather, 
and the time of the day at which they are planted, should not be overlooked. A 
dull, cloudy atmosphere will be highly advantageous, and the evening should always 
be chosen for the purpose, because the plants will not then be exposed to the action 
of the sun immediately after planting. For several days subsequent to their removal, 
they will require some slight degree of shading, and they must be very gradually 
exposed to the unreserved influences of the atmosphere, otherwise they will be 
severely injured. 

The nature of the soil in which they are planted should likewise be a paramount 
consideration. Whatever may be the habits of the plants, they should always be 
placed in a more retentive soil than they were allowed when in pots, as no super- 
fluity of moisture need be feared at this season, but rather the contrary. If the 
compost is of aslightly adhesive nature, little or no water will be required; but - 
when the weather is particularly dry, it will be advisable to syringe the plants 
occasionally and freely in the evening of the day. 

The advantages of planting them in an adhesive soil will be fully experienced 
when they are required to be removed for potting, as they may then be taken up 
without injuring the roots, a circumstance which is particularly desirable, and to 
effect which much care should be bestowed. They will of course require larger 


OPERATIONS FOR OCTOBER. aes 


pots after being thus treated, but in collections where they are grown solely for 
ornament, this will never be considered an objection, as a most decided improve- 


ment in every respect will at once be evident. 


Some of the best heath cultivators have found this to be the best, and indeed — 


the only means of renovating these plants, when they begin to degenerate or look 
sickly ; and if the practice were more frequently adopted, both with these and all 
other plants of a suitable character, the beauty of our greenhouse plants would be 
greatly heightened by that delightful appearance of healthy luxuriance which is in 
itself so gratifying to the eye, even when unaccompanied by the more gaudy and 
varied display of flowers. 


OPERATIONS FOR OCTOBER. 


—_ $———__ 


Tue decay and decidence of the leaves—that sure premonitory sign of ap- 
proaching winter—should remind the gardener to guard against the occurrence of 
slight frosts, which are by no means unusual this month. One night’s exposure to 
a trifling degree of frost would prove fatal to many tender plants; therefore all 
those which are incapable of enduring it should be immediately afforded some 
efficient shelter, and this not only when the appearance of the weather seems more 
urgently to demand it, but every night, as the mornings are frequently frosty at 
this season when least expected. 

In all plant structures, fire-heat and water should be alike employed with great 
caution, for, as we intimated last month, the perpetual spring desired to be main- 
tained in our stoves is a most egregious and dangerous error in cultivation, which 
it were well if practical men could be prevailed upon to regard in its true light. 
We do not contend for the total abandonment of artificial heat, for this would be 
impossible, but we wish to see a diminution of temperature commensurate with that 
of the external atmosphere. 

Thus, in the warmer months of the year, it will invariably be found that the 
temperature of a plant-house is twenty-five or more degrees higher than that of the 
external air if the house is only very slightly ventilated, and where air is totally 
excluded it will be proportionally increased. Hence, in the winter months, when the 
mean temperature of the atmosphere is 40 degrees, that of a plant-house may be 
estimated at 65 degrees or 60 degrees as a minimum ; and when that of the external 
air falls to 20 degrees, the house will still retain a temperature of 45 degrees, 
which is amply sufficient for preserving most plants from frost. When, however, 
the mean temperature of the house is only 45 degrees, plants that are placed very 
near to the glass may probably be injured by extreme frost, and, to prevent this, 
nets or other covering should be placed over the roof ; these will effectually exclude 
a moderate degree of frost, and be far more useful than the application of fire-heat, 
which should only be resorted to in cases of urgency, and when damp is required 


to be expelled. 


216 OPERATIONS FOR OCTOBER. 


We are thoroughly convinced of the inexpediency of employing half the fire- 
heat which is usually considered necessary, and we earnestly recommend our 
readers, both on the ground of economy and for the benefit of their plants, to com- 
mence this season by dispensing with as much of it as can be done consistently 
with the safety and health of the plants. - 

Forcing is of course not embraced by the above remarks, and this may be com- 
~menced towards the end of the month on roses, kalmias, azaleas, &c., that are 
required to flower about Christmas, but it should always be conducted in pits or 
frames, as a moist bottom-heat may be insured in such situations, which is highly 
favourable, if not essential, to successful results. No plants should be attempted to 
be forced but such as have had at least two months’ previous rest, otherwise the 
display of flowers will be very defective. 

All kinds of plant-houses should be ventilated as much as possible, varying the 
degree of it according to the nature of the plants: this will tend to preserve them 
from damp, and in this respect will supersede the application of fire-heat. No 
plants should be syringed or watered over the leaves at this season, unless for the 
removal of filth which may accumulate on them, in which case they should be care- 
fully dried by placing them in an airy part of the house. Water the roots only 
when the soil exhibits evident signs of requiring it. 

Bulbs that are intended for early flowering, should now be potted, and plunged 
in old bark, covering them with three inches of the same material under the pro- 
tection of a pit or frame; when they appear above this surface, they should be 
eradually exposed to light, and placed in a gentle heat till they flower, upon which 
they may be removed to any required situation. Amaryllises, and other stove 
bulbs intended for the same purpose, should also be potted, and at once placed in 
heat, watering them at first cautiously, but more liberally after they have com- 
menced growing, 

In the flower-garden, beds intended for tulips and other bulbs should be pre- 
pared, and the soil turned frequently to expose it as much as possible to the influ- 
ence of the atmosphere. This will in a great measure dissipate all extraneous and 
injurious matters, and render it much more suitable and nutritive. Penistemons, 
verbenas, and all half-hardy plants, should be removed to the greenhouse or frame, 
the lights of which latter may be left open in fine weather, taking care to close 
them at night, and during rain, for excessive or continued damp 1s almost as preju- 
dicial as frost, although its effects are not so immediately visible. Young plants 
of Petunias, common Pelargoniums, &c., should be exposed to the open air when 
the weather is favourable, to prevent them from growing, as the shoots which are 
formed after this period seldom survive the winter, and are frequently the cause of 
destruction to the whole plant. Dahlias should be taken up in fine weather 
towards the end of the month, carefully dried, and stored in straw in a dry and 


convenient place. 


i) Rg 


Bs 


oy it 
ANA ia 
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ay e 
L WA A vex Y 74 . 
Oy, oe 7 Lia he LAI Y Voki 


Aa 


NUTTALLIA GRANDIFLORA. 


(LARGE-FLOWERED NUTTALLIA.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


MONADELPHIA. POLY ANDRIA, 


NATURAL ORDER. 


MALVACER. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Calyx simple, (occasionally double, or even three-leaved,) tive-lobed. Capsules” 
for the most part one-seeded, coliected together in rings round the receptacle. 


Speciric Cuaracter.— Plant an herbaceous perennial, growing from one to two feet high. Stems much 
branched, half-erect, roundish. Leaves petiolate, digitate; lobes occasionally deeply toothed, with 
ovate, amplexicaul bracteas at their base. Calys# five-parted, hairy, with two or three smaller linear 
bracts. Corolla expansive, of five rich, purplish-crimson, emarginate petals. 

Ir is a singular fact, but one which philosophers would probably experience no 
difficulty in accounting for, that mankind invariably feel a more lively and perma- 
nent interest in those objects, for the attainment and preservation of which they 
expend most money and attention. So notoriously is this the case with the lovers 
of plants, that however truly valuable any plant that is introduced to this country 
may be, as soon as it is found to be of easy cultivation, and may be procured for a 
small sum, it loses all its interest and value with the principal patrons of floricul- 
ture, and soon vanishes from their collections. 

Were real beauty—as it ought to be—the criterion of value in flowers, many a 
lovely plant would be saved from oblivion, and others which are new would need 
only to be seen to recommend themselves to general notice. But it is almost 
sufficient to check the desire of any of the leading plant cultivators for possessing 
any plant, to inform them that it is perfectly hardy, and does not require the 
slightest trouble in its cultivation and management. ; 

There is, however, a numerous—and by far the most numerous—class of 
floriculturists, to whom such characters as those above-mentioned are the greatest 
recommendations a plant can possess, provided always that it has a tolerable share 
of beauty, and to these we refer the extremely beautiful hardy herbaceous plant 


VOL. V.—NO. LVIII. FF 


218 NUTTALLIA GRANDIFLORA. 


here represented. The subject of our present drawing is one of those charming 
productions with which the prolific soil of the New World is constantly rewarding 
the zeal and intrepidity of European and American botanists, and we are not 
aware of its ever having been previously figured in any other work. Its large, 
rich-coloured flowers, to which a great degree of elegance and neatness is imparted 
by their margins being so delicately fimbriated, make an excellent display in the 
flower-border during the summer months; and, besides being very abundant, they 
are produced in constant succession for a great length of time. 

It appears to thrive best in a somewhat sheltered situation, though we believe 
it to be quite hardy. Any open, loamy soil will be found suitable, and, under 
favourable circumstances, it will sometimes attain the height of three or four feet, 
all its branches being most profusely studded with flowers. In such a state, it is 
not easy to conceive of a more enchanting object, and few herbaceous plants out- 
rival it in beauty. It should be observed, that it has a very ornamental appearance 
when kept in a pot, and treated as a greenhouse plant; and though shelter from 
cold is useful, it delights in a full exposure to solar light. 

Seeds of it ripen freely and abundantly, and, if sown as soon as ripe in shallow 
pans, potting the young plants when they have perfected their seed-leaves, and 
keeping them through the winter in a frame, they will be ready for planting out 
in the spring, and will most probably flower in the ensuing summer or autumn. 
It may also be increased from cuttings of the young shoots, taking care to avoid 
those which evince any disposition to flower. 

The nursery of Mr. Young, Epsom, supplied the sample of the present drawing, 
of whom, and of most London nurserymen, it may be obtained. 

The generic name was given in honour of Mr. Nuttall, a worthy and perse- 
vering American botanist and traveller, and professor of mineralogy in the 
University of Cambridge in New England, North America; to whom we are 
indebted for our knowledge of a portion of the American Flora. 

The specific name refers to the large size of the flowers, compared with those of 


other species, and we believe this plant is sometimes called N. digitata. 


G YA CLAUD! PPCARDIVMLY : 


GLOXINIA MAXIMA. 


(LARGEST-FLOWERED GLOXINIA.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DIDYNAMIA, ANGIOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


GESNERIACE ZK. 


Generic Cuaractrr.— Calyx superior, five-leaved. Corolla campanulate ; limb oblique. J*i/aments 
with their rudiments inserted in the tube of the corolla, Capsule one-celled. Receptacle with 
two lobes. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Herb stemless, deciduous. Leaves radical, ovately oblong, slightly serrated, 
bluntish, thickly clothed with short white hairs. Calyx green, consisting of five sepals; lobes 
expansive, oblong, blunt. Corolla large, bluish-white; throat bright azure colour, hairy internally. 


ConsipERING the unbounded extent to which the cross-fertilization of many 
kinds of plants is capable of being carried, and that some of the most showy orna- 
ments of our gardens and plant-houses have been obtained in this manner, it is 
surprising that the practice is not more generally adopted by cultivators than it 
has hitherto been. The very trifling trouble it occasions, and the more than 
adequate compensation it occasionally affords, in the gratification of having been 
the means of imparting an additional charm to the study of floriculture, by raising 
a new and beautiful variety, or even a species of any kind of plant, would appear 
sufficient to incite greater attention to the practice, and make every cultivator 
emulous of attaining some distinction in so interesting and commendable a 
pursuit. 

As an illustration of the advantages which may be expected to result from such 
a process, we have to introduce a new species of Gloainia, which has been raised in 
the Epsom nursery from impregnation between a purple species and a white one, 
G. speciosa and G. candida ; but, though the colour of its flowers participates in 
some slight and modified degree of that of both its parents, it is evidently suf- 
ficiently distinct from all other known species to warrant the application of a 


specific name expressive of the large size of its flowers. 


290 GLOXINIA MAXIMA. 


All cultivators of the genus G/oxinia—and we imagine that there are few 
persons who possess a plant-stove who do not cultivate some species of it—will, 
we are convinced, be anxious to obtain this beautiful plant, and we are happy to 
inform them that it is likely soon to be sold at a cheap rate; for, independently of 
the size of its flowers, their striking beauty claims for it particular attention. 
The exquisite azurean tint of the throat of its flowers is really inimitable, and 
wholly defies the skill of the artist; while the bluish-white colour of the other 
parts of the corolla, contributes much to exhibit that just mentioned to the greatest 
advantage. 

Ample directions for the cultivation of Gloxinias may be found at page 127 of 
the fourth volume of this Magazine, where, also, some interesting particulars relative 
to that subject are communicated. To these we have nothing at present to add, 
any further than to recommend the practice of hybridizing them, seeing that it has 
been attended with such very successful and pleasing results. 

The plant which formed the subject of our present figure has flowered most 
profusely and repeatedly in the nursery of Mr. Young, Epsom, and the drawing 
was obtained in the month of July last. 

The generic name was applied by L’Heritier to commemorate Dr. Benjamin 
Peter Gloxin, of Colmar, who published a work on the genus Martynia, and some 


other of its allies. 


Sattaieemme 


221 


FUCHSIA FULGENS. 


(BRILLIANT FUCHSIA.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


OCTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 
ONAGRACE/E. 

GeneRIc Cuaractrr.—See vol. iv. p. 75. 

Specrric Cuaracter.—Plant a robust shrub. Branches smooth. Leaves opposite, cordately ovate, 
acute, denticulate, smooth. Pedwncles axillary, shorter than the flowers. lowers in terminal 
yacemes. Calyx five-lobed; lobes ovato-lanceolate, acute. Petals somewhat acute, exceeding 
the calyx. Ovary green, covered with small excrescences. 

Tuer highly ornamental and favourite genus of which this splendid plant forms 
a part, contains no species which can at all vie with the present in beauty or 
magnificence. The very extraordinary size and luxuriance of its stems and foliage, 
combined with the great length and striking brillancy of the colour of its flowers, 
together with the fact of their being produced so abundantly, and also in terminal 
racemes, have rendered it exceedingly popular during the present year among all 
the devotees of floriculture, and, in a very short time, it will most probably be in 
the hands of every plant cultivator. 

There are those—and we have met with several of them—who, from some 
inexplicable cause, endeavour to depreciate its value and. merits, and assert it to 
be inferior in beauty to some of the species and varieties previously known. It is 
true that the flowers do not possess that exquisite glossiness of hue which is so 
very interesting in some other species, nor is the corolla of that rich purple which 
contrasts so strikingly with the sepals of the calyx; but even the colour of the 
flowers is unquestionably more brilliant, and the character of the plant is infinitely 
superior to that of any other species with which we are are acquainted. Some 


have likewise affirmed that it is not a species of Fuchsia at all, but assuredly the 


22 FUCHSIA FULGENS. 


difference in its appearance and habits is not sufficiently great to warrant such an 
assumption. 

We have been informed, from a respectable source, that there is a considerable 
variation in the character of the roots of this species, as these most usually assume | 
a tuberous form, but are sometimes found entirely destitute of tubers, and perfectly 
fibrous. How far this may be correct, we have had no opportunity of investi- 
gating, since we have never seen this plant with any other than tuberous roots ; 
but it is asserted that those with fibrous roots may be propagated with much 
oreater facility, as the others require a considerably longer period to form their 
tubers ; and hence the distinction is of some importance where a large stock is 
desired. 

‘There appears to be some little art in growing this beautiful plant to perfec- 
tion, but sufficient knowledge of it is not yet possessed to furnish any very impor- 
tant data. As soon as it commences growing in the spring, some cultivators have 
placed it in a house where a trifling degree of artificial heat is kept; but we 
apprehend such a system of treatment is decidedly injurious, and would recom- 
mend an immediate removal into a larger pot, and a place in the greenhouse or 
frame. An abundance of pot room appears to be an indispensable requisite, and 
we have no doubt it would make a most splendid conservatory plant; that is, that 
it is well adapted for planting in the border of the conservatory or greenhouse. 
A good loamy soil, with a small proportion of heath mould and white sand, and a 
slight addition of decayed manure, will be found most suitable ; and, if kept in 
a pot, the plant should be frequently shifted as it progresses in size. 

It may be very readily propagated from cuttings, and most probably from 
seeds likewise, if the latter can be properly matured ; the cuttings merely requiring 
to be planted in sandy loam, covered with a hand-glass, and kept in a gentle heat. 

Its native country is Mexico, from whence a number of plants were brought 
to London in the autumn of 1837; and, if the lateral shoots are allowed to remain, 
it will flower throughout the greater part of the season. 

For our drawing we are indebted to Mr. Low, of the Clapton nursery, where 
it was taken in the month of July of the present year. It may be purchased for 


a moderate sum of any nurseryman. 


223 


POTENTILLA FERRUGINEA. 


(RUSTY-BROWN FLOWERED CINQUEFOIL. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


ICOSANDRIA. POLYGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ROSACE/E. 


Gunenic Cnaracter.—Calyx tubular, concave, limb four to five toothed, with four or five bractece. 
Petals four or five. Stamens indefinite. Carpella indefinite, inclining to the side of the style, 
attached to the receptacle, persistent, dry, capitate. Seed protruding. 


Speciric Cuaracter.— Plant perennial, herbaceous, growing from eighteen inches to three feet high. 
Stems numerous, much branched. Leaves petiolate, pedate, rugose, serrated; lobes nearly equal, 
slightly hairy. Calya# of five, ovately lanceolate, acute segments, with five similar bractex. 
Corolla rusty-brown, approaching to orange. 


In almost every flower-bed or border throughout the more populous parts of 
this country may be seen some one or other of the very interesting species of Poten- 
tla. There is a simple beauty and elegance in their habits and flowers which 
seems to ensure for them universal esteem and cultivation, and there can be little 
doubt that the cheap price for which they may be obtained, after having been 
known for three or four years, contributes greatly to facilitate this extensive 
distribution. 

Among the species that are most admired, P. atrosanguinea has ranked most 
deservedly high, as being one of the most ornamental ; and it is from a hybridiza- 
tion that has been effected between that species, and the pretty, but less showy one, 
P. pedata, that the plant, of which the accompanying drawing is a representation, 
has been obtained. It will be seen by those who are acquainted with the species 
above mentioned, that the one here figured partakes of the character of both those 
species, combining the graceful form and foliage of P. pedata with some of the rich 
colour of the flowers of P. atrosanguinea ; but the latter only is possessed to such 
a degree as to preserve a marked distinction, and to render it worthy of being 


elevated to the rank of a species. 


224 POTENTILLA FERRUGINEA. 


This charming little herbaceous plant is perhaps unsurpassed in beauty by any 
of its allies, and will form a most welcome addition to the numerous delightful species 
hitherto known. Its fine rusty-brown blossoms, which have also a slight tint of 
deep orange, exhibit, we believe, a Potentilla of a different colour to any other 
species, and on this character its specific appellation has been founded. : 

We regret that we have been unsuccessful in endeavouring to ascertain the 
name and residence of the individual to whose praiseworthy exertions we are 
indebted for this valuable little species, as we have merely discovered that it was 
raised about three years since, and presented to Messrs. Rollison, of the Tooting 
nursery, by a friend, without any further information respecting its origin than 
that above detailed. 

As a border plant, this species may be cultivated with the greatest ease, by 
applying to it the usual attention bestowed upon other herbaceous plants ; and 
specimens of a moderate size will produce a most brilliant profusion of their 
beautiful flowers in the months of July and August. It may be easily multiplied 
by division of the roots, and also, we believe, from seeds. 

The specimen from which the annexed drawing was taken, flowered most 
abundantly in the nursery of Messrs. Rollison, Tooting, in J uly last. 

The generic name was applied by Linnzeus, in reference, it is said, to the 


efficacious medical properties of some of the species. 


225 


ON THE CULTURE OF CALLA (RICHARDIA) ATHIOPICA. 


—— 

Tue old, but very ornamental plant which forms the subject of this notice, has 
been knewn in this country for more than a century; and, like all other plants so 
circumstanced, is now very generally neglected. We have recently, however, 
become acquainted with an interesting fact relative to its cultivation, which, if 
more generally known, would probably have the effect of restoring it im some 
degree to popular favour. This we shall now briefly detail; first offermg a few 
general remarks on its cultivation, as we have been accustomed to practise it. 

It is not uncommon to see this fine old species in cottage windows, and the 
drawing-rooms of the more respectable classes in the vicinity of towns; and to 
such cultivators we imagine it will not be uninteresting to lay down a few rules 
for its management. We will suppose a plant in the possession of any such indi- 
viduals to have recently flowered, and the leaves to be just commencing to decay. 
This will most probably occur about the month of May, and at this period of its 
growth, the pot in which it is kept should be removed to the open air, where the plant 
can receive an abundance of solar light; only a sufficient quantity of water should 
be applied to the roots to prevent its leaves from dying off suddenly, and when 
they are completely withered, it may be removed to any situation where it can be 
preserved from wet,—any spare corner of the house, or even of the cellar, will 
answer the purpose,—and the soil should be occasionally sprinkled with water, but 
only to such a degree as to prevent it from becoming dust dry. 

If the plant is desired to flower in March, it should be removed from its con- 
finement in the month of November or December, and, after being potted, may 
be placed in the window of a dwelling room where a fire is kept, and watered 
more liberally. The soil used should be a rather sandy loam, with a slight 
admixture of leaf mould, or rotten manure. In the situation above recommended, 
the plant should be frequently turned to the light, and no curtains or other mate- 
rial should be allowed to obstruct, or screen it from, the solar rays. 

As it progresses in growth, it must be more frequently watered, but never 
unless it requires it, and the water which drains through the pot into the saucer 
beneath, should be daily thrown away as soon as it is perceived. With such 
treatment, it may be brought to flower in great perfection; and its fine, deep 
green, glossy foliage, contrasted with the large and snowy white flowers, and these 
again with the beautiful yellow spadix in the centre of them, will have a very 
interesting and ornamental appearance, and remain perfect for several weeks. 

By preserving this plant dormant for a longer period, and planting it out in 
the open border in the month of May, its season of flowering may be deferred till 
June, or even later, and it will form a showy feature in the flower-garden. Or, 
it may be left to flower in the situation before alluded to, and a succession of 

VOL. V.—NO. LVIII. GG 


226 ON THE CULTURE OF CALLA ATHIOPICA. 


blossoms may thus be obtained. In either of these cases the plant should be fre- 
quently examined during its state of torpidity, and as soon as it is observed to 
commence growing, it should be immediately potted, and removed to where it will 
be well exposed to light, and, if possible, to air. 

With a little attention, it may be treated entirely as a border plant, but such 
a practice is usually prejudicial, as it is exceedingly difficult to preserve the roots 
sufficiently dry during the winter in the open ground. Where this system is 
adopted, the roots should be covered with a box or inverted flower-pot in wet 
weather, as soon as the leaves decay; and in the winter, besides this protection 
from wet, they must be covered with some dry litter to preserve them from frost. 
All circumstances considered, pot culture is decidedly the best mode, as the plants 
have a much more showy appearance when thus treated, and attain to greater 
perfection. 

This plant may be increased by separating the offsets which are formed on the 
thick, fleshy roots, in the month of August or September. They should be potted 
separately, in 48-sized pots, in the soil before recommended, and treated precisely 
as the old plants. 

This 1s the usual method of cultivating the plant now under consideration, and, 
where it is properly practised, is always successful. But we have promised to 
describe a new system of culture, or at least one which has rarely been adopted, 
and that is, to treat Calla /Kthiopica as an aquatic. Few persons are, we think, 
aware of the adaptation of this plant to such a purpose, or we should more 
frequently see it flourishing in our ornamental ponds and basins. 

The great scarcity of ornamental aquatic plants, renders a knowledge of the 
above fact relative to this species peculiarly interesting ; and it has only to be 
planted out in the bottom of a basin, in which a sufficient quantity of water is 
kept through the winter to prevent the frost from reaching it, to render it at once 
a delightful and valuable addition to our aquatic Flora. As a greenhouse aquatic, 
there would be no danger from frost; and if it were only placed (in the pot) in 
the bottom of an ornamental basin during the flowering season, it would be an 
object of great interest and beauty. It may be well to add, that the water alone 
is sufficient to support its stems, and that, when planted in the bottom of a pond, 
the flowers and leaves will invariably rise above the surface, if the depth of it is 
not more than three feet. 

The non-practical portion of the readers of this little article will perhaps 
need to be reminded, that vegetable substances rot much sooner when subjected to 
alternations of wet and drought, than they will when kept constantly immersed 
in water ; this will reconcile the apparent discrepancies in it that would otherwise 
be observable, and prove that though the plant here treated of would perish by 
being kept in the open ground, it will nevertheless subsist in the bottom of a pond, 


and sustain the constant but uniform degree of moisture which is unavoidable in 
such a situation with perfect impunity. 


227 


ON ROCKERIES AND ALPINE PLANTS. 


—_—_@q——_ 


Nvumerovs as are the embellishments of which a flower-garden is susceptible, 
there is none which is so generally neglected, and at the same time is so strikingly 
ornamental and picturesque, as a group of fragments or masses of rock or stone. 
As the basement of a small and elegant fountain, or the boundary of an ornamental 
basin ; as isolated groups in the flower-garden, or more extensive assemblages in 
the pleasure-grounds ; they have a most powerful and exhilarating influence on the 
lover of nature, and, if judiciously introduced, are certainly far from being offen- 
sive to persons of the most correct and refined taste. 

The practice of attempting to imitate nature in the formation of pleasure- 
grounds, has been most severely animadverted upon by many eminent writers ; 
but, unless this principle is carried to a ridiculous extreme, we imagine that there 
are few landscape gardeners of the present day who will be found to coincide in 
that opinion. Indeed, the greater the diversity of objects that can be appropriately 
congregated together in the flower-garden, or dispersed through the pleasure- 
ground, the more pleasing and captivating will be the general effect. 

Artificial rockeries may be regarded as a. species of mimicry of nature ; although 
we are not aware that they have frequently fallen beneath the general censure. 
Some writers, it is true, have advocated their exclusion from the flower-garden, 
as being out of character with the usual formality of such a department, but all agree 
in allowing them a place in the pleasure-grounds. They may be constructed of a 
variety of materials, will answer many usefui and ornamental purposes, and, in the 
hands of a skilful artisan, or‘even of an amateur with any pretensions to taste, 
may be rendered objects of great interest and attraction. 

Several examples of different kinds of rock-work occur in the vicinity of the 
metropolis. . That of His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, at Sion House, has 
by some been considered the finest specimen of the kind in Britain. With a due 
appreciation of the grandeur and boldness of the design, and the tastefulness of its 
execution ; and also admitting that the object for which it was evidently intended— 
that of forming an easy and almost imperceptible boundary to the flower-garden— 
is fully effected ; we cannot perceive much that is really ornamental in the general 
effect, and are inclined to conceive that a detached group has a much more favour- 
able appearance, and might certainly be formed with less expense. As an mstance 
of that peculiar kind of rock-work, it is perhaps unrivalled ; but it fails of pro- 
ducing any effect beyond that for which it was designed, and is an example that 
we cannot think worthy of imitation, however suitable it may be to that particular 
locality. | 

The kind of rock-work which we would recommend,—that is, where a com- 


228 ON ROCKERIES AND ALPINE PLANTS. 


plete rockery is intended to be formed,—should be situated in a retired and 
concealed part of the pleasure-grounds, where it can be approached suddenly. 
This is of great importance, as the effect produced will be considerably diminished 
if it can be seen from a distance; for, as its most striking features would thus 
unfold themselves gradually, the interest they create will have in a great measure 
subsided by the time the whole is brought into view. Besides, as the emotions 
first excited by landscape scenery are very generally permanent, the very fact of 
its being visible from a distance is calculated to produce an unfavourable impres- 
sion ; whereas, if it were so contrived as to exhibit the whole or the principal part 
of its beauty at the first gaze, it would ever afterwards be regarded as an object of 
peculiar interest. 

Water is an indispensable feature in all rock-work, and whether it be employed 
in the form of cascades, jets-d’eau, fountains, or only pools, contributes greatly to 
enhance the general effect. In extensive groups, any or all of the above forms 
may be exhibited with propriety, but the cascade is not available in smaller collec- 
tions ; and even in large ones, unless the ground on which the rockery is constructed 
presents a sieep declivity, it cannot be judiciously introduced, and should give 
place to a small and circuitous stream. Where practicable, the rockery should 
always be formed in a low part of the garden, to admit of its bemg supplied with 
any required quantity of water from a reservoir placed in a more elevated situation. 
By a little contrivance, likewise, the water may be turned on or off at pleasure, 
and the supply may thus be greatly economized, particularly when water is scarce, 
as the whole of the apparatus may easily be set in motion on the approach of a 
_ visitor, and at all other times its exhibition will be needless. 

Much of the appearance of a rockery depends upon the disposition of the surface 
of the ground upon which it is formed. A piece of ground of an oval, oblong, or 
any irregular figure, will answer the purpose perfectly well; but it should be so 
disposed as to be hollow in the centre, with irregular sloping banks all round, 
deeply undulated on the surface, and with two or three openings for views of any 
other interesting objects that may be contiguous, or for entrances. Into the centre 
of such a spot, a pond of water might be mest appropriately introduced, round the 
margin of which, portions of rock might be made to project over the water, and 
some smaller pieces might likewise be placed in the middle of the pond, to form 
the base of a fountain. Nearly opposite to the point from which the whole is 
viewed, a small stream of water may be made to rush down by an irregular and 
winding route between rugged and massive picces of rock ; and if a few dolphins 
or other interesting figures are placed at intervals throughout the whole group, 
near the margin of the pond, and contrived so as to spout water in different 
directions, or even if water is propelled from small apertures in pipes made for the 
purpose, and the whole of these are brought into action at the same time, their 
combined effect will be truly enchanting, particularly when the sun is shining on 
it. A pipe may be introduced into the pond for carrying off all the superfluous 


ON ROCKERIES AND ALPINE PLANTS. 999 


water, or a self-acting pump may be erected to force it back again into the reser- 
voir, in which latter case a great saving of water will be effected. 

The groundwork or foundation of a rockery may be formed of different mate- 
rials, according to its extent, and the size of the fragments of rock. If it is to be 
introduced into the flower-garden, and is intended to be of a purely ornamental 
character, it should either be of a pyramidal or conical form; we use these terms 
as expressive of the general outline, by no means intending to convey the idea of a 
smooth and even surface. In such a case, the foundation should be made of any 
old and unornamental pieces of rock, stone, old bricks, or similar rubbish, roughly 
cemented together with common mortar ; and if the ornamental pieces of rock or spar 
are small and scarce, the form and contour of the whole should be determined upon, 
and accurately delineated, previously to fiximg them upon it; so that, by merely 
attaching them to the surface, and carefully concealing the point of union, and the 
material by which it is effected,—which should be any common cement,—the 
erection will have the appearance of a solid mass of rock, and, to the uninitiated, 
will be valued and admired accordingly. Where, however, the fragments of rock 
are large, abundant, and diversified in form, and the object is to form a complete 
group, a foundation of clayey soil, firmly beaten, will be sufficiently solid, and on 
this the pieces of rock may be laid or piled, according to the taste of the proprietor. 
But if they are piled to any considerable height, they must likewise be cemented 
together, to preserve them from being blown down by the wind. 

It is impossible to prescribe rules for the arrangement of the different pieces of 
rock or stone, as this will depend entirely on their size and form, or the taste or 
caprice of the workman or his employer. We can only suggest, that the outline, 
and also the more minute details of it, should be as diversified as possible, and that 
no two portions of it should bear the slightest resemblance to each other. The 
design might even be taken from a piece of natural scenery in the neighbourhood, 
or one with which the constructor is familiar, and if the original is at all connected 
with any pleasing associations,—and perhaps situated at such a distance as to 
render a frequent visit to it impossible,—the imitation, if faithfully executed, will 
be doubly interesting. 

But the situation for a rockery being chosen, and the ground prepared for its 
construction, the materials of which it is to be composed must be sought and obtained 
before they can be arranged. These will be varied according to the locality of the 
garden, and the means of the owner. If the estate be situated near the sea shore, 
a vich variety of fragments of rock, stones, and shells, may soon be collected, of a 
sufficient size for asmall erection ; but it is only from the mountainous districts, and 
from mines and other excavations, that an adequate quantity of larger masses can 
be procured. Where large flint stones abound,—as in many parts of Surrey,— 
they may be made to form a very neat and ornamental group, particularly if they 
are only required to skirt a basin or pool of water. In the northern parts of 
England, where huge masses of rock are plentiful and easily procured, the artificial 


230 ON ROCKERIES AND ALPINE PLANTS. 


rockery may partake more of a natural character, and be of more extended dimen- 
sions. And where expense is not an object, collections may be made of all the 
most beautiful descriptions of rock from all parts of Britain, or even of Europe, 
blending with them large and curious shells, and observing to place the latter in 
conspicuous situations. 

Connected with the rockery, a grotto or cave may be easily constructed, which 
will be quite in character with the whole erection. This species of garden orna- 
ment has latterly fallen into disuse, but it certainly deserves to be revived. It 
should be so contrived as to be quite dark, and the roof and sides should be formed 
of some lucid and transparent kind of rock or spar, so that, when illuminated, it 
will have a most brilliant appearance. 

We proceed, however, to speak of the purposes of utility which a rockery will 
supply, confining ourselves chiefly, and indeed solely, to the capabilities it affords 
of growing Alpine plants. By the term Alpine plants, we may be understood to 
imply not only such as are really found on the Alpine chain, but all those which 
grow naturally on any description of rock or stone ; in short, it is perfectly synony- 
mous with rock or mountain plants. These most interesting little objects,—for they 
are all of them of dwarf habits,—like the materials most congenial to their growth, 
are by no means regarded as they deserve to be by plant cultivators ; the reason of 
which probably is, that few persons seem disposed to make a sufficient inquiry 
into their habits, to enable them to grow them to perfection, or even to preserve 
some species alive. 

It appears to be a general, though without question a most mistaken, notion, 
that because Alpine plants are found growing on the summits of mountains, in 
very elevated and exposed situations, they are capable of enduring an intense 
degree of cold. Acting upon this supposition, cultivators never think of affording 
them any shelter during the winter months, and the consequence is, that very 
many of them perish in severe weather. Now, upon a careful examination 
into the circumstances in which they are naturally placed, it will be found that so 
far from their ever being exposed to the action of intense cold, they are always 
enveloped, as it were, in a thick mantle of snow, through the winter months, 
which is absolutely impervious to severe frost. | 

In the present age of scientific discovery, and the almost universal diffusion of 
scientific information, it seems almost needless to state that snow forms a protecting 
screen to vegetable substances, equally, if not more secure, than any materials 
which the art of man can apply to the surface of the ground. We believe we are 
correct in saying, that the temperature of snow, at least where there is any 
bulk or depth of it, 1s constantly maintained at a very triflimg degree below freez- 
ing point, and that only the mere surface of it is at all affected either by cold or 
heat. From this it will be evident, that in the mountainous regions which are 
inhabited by Alpine plants, and which are almost perpetually covered with snow, 
no degree of cold, beyond that of the substance just mentioned, can ever reach 
them. 


ON ROCKERIES AND ALPINE PLANTS. 931 


fad 


Another important particular connected with their natural circumstances, and 
which ought to be borne in mind in their cultivation, is, that by being thus buried 
in snow, the soil in which they grow is kept in a uniform state of moisture, never 
amounting to wet or saturation; and even when the snow thaws, this takes place 
so gradually, the water which it engenders is also so speedily precipitated to a 
lower region, and the thaw is so rapidly succeeded, indeed caused, by the powerful 
heat of the sun, that, throughout the entire season, they are not subjected to a 
greater degree of moisture than is sufficient to preserve them alive, or excite and 
maintain them in a growing state. How different is the case with those of them 
which are cultivated in our gardens! Exposed, through the whole year, to the 
frequent recurrence of such a degree of cold and wet, as, to those acquainted with 
their habits, would appear more than sufficient to destroy them, it cannot be 
surprising that they do not succeed. Let them but be sheltered, during the winter 
season, with some light and dry material which is calculated to exclude both wet 
and frost, (that is, any extreme degree of either of them,) and these charming little 
plants may then be seen flourishing to a degree of perfection even superior to what 
they naturally attain, and will become some of the prettiest ornaments of our 
flower-gardens, but more especially of our rockeries. 

We have already devoted too much space to this interesting subject to allow of 
our furnishing a list of the best and most ornamental kinds of Alpine plants ; but 
we may observe, that, though it is by no means an extensive class of plants, it is 
neither deficient in variety or beauty, and an ample stock of most interesting species 
may be obtained of almost any nurseryman for a trifling cost. The soil for them 
may be introduced into any of the crevices of the rockery, and the best situation is 
one in which two or more pieces of rock meet, so that by the fissure thus formed, 
an outlet will be provided at the base for the escape of all superfluous water. 
_ Planted in such a situation, and sheltered in the winter according to the preceding 
directions, no other attention will be necessary, except that, im excessively hot 
weather, they may occasionally require a slight watering. 

To those of our readers who possess neither a rockery nor a collection of Alpine 
plants, we recommend an immediate attention to the subject, and however small 
and feeble the attempt they may make to supply this deficiency in their gardens, 
they may rest assured of an immediate recompense in the great delight and gratifi- 
cation which the accession of so interesting and ornamental a feature will afford. 


CACTACKOUS PLANTS MULTIPLIED BY SEED. 

A LARGE and important, because extremely interesting, portion of the tribe 
Cacte has long been confined to the collections of the wealthier classes of horticul- 
turists, on account of the tardiness with which they propagate themselves. All 
those with spherical heads, or large and thick stems, require to be much mutilated, 
and their appearance rendered any thing but ornamental, before the slightest hope 
of obtaining a progeny from them can be entertained. And even in such a case, 
success is sometimes doubtful, always protracted, and occasionally the operation of 
decapitating the plant proves fatal to it. 

To supply the deficiency in this country of a sufficient number of specimens to 
furnish the collections of the numerous lovers of the tribe, an immense quantity of 
plants has at various times been introduced from their native districts; but these, 
owing to the want of consideration on the part of the collectors, in detaching them 
from their natural situations without any regard to their principal and most vitally 
important roots, have very generally perished a few months after their introduction, 
and their owners have never, till very recently, extracted and sown the seeds with 
which they are usually furnished. 

During the last and present years several cultivators, however, have adopted 
the latter expedient, and we observe with pleasure that they have been eminently 
successful; so much so indeed, that we anticipate, in the course of a few years, 
many of these rare and curious plants will become as common in our collections as 
the beautiful Cactus speciosus and others of the same kind now are. 

To promote this most desirable object, we will now state, that secds which can 
be matured in the stoves of this country, as well as those obtained from imported 
plants, will vegetate freely, if sown in pans, in a light sandy soil, and these latter 
plunged in a gentle bottom heat. As soon as the plants appear above the surface, 
they should be immediately potted into small sixty-sized pots, in a very sandy soil, 
and watered very slightly with lukewarm water. They may be kept in a genile 
heat, (bottom heat is the most suitable, provided it is not accompanied with too 
much moisture, ) and retained in this situation till they have attained a sufficient 
size to require potting into larger pots, when they may be removed to the succulent 
house, and treated as the old plants. 

Several years will elapse before they are large enough to develop their true 
characters, but at the expiration of this time the plants, if properly treated, will 
be in a most healthy and vigorous state, and by continuing to treat them judiciously, 
no danger of losing them need be apprehended. We have noticed this method as 
one which deserves to be generally known, and, where practicable, immediately and 
extensively adopted. : 


233 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR OCTOBER. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONE). 


THE CROWFOOT TRIBE (Ranunculacee). 


DELPHINUM INTERMEDIUM ; vay. SAPPHIRINUM. Sapphire blue variable Lark- 
spur. <A most beautiful variety, of rather dwarf habits, and producing its flowers 
in dense profusion. ‘The sepals of the flowers are of a brilliant blue colour, with 
a slight stain of violet down the centre, and also on the back. Dr. Lindley records 
his belief in a somewhat extraordinary circumstance related respecting Delphi- 
niums, viz. that a great number of different species may be raised from the seed of 
one and the same plant; a fact which, if well authenticated, proves the great 
advantage of raising these plants from seeds. It is recommended to sow the seeds 
in pans of earth, in preference to the open ground, as they are some time before 
they germinate, and are liable to rot if they are not preserved from any superfluity 
of moisture. Bot. Reg. 52. 


HELLEpoRvs Livipus. Corsican Hellebore. One of the least showy of hardy 
herbaceous plants, but producing a number of large greenish-yellow blossoms, and 
having large, ternate, and deeply dentated leaves. It is a native of Corsica, and 
has been erroneously considered a North American plant, which has occasioned the 
application of another name—H. argutifolius—but the plant so named and the 
present species are perfectly identical. It is said to be of rare occurrence, and was 


obtained from the Hon. W. F. Strangways. Bot. Reg. 54. 


THE GALIUM TRIBE (Galiacee). 


CRUCIANELLA sTYLosA. lLong-styled Crucianella. This very ornamental little 
herbaceous plant was first discovered by the Russians upon rocks in the moun- 
tainous districts of the province of Ghilan, in Persia. Dr. Lindley considers it is 
not a species of Crucianella, but retains the name on the authority of M. Decan- 
dolle. It is a very suitable plant for planting in beds in the flower garden, in 
company with the species of Verbena, and when thus treated, its numerous clusters 
of bright pink blossoms are exceedingly attractive. Its usual period of flowering 
is the months of June, July, and August, and it grows to the height of a foot or 
eighteen inches in a moderately rich soil. Bot. Reg. 55. 

VOL. V.—NO. LVIII. H 


O34 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


THE BIND-WEED TRIBE (Convolvulacee). 


Ipomma Piatensis. The Plata Ipomea. This is a very showy species, with 
long slender stems, large palmate leaves, and delicate rose or lilac-coloured flowers. 
It is a native of the banks of the Plata, from which circumstance it derives its 
name, and was first known in our collections through the Hon. and Rev. William 
Herbert, of Spofforth, but seeds of it have recently been received from the same 
country which were collected by Mr. Tweedie, and it flowered in the Glasgow 
Botanic Garden in August, 1837. It is a stove species, of climbing habits, and 
flowers most abundantly. Bot. Mag. 3685. 


THE NIGHTSHADE TRIBE (Solanacee). 


Sonanum FRAGRANS. This is nota handsome species, but a very singular one, of 
an arborescent character, and growing from twelve to fourteen feet highin itscultivated 
state. It grows erect, and produces many lateral horizontal branches at the top, from 
the forkings of which the flowers have their origin. The latter appear in pendulous 
racemes, the pedicels of which are all two-flowered, and the corolla is purple when 
in the bud state, afterwards greenish, and when fully expanded each seement has 
a dark purple streak on the back: the segments are much reflexed, and the 
whole flower is very agreeably fragrant. The leaves are broadly ovate, smooth, 
and entire. It was sent to the Glasgow Botanic Garden from South Brazil, 
by Mr. Tweedie, and, while kept in a pot, did not flower ; but when removed into 
a border in the stove, it produced its curious blossoms in the month of June. Bot. 
Mag. 3684. 


THE TRUMPET-FLOWER TRIBE (Bignoniacee). 


SPATHODEA PENTANDRA. Five-stamened Spathodea. A most splendid plant, 
and of a rather extraordinary character. It has been raised in the Glasgow 
Botanic Garden from seeds received from India under the name of Bignonia 
pentandra, but Sir W. J. Hooker considers it to belong to Spathodea. Its large 
clusters of beautiful pink-coloured flowers, with their rich purple calyxes, impart 
to it much of the appearance and magnificence of a Rhododendron, but to the latter 
splendid genus it is even superior in character. The plant which furnished the- 
subject of the drawing in the Botanical Magazine, did not flower till it was twenty 
feet high, and its noble foliage, contrasted with the extremely beautiful flowers, 
must have presented a very striking appearance. Bot. Mag. 3681. 


CLASS II.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONEZ). 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidaceae). 


_ Eprpenprum Scuompurekit. Mr. Schomburek’s Epidendrum. Perhaps this 
may saiely be said to be the handsomest species of this extensive genus, or at least 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 935 


of the division of it with elongated stems. The brilliant, inimitable red colour of 
its flowers is aptly compared by Dr. Lindley to that of Lychnis Bungeana, and 
other plants of that kind. Their extreme gracefulness, likewise, and the inter- 
esting appearance of the fimbriated margin of the labellum, contribute much to 
enhance their beauty. Mr. Schomburgk first discovered this charming species in 
the interior of British Guyana, and a drawing, with some dried flowers, and 
plants, has been sent to this country by that gentleman. It has since flowered 
several times with Messrs. Loddiges, and the only difference between the cultivated 
plant and the drawing is, that in the latter there are a number of red dots all 
round the margin of the leaves, while in the former this character has not yet 
appeared, though Dr. Lindley thinks it probable that it may do so hereafter. 
Bot. Reg. 53. 

BoLpopHYLLUM BRACTEOLATUM. Bracteolate Bolbophyllum. A minute and 
exceedingly curious little orchidaceous plant, with small furrowed pseudo-bulbs, 
from the base of which appears a long pendulous raceme, bearing a number of 
singular, almost inconspicuous flowers. These latter, when magnified, are extremely 
beautiful, containing a striking combination of a variety of showy colours. It is a 
native of Demarara, from whence it was imported by Messrs. Loddiges, and 
flowered in their superb collection in July, 1837. With one or two of its allies, it 
is said to “ offer a singular instance of the existence in America of a genus hitherto 
only discovered in the old world.” It thrives well when attached to a piece of 
wood, and kept in a warm part of the stove. Bot. Reg. 57. 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


Messrs. Henperson’s, Pine Apple Place. <Antirrhinum trionithophorum. A 
rare and very interesting species, with pale purple-coloured flowers, which are 
very prettily streaked and veined with yellow. It thrives well in the open ground 
through the summer, but is, properly speaking, a greenhouse plant, and in such a 
situation it forms a very pleasing ornament. An abundance of flowers are now 
developing themselves in the greenhouse of these gentlemen, and it blossoms at 
intervals throughout the whole season. Malva Towardu. This pretty species, which 
produces flowers of a delicate rose colour, is also flowering freely in one of the 
greenhouses of this nursery, though, like the one above alluded to, it will grow 
and flower beautifully in the open air in the summer. Nutiallia grandiflora, a 
figure of which is given in a previous part of this number, is now finely in 


236 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


flower in the same situation as those before mentioned, and, if carefully taken 
from the ground befere the occurrence of frost, will make an excellent show in 
the greenhouse at this season. It should be in every collection, and the low price 
at which it may be purchased renders it available for all classes. The Heaths of 
these gentlemen are now particularly attractive, as a great number of them are 
flowering profusely. 

Mr. Kniagut’s, Chelsea. Hymenea Courbaril. An old but rare and most 
singular stove plant. It is of climbing habits, or at least may with great pro- 
priety be trained to a wall, has large, doubly pimnate, handsome foliage, and the 
flowers are produced numerously in dense clusters. These latter are of themselves 
inconspicuous and insignificant, but a great number of slender filaments of a 
delicate rose colour proceed from them, and these, when fully developed, have 
a most interesting appearance. It certainly deserves more extensive cultivation 
than it at present enjoys, as it is quite an ornament to the stove. <Aphelandra 
cristata. This most splendid old stove plant is now flowering in great perfection 
at the nursery above mentioned, and as it is by no means cultivated to the extent 
it merits, we take this opportunity of recommending it to every grower of stove 
exotics. The flowers are produced in large terminal clusters, and, for brilliancy 
of colour, they are almost unequalled by any others of their class. They are 
of a bright scarlet hue, and resemble in form those of the species of Justicia, to 
which latter genus the present plant is allied. Galphimia glauca. <A rare and 
very showy stove plant, with deep yellow-coloured blossoms, which are produced 
abundantly from the extremities of the shoots. It is an ornamental plant, of 
dwarf habits, and, together with G. splendens, should form a part of every good 
collection. 

Messrs. Lopprers, Hackney. We never remember to have witnessed such a 
number of new and beautiful orchidaceous plants in flower, even in the splendid 
collection of these gentlemen, as there is at the present period. We must there- 
fore content ourselves with a very brief notice of the most remarkable of them, and 
commence with Lelia autumnalis. This is, one of the most lovely of all orchi- 
daceous plants, vying with Dendrobium moniliforme in the exquisite delicacy of 
the tints of its flowers. To the flowers of the plant just mentioned, those of the 
present species likewise bear some resemblance. They are produced in erect 
spikes from the summit of the pseudo bulb, (which latter is of a roundish-oblong 
form, ) varying in number according to the size of the plant ; the predominant colour 
is a beautiful purplish lilac, which merges towards the centre into a light flesh 
colour. They are about an inch and a half across, and, when fully expanded, 
have a most enchanting appearance. Multonia candida. This is scarcely less 
beautiful than the preceding, though the flowers are of a less attractive colour. 
The flower spike is erect, and proceeds from the base of the pseudo bulb ; the flowers 
are large, of a dull yellow ground, copiously mottled with brown, and the labellum 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 237 


ig pure white, whence the species derives its name. Several fine specimens 
are now producing three or more spikes of flowers with the gentlemen before 
named. Dendrobium amplum. A most remarkable species, differing very 
materially from those previously known. The stems which proceed from the 
base of the plant are eventually formed into perfect pseudo bulbs, very much after 
the manner of some of the species of Evia, and the flowers, which in the specimen 
now noticed are solitary, are of a most curious construction; they are greenish- 
yellow, and very prettily spotted with brown. We should certainly be disposed 
to question its relation to Dendrobium, but Messrs. Loddiges have the authority 
of Dr. Wallich for the above name, and their specimen corresponds to the figure 
published in his splendid work on the Asiatic Flora. Calogyne fuliginosa. ‘This 
is a new and very interesting species, with flowers of a light brown colour ; 
the labellum, which is beautifully fringed, being of a very dark brownish purple 
hue. The flowers are about an inch across, and appear to be produced rather 
sparingly, though, from the smallness of the plant in the collection of these gentle- 
men, this latter feature is probably not a permanent one. The whole of the 
above beautiful species, as well as Oncidiwm Henchmannii, Burlingtonia candida, 
and several other very rare orchidaceous plants, are now flowering in fine per- 
fection at this nursery. 

Mr. Low’s, Clapton. Salvia patens. This splendid and valuable species still 
continues flowering at the above nursery, though it has recently been removed to 
the greenhouse. Such is its propensity to flower, that it is very rarely that 
cuttings can be procured free from flower buds, so that some difficulty is experienced 
in propagating it. To those whose object is the production of flowers, with little 
regard to obtaining a stock of it, this plant will be a most invaluable ornament 
both to the greenhouse and the flower-garden. Another new species of Salvia, 
with much smaller flowers, and of a less intense blue colour, is also in flower at 
this nursery, and is both interesting and ornamental. A pretty little new plant, 
evidently belonging to the natural order Ladbiatw, and supposed to be a species of 
Gardoquia, which has been raised from Mexican seeds, is flowering very profusely 
in the greenhouse of this gentleman. Also a species of Pentstemon from the 
same quarter, the flowers of which resemble P. gentianoides in colour, but they 
are much smaller, and the leaves are of a lighter green colour, and much serrated. 

Messrs. Roiuison’s, Tooting. Oncidium Lanceanum. The splendid specimen 
of this most magnificent plant, which we have before noticed as being in the 
possession of these gentlemen, is now most profusely in flower ; but, owing to the 
lateness of the season, the flowers are not of that deep rich hue which usually 
characterizes them. It is, however, a most interesting object, and all lovers of 
orchidaceze would derive a considerable degree of gratification from witnessing it 
in its present state. Oncidium raniferum. This pretty little species is flowering 


238 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


most abundantly in the rich collection of these gentlemen, and is remarkable, not 
so much for its beauty, as for the great profusion in which its flowers are produced. 
A supposed new species of Saccolabium is also now in flower at this nursery. The 
flowers are of the usual colour of those of the other species, but the labellum is of 
a deep purplish red hue. It is a most lovely object when in flower, and thrives 
well on a block of wood, suspended from the roof of the house. Tweedia cerulea. 
A most interesting greenhouse or half-hardy plant, said to be of twining habits. 
The specimen which is now flowering in the greenhouse of these gentlemen grows 
nearly erect, and the beautiful blue blossoms are produced abundantly from the 
extremities of the shoots. It is an exceedingly ornamental plant, and should be 
in every collection. 

Mr. Youne’s, Epsom. Impatiens scapiflora. This very lovely little stove 
species is flowering profusely at the above nursery, and its exquisitely delicate 
pink blossoms recommend it to the notice of all admirers of simple but real beauty 
in flowers. Lobelia heterophylla. A most interesting and beautiful species, with 
brilliant blue-coloured flowers. It is now flowering very freely in the greenhouse 
of this gentleman, but is a most valuable summer ornament to the flower-garden. 
It appears to be well adapted for growing in beds or groups in the department 
just mentioned. Lobelia Drummond. A new species of a very different character 
to the preceding. It grows to the height of eighteen inches or two feet, and bears 
flowers of a rich scarlet hue, but considerably lighter than the species of that colour 
which were previously known. It will prove valuable, either as a greenhouse or 
border plant, on account of the brilliant colour of its flowers, and the liberal 
manner in which they are produced. <A new species of Rhexia with white flowers 
is blossoming very freely in the stove of this nursery, but it is most probably a 
greenhouse species, and is certainly an interesting one. 


239 


OPERATIONS FOR NOVEMBER. 


——- + 


Tus should be a busy month with the gardener, as all ground that is unem- 
ployed should now be dug roughly over, to remain exposed to the atmosphere 
through the winter. An excellent practice with ground that has been long culti- 
vated, is to clear off all weeds, dig it very roughly, and after it has been thoroughly 
exposed to the air for two months, turn it over again in a contrary direction. This 
is a system frequently employed by good agriculturists, only substitutimg the 
plough for the spade, and it would be well if the gardener would occasionally take 
a survey of a well-cultivated farm, as there are many operations performed by 
farmers—frequently, it must be allowed, from no other reason than because they 
have experienced the good results of them, and without any correct knowledge of 
the causes from which those results proceed—from which an intelligent and 
observing individual may gather much valuable and useful information, and such 
ag will greatly assist him in the more refined processes of horticulture. 

Many persons, and even those who are not without some just pretensions to 
ability, are disposed to treat very slightingly the practice of digging up ground in 
the autumn for the purpose of subjecting it to the various atmospheric influences 
which characterize the winter season. But those best acquainted with the science 
of gardening—and this has been most powerfully corroborated by eaperience—well 
know that such a process is calculated to produce the most beneficial results, and 
is far preferable to an application of manure on ground where only flowers are 
cultivated, as it ameliorates and renovates the soil, and decomposes all noxious 
extraneous substances, without imparting to it any of those rank qualities which 
manure invariably produces, and which are nearly always inimical to the blos- 
soming of plants. 

Stove and orchidaceous plants are, or should be, now enjoying a season of rest, 
and their treatment, as regards heat and moisture, should be regulated accordingly. 
Any dampness, that is, farther than is necessary to maintain life, or fire heat more 
than is required to exclude frost, should be alike regarded as seriously prejudicial, 
and, therefore, cautiously avoided. We will merely qualify these directions by 
saying, that small specimens of orchidaceous plants may, with some degree of 
propriety, be subjected to the excitement of a constant stimulus, as most culti- 
vators are anxious to possess large plants, and, while in a young state, they are not 
required, neither can they be expected, to produce many flowers. But, as soon as 
they have attained to a flowering state, such a practice should be immediately 
abandoned ; and, during the period through which it may be considered necessary 
to adopt it, the plants so treated should always be kept in a small house or pit by 
themselves. Forcing may be continued upon the principles recommended in our 


240 OPERATIONS FOR NOVEMBER. 


last month’s number, observing to syringe the forced plants frequently, for the 
suppression of insects, and to fumigate them also with tobacco, if necessary. 

In the damp, foggy weather, for which this month is almost proverbial, air 
should be admitted very cautiously into the greenhouse, even though the atmo- 
spheric temperature may be sufficiently high to warrant it, as it is one of the 
most important principles of plant culture to keep the houses dry at this season. 
In dry and favourable weather, however, every opportunity should be embraced 
for admitting it as freely as possible, as, in this case, it will have the effect so 
much desired,—that of drying up all superfluous moisture, and expelling the watery 
vapour which is constantly transpiring from the plants. If this point is properly 
attended to, and the plants are watered with caution, at the same time observing 
not to spill the water about the paths or other parts of the house, fire heat 
will never be required in the greenhouse, unless when the frost is very severe. 
Cape bulbs should be potted in the early part of the month, and they may be kept 
ina pit or frame through the winter, with a covering of mats or hay in frosty 
weather. Water them very sparingly, or they will be liable to rot. 

The beds and borders of the flower-garden should be freed from all rubbish, and 
the operation of digging them may be commenced towards the end of the month. 
Of course all deciduous shrubs should be pruned previously, though we are inclined 
to believe that roses should not be pruned till the spring, as we saw many which 
were greatly injured by the frost of the last severe winter, on account of their having 
been cut too early. All kinds of trees and shrubs may be layered, if an increase 
is desired ; it is better either to make an incision or a tongue (as it is technically 
termed) in the shoots to be layered, as this will facilitate the formation of roots. All 
bulbs should be planted this month, herbaceous plants should be divided, and it 
is highly advisable that the latter should not be planted in the situation they pre- 
viously occupied, which will preserve the flowers from degenerating. Protect all 
tender trees and shrubs with mats or other covering towards the end of the month, 
as frosts will most probably then be becoming prevalent. Attend to the potting 
of annual plants as they may require it, and be especially careful to preserve them 
from damp. There are some kinds of herbaceous plants which are not completely 
hardy, and to these a slight covering of dry litter will be of great advantage ; this 
should also be effected ere the month closes. 


< 


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241 


ASSCHYNANTHUS GRANDIFLORUS. 
(GREAT-FLOWERED ESCHYNANTHUS.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


DIDYNAMIA. ANGIOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


CYRTANDRACE/:. 


Generic Cuaracter.— Calyx ventricosely tubular, five-cleft. Corolla tubular, incurved, with a dilated, 
campanulate throat, and an oblique, sub-bilabiate limb. Stamens four, didynamous, exserted, usually 
with the rudiment of a fifth; anthers at first conniving by pairs; cells parallel. Stigma exca- 
vated, somewhat funnel-shaped. Capsule long, silique-formed, two-valved, falsely four-celled. 
Seeds small, generally scabrous from papilla ending in a bristle-like tail at both ends.—Don’s Gard. 
and Botany. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Stem rooting. Leaves long, lanceolate, nerveless. Umbels terminal, many- 
flowered ; segments of calyx ovate; lobes of corolla rounded, nearly equal. Style exserted. 
Rarety have we had the gratification of figuring so splendid a plant as the 

one represented in the annexed drawing. The brilliant colours of its flowers, their 

great profusion, and the fact of their beimg produced in such large clusters, render 
it one of the most deeply interesting and strikingly ornamental objects with which 
we possess an acquaintance. Our readers will be enabled to form a tolerably 
correct conception of its beauty from the present figure, which, we may observe, 
is far from being too highly coloured, or too glowingly represented, but, on the 
contrary, falls'short of conveying an adequate idea of its distinguished splendour. 

This plant is not more remarkable for the beauty of its flowers, than it is for 
its singular character and habits. It has by some been considered a parasite, but 
that this is an erroneous impression, and that this species is a true epiphyte, is 
sufficiently proved by the fact of its thriving equally as well on dead as on living 

branches ; thus demonstrating that it derives its support solely from atmospheric . 

sources. In this respect it 1s a perfect novelty, as we are not acquainted with 

another shrub which resembles it in habit. 
Like the majority of Epiphytes, it thrives best in reduced moss, with a little 
heath-soil and potsherds ; but the pots require to be very effectively drained. It 


VOL. V.—NO. LIX. I I 


242 JESCHYNANTHUS GRANDIFLORUS. 


also flourishes most luxuriously on large pieces of wood, cut for the purpose to 
about four or six feet in length, and from six to ten inches in diameter. All over 
the surface of this block a layer of moss should be fastened with copper wire, and 
it may subsequently be either fixed in a large pot, or attached to any other piece of 
wood, or part of the house which is strong enough to support it. The plant may 
then be placed in the pot, in a compost of the above-mentioned materials, or 
attached to the base of the block of wood. In either case, the shoots should be 
fastened to the stump before alluded to, to which they will in a very short time 
adhere, as they emit roots from almost every joint. 

During the growing season, the plant should be watered freely, and syringed 
frequently ; and when its growth is completed, it is advisable to remove it to a 
cooler house, and keep it comparatively dry, in order to induce it to flower more 
abundantly in the succeeding year. The orchidaceous house is admirably suited 
for it when in a growing state; and the atmospheric humidity which is usually 
maintained in such a situation will be highly favourable to the superior develop- 
merit of its various parts. The temperature of a greenhouse is abundantly suff- 
cient for it during the period through which it is desirable to preserve it in a 
state of torpidity. 

It may be multiplied with remarkable facility by cuttings, which should be 
planted in reduced moss, covered with a bell-glass, and placed in a brisk bottom 
heat. One joint will be sufficient for the purpose, and will form a strong plant in 
a very short time, provided it is judiciously treated. 

The collection at Chatsworth was enriched with this superb plant on the return 
of Mr. John Gibson from India, whither he had been sent as collector to His 
Grace the Duke of Devonshire. It was found growing in the greatest abundance 
at the base of the Khoseea Hills, in valleys remarkable for their humidity and 
shade; which sufficiently demonstrates the importance of applying these two 
principles in artificial cultivation. The elevation of these tracts was not greater 
than one thousand feet above the level of the sea, and the plant blossoms during 
the cold season. In its native localities, it covers whole trees with its rich crimson 
blossoms; its branches depending in the most graceful manner, and forming 
elegant festoons from branch to branch, and from tree to tree, crowned at their 
extremities with a most brilliant profusion of flowers. 

It blossoms in this country in the autumnal months,—usually August or 
September ; and grows to the height of four, five, or more feet, according to the 


adaptation of the treatment bestowed upon it. 


La QD Eee 


243 


VERBENA TEUCRIOIDES. 


(TEUCRIUM-LIKE VERBENA. ) 
CLASS. ORDER. 


DIDYNAMIA. ANGIOSPERMIA. 


NATURAL ORDER, 
VERBENACEZ. 
Generic CuaracTrr.—See vol. i. p. 173. 


Sreciric Cuaracter.— Plant perennial. Stems round, erect, much branched, hairy. Leaves opposite, 
sessile, ovate, with irregular, deep, obtuse serratures, rugose, acute, hairy. Flowers produced in a 
terminal spike of from six to nine inches in length, large, pinkish white. Calyzx of five, linear, 
acute segments, hairy, with a small linear bract at its base. Corolla nearly an inch longer than the 
calyx; limb five-parted, lobes nearly equal, obtuse, slightly bifid. 


SEEDS of this new and extremely interesting plant were received through the 
Earl of Arran, from Mr. Tweedie of Buenos Ayres. From this importation only 
five plants were produced, which flowered in the Glasnevin garden in the month 
of July of the same year. It is described by Mr. Tweedie, and evidently with 
correctness, as a perfectly distinct species, and was collected by him in a district 
called Tandil, in the interior of the country. 

The great length of the flower-spike,—which is usually more than six inches,— 
and the large size of the flowers, constitute it quite a new, and a rather remarkable 
feature of the beautiful genus Verbena, and are alone sufficient to entitle it to 
extensive notice ; but the exquisitely delicate hue of the flowers, and, above all, 
their delightful odour, which is described as being peculiarly agreeable, especially 
towards the after part of the day and during the night, invest it with more than 
ordinary interest, and will, we are convinced, obtain for it a rapid circulation 
through the collections of this country. 

It will be seen, from the coloured drawing, that this species is an unusually 
strong-growing one, while its erect habits and striking disposition to branch are 
exhibited in the subjoined wood-engraving. The flowers, which are when first 
developed a delicate pinkish white, merge towards their decay into a rich rosy- 
pink hue, and the contrast presented by these two states is exceedingly pretty 
and interesting. On the whole, we consider it the finest Verbena with which we 
are acquainted, though the colours of the flowers are certainly inferior in richness 
and splendour to those of many other species. 

It is presumed to be as much a perennial as any of the other species, and will 
doubtless prove sufficiently hardy to stand through the summer months in the open 


ground. From its strong and vigorous habits, it will form a pleasing variety in 


B14 : VERBENA TEUCRIOIDES. 


the flower-garden, if planted amongst others of its allies; and, in this department, 
will be found a valuable orna- 
ment. Dut it should be kept in 
the greenhouse to be duly appre- 
ciated, as its delicious fragrance 
will thus be diffused through the 
atmosphere, and create the most 
agroeable and pleasing sensations. 

The cultivation of this plant 
contains no new feature, since it 
only requires to be treated as the 
old species. A ght loamy soil, 
with careful drainage when kept 
in pots, and due preservation from 
damp in the winter months, ap- 
pear to be the chief desiderata ; 
and it is probable that, with 
timely and proper attention, it 
might be induced to assume a {'/) 
prostrate habit, and thus be ren- 
dered available fcr planting in 
beds. io 

Propagation by seeds should 
not be attempted, even if they 
could be properly matured, as cut- 
tings will strike very rapidly, and 
plants may be obtained by this 
method in a few weeks. We 
would strongly recommend the 
practice of hybridizing Verbenas, 
ag several excellent varieties have 
been raised in this manner. The 
present species, if impregnated 
with V. Tweediana, or chamedri- 
folia, would most probably pro- 
duce a splendid hybrid. 

We are mdebted for our 
drawing to Messrs. Thos. and 
Wm. Handyside, nurserymen, at 
Musselburgh, near Hdinburgh, 
who possess the whole disposable 
stock of this charming species. 


ENN 
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yo WMI 


EPIDENDRUM BICORNUTUM. 


(twWo-HORNED FPIDENDRUM.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


GYNANDRIA, MONANDRIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


ORCHIDACE/.. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Sepals spreading, nearly equal. Petals equal with the sepals, or narrower, 
rarely. broader, spreading, or reflexed. L,abellum wholly or partly united with the margin of the 
column, limb entire or divided, surface frequently hardened, ribbed, or tuberculated. Column 
elongated, with a recurved margin, often fimbriated. Anthers two to four-celled, fleshy. Pollen. 
masses four. 


Sprciric CuaractER.—Pseudo-bulbs elongated in the form of stems, leafy at the summit. Leaves 
few, linear-oblong, obtuse, thick. Peduneles terminal. acemes few-flowered. Sepals and. 
petals equal, broadly elliptical, acute, concave. Labellum free, three-lobed ; middle lobe longest, 
lanceolate, acute, the inside of its base furnished with two horns. 


Tus strikingly beautiful Epiphyte is, without doubt, the largest and finest 
species of the genus to which it belongs. Its charming white blossoms, the base 
of the lip of which is of a rich yellow colour, and also prettily spotted with pink, 
constitute it a lovely feature in the orchidaceous house during the time it is in 
flower, while their very agreeable fragrance administers to the delight of another 
sense, and contributes greatly to enhance its interest. 

Those who are acquainted with the genus Epidendrum, are well aware, that 
by far the greater number of the species produce slender, stems, which has led to 
its division into those with elongated stems, and such as produce what are termed 
pseudo-bulbs ;—a phrase expressive of an intermediate state between bulbs and 
stems, and, as far as our observation extends, confined exclusively to orchidaccous 
plants. 

The present species, by its differmg so materially from the usual character of 
those previously known, both in the size and form of the pseudo-bulbs, and also in 
the great size of its flowers, was originally the subject of some doubt among 


botanists, particularly as, for some time previous to its flowering, it had been 


246 EPIDENDRUM BICORNUTUM. 


considered a species of Cattleya. But, however much ‘it may resemble that genus 
in some points, it has been decided, on the first authorities, to be a true Epiden- 
drum, and was accordingly assigned to that genus by Sir W. J. Hooker. A figure 
of it appeared in the Botanical Magazine, p. 3332, from a plant which flowered in 
the collection of Earl Fitzwilliam, in the year 1834, under the judicious treat- 
ment of Mr. Cooper, whose name will always stand connected with the superior 
cultivation of orchidaceous Epiphytes. 

It is a native of Trinidad, and was first received in this country by Messrs. 
Shepherd, of Liverpool, but at what period we are uninformed. The same treat- 
ment may be pursued towards this species as is usually bestowed on the species of 
Cattleya ; it will grow freely in a compost of heath soil, chopped moss, and pot- 
sherds, not requiring to be elevated so much in the pot as some orchidaceze. Per- 
fect drainage is essential; and a moderate degree of heat and moisture during 
the growing season, with a few months’ repose after flowering. Although we 
presume it grows naturally on trees, it will not succeed well when fastened to a 
plece of wood, under artificial circumstances, and its cultivation should be confined 
to the pot, as is generally the case with most of its allies. 

To propagate it, the usual mode of detaching one of the stems should be 
resorted to, which may be effected while the plant is in a dormant state ; merely 
observing to keep it as dry as is compatible with the maintenance of its vitality 
till it begins to push forth young shoots, when it may be excited into vigorous 
growth by a more liberal application of water, and a greater supply of heat. The 
young plants should always be supported by a slight stake, placed so as not to be 
visible, till they have formed a sufficient number of roots to render such a practice 
unnecessary, otherwise they will not emit roots so speedily as might be desired. 

This delightful plant flowered in the orchidaceous house at Chatsworth in the 
spring of the present year, at which time our drawing was taken. When in 
flower, its fragrance was perceptible in almost all parts of the house. 

The generic name is derived from the Greek epz, upon, and dendron, a tree, in 
allusion to the natural habit of these plants, which is, to grow upon the branches 
and stems of trees. 

The specific name refers to the two horn-like processes which form a part of 
the labellum. 


Ly - / 
Z os VYF MMPI eae 


4A 
“Ly 


HELICHRYSUM MACRANTHUM. 


(LARGE-FLOWERED HELICHRYSUM. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


SYNGENESIA. SUPERFLUA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


COMPOSIT ZL. 


Generic Cuaracter.—F lowers tubular; marginal ones few, feminine. Calya imbricated, unequal ; 
scales scariose; interior of the disc longer, membranaceous, shining; rays coloured. Receptacle 
naked. Pappus feathery or hairy. 


Speciric Cuaracter.— Plant annual, herbaceous. Stem erect or ascending, nearly simple, hairy, with 
one head of flowers on the summit. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, or partially spathulate, obtuse, 
entire ; base of the petioles angular or amplexicaul, dilated on both sides, green, hairy. Heads 
of flowers white, tipped with pale rose colour. Scales shining internally, broadly ovate, obtuse, 
mucronulate. Receptacle naked. Pappus rough. 

Every flower to which the popular appellation of ‘ everlasting’ can be applied, 
would appear, on the bare announcement of such a property, to command the 
interest and attention of the lover of plants. The mere idea of pleasurable dura- 
tion seems to carry with it associations of so delightful a character, that, where 
the object of it is at all calculated to excite similar sensations, its effect upon the 
mind is equally striking and permanent. But when, by a happy combination of 
circumstances, this property is found to exist collaterally with the highest and 
best pretensions to beauty and elegance, it is natural to suppose that the subject 
of them would sustain a corresponding elevation in the esteem of the observer. 

The charming subject of our present figure is both exquisitely beautiful, and 
its flowers are, in the usual sense of the term, of everlasting duration. It will 
therefore need no eulogium to introduce it to notice, nor can any effort to describe 
its merits increase its value. It is one of those intrinsically interesting objects 
which requires only to be exhibited at once to create both delight and admiration, 
and render the beholder anxious only to know how he can become possessed of it. 


The Swan River colony, a tract which is described as being remarkably fertile 


in the more beautiful of nature’s productions, is the native country of this valuable 


J48 HELICHRYSUM MACRANTHUM. 


species, from whence it was introduced to England by Captain James Mangles, 
R. N., and flowered for the first time in the garden of R. Mangles, Hsq., Sunning 
Hill, Berks, in the present year. It also appeared in the nurseries of Messrs. 
Rollison and Low about the same period, and from the establishment of the former 
gentlemen our figure was prepared in the month of July last. 

Ii grows to the height of three or even four feet, producing a great number of 
stems, from the summits of which the flowers appear. In the earlier periods of 
its growth these latter are by no means so large as those which are subsequently 
developed, and the scales of the involucre are of a very deep pink colour. Ina 
more advanced state, the flowers attain an immense size, while the colour isa 
delicate pinkish white ; this will be seen by reference to the accompanying draw- 
ing, which was taken at the period just described. 

As a greenhouse ornament, it will be found to possess many attractions, and 
may be treated after the usual manner of cultivating tender annuals. But it will 
also form a delightful feature in the flower-garden during the summer season ; and 
in this situation its flowers will be more likely to exhibit their true characters, and 
attain their natural size. We at first thought that it would prove a perennial 
species, but this expectation has not been realized, and it would appear to be a 
decided annual. Its flowering may, however, be greatly prolonged, by removing 
the flowers as soon as they evince any disposition to mature their seed, as a con- 
stant succession of blossoms will thus be maintained till the frost destroys them. 
This practice will be found especially useful with those plants which may be 
brought into flower in the winter months; and a few specimens of this species 
might thus be made to contribute to the gaiety of the greenhouse during the whole 
of that dull season. 

It is increased by seeds, in the same manner as other annuals, and these may 
be sown at any time according to the season at which they are desired to flower. 
They will of course require protection if sown late in the year, or during the 
winter. 

Plants in the possession of Messrs. Rollison acquire quite a sub-shrubby habit, 
by having their flowers plucked at the time they begin to fade, and they are thus 
preserved in the greenhouse through the winter months, flowering again in a 
suceceding season. 

The generic name is from hedios, sun, and chryson, gold ; supposed to allude to 


the golden-coloured blossoms of the original species. 


249 


STRICTURES ON PROTECTING EXOTIC PLANTS THROUGH 
THE WINTER SEASON. 


In a valuable work which has recently appeared, entitled ‘‘ The Greenhouse, 
Hothouse, and Stove,” by Mr. M‘Intosh, gardener to the King of the Belgians, at 
Claremont, we observe an article on a structure called the “ Protecting Tent,” 
which is intended for sheltering exotic plants m the winter season. As the struc- 
ture in question is proposed, and strongly recommended, for the accommodation of 
those individuals whose means will not permit them to incur the expense of a glass 
erection, but who are nevertheless desirous of cultivating a few exotic plants, we 
shall briefly notice its principal features, and then offer a few observations on its 
adaptation and practical utility. 

The situation chosen for such a purpose should be well sheltered (naturally if 
possible) from winds, but at the same time freely and fully exposed to the solar 
influences. To ensure a due circulation of water, the bed in which the plants are 
to be placed should be elevated a foot or more above the surrounding surface, and, 
if necessary, effectively drained beneath. These points attained, a number of piles 
should be fixed in the ground, at regular intervals all round the bed, for the pur- 
pose of supporting the frame-work which is to be erected over it; and as it is 
desirable that the latter should be portable, the supporting posts of it should either 
be fixed into an iron ring attached to the lower piles, or they should be fastened to 
them by means of hooks, or any other security. The frame may be constructed of 
any required size, with a span roof, the rafters of which, as well as the pillars 
which support them, should be from three to four feet apart, and as slender as may 
be deemed compatible with the safety of the whole. 

This frame, by being made of a portable nature, may be placed either on or off 
the bed at pleasure ; and if it 1s of any considerable size, it may be made to sepa- 
rate into smaller parts, for the purpose of removing it conveniently. During the 
summer months, it may be entirely taken away, and on the approach of winter its 
employment will again be necessary. The roof of it may be covered with a 
tarpauling, or any kind of tarred canvass that will effectually throw off the rain ; 
while mats, or similar ight material, may be hung along the sides, to be opened or 
entirely removed in fine weather. In very severe frosts, the whole of the erection 
may be covered with a tarpauling, and, over this, any other similar substance may 
be placed, if considered necessary. 

We have thus detailed the principal features of the ° protecting tent,” and the 
mode of constructing it. It is difficult to determine its aspect, but we should 
recommend that it run parallel from north-east to south-west, or between these 
points and north and south. The bed should be formed of a prepared compost, 
according to the nature of the plants intended to be grown in it, varying it in 
different parts to suit the different kinds of plants, and likewise arranging its 

VOL. V.—NO. LIX. K K 


950 ON PROTECTING EXOTIC PLANTS THROUGH THE WINTER SEASON. 


depth according as the plants are bulbous, herbaceous, or shrubby. The latter 
will, of course, require a considerable depth of soil, while, es the former, a shallow 
and well-drained compost is indispensable. 

In appropriating a plot of this description to the above purpose, one of the 
most obvious difficulties is to select plants to which such circumstances are at all 
suitable. It is well known that exotics, particularly evergreen ones, are frequently 
injured, even in greenhouses, on account of the insufficient supply of light which 
our climate affords them in the winter season. In how much greater proportion, 
therefore, must this jury be experienced where light is necessarily almost wholly 
excluded! To meet this difficulty, great and constant attention will be required 
on the part of the cultivator ; and whenever the atmosphere is dry, and above 
freezing point, the whole of the covering must be temporarily removed. To effect 
this, pulleys may be attached to the top of the erection, by which the canvass may 
be allowed to slide off when the weather is favourable. By admittimg air and 
light only at the sides, great good will be effected, but by occasionally allowing the 
plants a few hours of full exposure, more advantage will be derived than would 
result from their being only partially uncovered at the sides for as many days. In 
regulating this degree of exposure, the state of the external atmosphere, as regards 
humidity or dryness, should be as much attended to as its temperature ; for, as we 
have frequently had occasion to remark, excessive dampness is as prejudicial to 
exotic plants as frosts in the winter months. 

Deciduous plants and shrubs are unquestionably the least injured by being 
secluded from light through the winter, as, at this period of their growth, they 
are naturally in a state of torpidity, and their parts require no stimulus from 
solar influences to enable them to perform their proper functions. But even to 
these a slight degree of exposure is necessary, since, by constant confinement, their 
buds would be prematurely developed, and, by a necessary consequence, would 
either perish or produce their leaves and flowers in a very imperfect state. To 
evergreens, on the other hand, too much light cannot be admitted ; for, if their 
leaves are once permitted to assume a sickly or yellow hue, they will never regain 
their natural colour, and will probably wither on their first exposure to solar 
light, to the manifest injury of those subsequently produced, and of the whole 
plant. 

This mode of treatment is peculiarly adapted to bulbs, on account of the winter 
being their period of rest; and, in the opinion of the Hon. and Rev. Wilham 
Herbert, a gentleman who has applied his great talents almost exclusively to the 
examination and cultivation of this class of plants, many of those species which 
are usually cultivated in the stove, would succeed admirably in such a situation as 
that we are now considering, provided they could be furnished with a slight 
bottom heat in the summer; which might be effected either by subterranean 
flues or hot-water pipes. These latter, or rather the heat with which they are 
supplied, might be devoted to other purposes in the winter, as nothing further 


ON PROTECTING EXOTIC PLANTS THROUGH THE WINTER SEASON. 951 


would be necessary than to preserve them from damp and frost, and this object — 
might be easily attained by covering them with the tarpauling before-mentioned. 

Under these circumstances, there can be little doubt that many of our exotic 

plants would attain great perfection, and flower most abundantly in the summer ; 
while their novel appearance in the open ground, when divested of every trace of 
their winter covering, would certainly contribute much to the charms of the 
pleasure-grounds. We know of no genus of plants that would have a more 
splendid effect, or to which this treatment would be more congenial, than the 
beautiful Fuchsias, those universal favourites; and, in extensive collections, a 
whole bed of a pretty considerable size might be most appropriately devoted to 
their culture. 
_ A prepared border in front of an ornamental wall, which latter might also be 
covered with exotics, would afford admirable facilities for protecting and cultivating 
many of the choice bulbs, herbaceous plants, and even dwarf shrubs, which are 
commonly kept in the greenhouse ; and we are convinced, that such a system of 
cultivation is not sufficiently regarded in these days of refinement in horticultural, 
as well as other processes. 

One important principle necessary in carrying either of these designs into 
effect, should not be lost sight of. It is that of commencing to cover the erection, 
of whatever kind it may be, at an early period, every night during the decline of 
the autumnal season; for, by this practice, not only are early frosts guarded 
against, but the heat of the ground being much greater at this season than that of 
the air, is thus prevented from evaporating, and the plants are retained in their 
accustomed health and beauty much longer than they would otherwise be, and 
their branches and buds have a much better opportunity of arriving at a state of 
maturation previous to their powers being suspended. 

The principal objections to the practice here recommended, are, that the 
covering of the erection will have a rather unsightly appearance during the time it 
is found necessary to employ it; and that, in very severe winters, a sufficient 
degree of light cannot be admitted to preserve the plants in a healthy state. We 
have previously shown how the latter may be in some measure obviated, and as 
the former is of very trifling importance at that dull season, we cannot allow it to 
influence our opinion. The system therefore has our cordial recommendation, not 
only as affording facilities for growing many beautiful plants, where otherwise 
they could not be admitted, —which is certainly of the greatest moment,—but also 
as a means of introducing a number of most ornamental exotics into the pleasure- 
grounds, which have hitherto been confined to the greenhouse or stove, and which, 
by being fully exposed to the atmosphere during the growing or summer season, 
and not having their roots confined in a pot, would luxuriate and flower more in 
their natural character, than any of those which were kept in a house could 
possibly do, even though they were supplied with every substitute for the great 
natural agents which the ingenuity of man could devise. 


/ 


rh 
(Sai 
te 


FIRE-HEAT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. 


We are pleased to observe that a rational system of treatment is gaining 
friends and supporters. We cannot refer to any old work upon gardening, without 
meeting with directions to maintain a constant temperature of 65 to 75 degrees by 
fire-heat in the plant-stove, and with warnings of the imminent peril to which 
the plants of warm climates would be exposed, were the mercury to descend to, 
and remain for a few hours at, 55 degrees. What is still worse, however, every 
class of cultivators have contributed by their practice to maintain the prevailing 
error, and it has universally been considered a fundamental principle m the 
management of the natives of tropical regions. Like almost every other subject, 
it has been imbibed by each succeeding generation from their progenitors without 
due investigation, and few have been found sufficiently bold to encounter public 
ridicule by denouncing its absurdity. 

The great expense incurred by the adoption of this system, has tended to banish 
stove exotics from our collections in general ; but were persons once experimentally 
convinced that ninety-nine out of a hundred of our most beautiful woody stove 
plants might be preserved, in perfect safety, by a minimum temperature of 45 
degrees, we conjecture that our villa gardens would assume a different appearance. 
We say preserved, because we are convinced that a season of complete repose is 
required by every perennial throughout nature. The leaves of numbers of woody 
shrubs will fall, under the cool treatment ; thus, winter after winter, we have seen 
the Brunsfelsia Americana (one of the most fragrant tenants of the stove,—a native 
of the West Indies) shed every leaf in detail after December ; and the same may 
be said of all the species and varieties of Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis. Coffea has, on 
the contrary, retained its glossy leaves, and even continued to grow, at 50 degrees ; 
and as to the purple-fruited guava, (Psidiwm Cattleyanum,) it remains a perma- 
nent evergreen at a degree or two above freezing: we had a plant which ripened 
several large fruits during the rigours of January 1838, when the water of a cistern 
under the glass was coated with ice; and this month (October) we have gathered 
a complete crop of berries, which had been subsequently produced. Thus, cordially 
acquiescing in the remark, under the head “‘ Operations for October,” p. 215, that 
the eternal spring affected by many in our stoves “ is a most egregious and 
dangerous error,” and reiterating the advice, that our readers should “ com- 
mence this season by dispensing with half the fire-heat usually employed,” on 
the ground of economy and true philosophy; we solicit their attention to the 
few following remarks, which the facts that have come within our knowledge have 
elicited. 

The smoke nuisance has before been noticed, and we rejoice to perceive that, 


FIRE HEAT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. 2°53 


ere long, we may hope to witness its entire removal. The present year,—since 
we penned a few observations on the applicability of gas to the purposes of the 
gardener,—has brought to public notice two grand improvements in the machinery 
for the diffusion of radiating heat. 

Dr. Arnott’s stove is the best known and most appreciable of the two: it 
consists of an iron case or box, so contrived that the productions of a perfectly 
regulated combustion shall in no way interfere with the atmosphere of a room or 
apartment ; and it so economises fuel, that two or three pennyworth of that 
intractable, smokeless substance, coke, will suffice to distribute heat regularly, 
without much attention on the part-of the attendant, during twenty-four hours. 
This stove is assuredly suitable in its principle to greenhouses and temperate hot- 
houses, where a moderate heat only is required ; and it might likewise be rendered 
an ornamental object. The means of diffusing moisture as well as heat, at the 
growing season, by the addition of a shallow trough or cistern, is also placed at 
the option of the gardener. 

But highly as we think of this invention, there is another just announced, 
which promises to offer far higher advantages. A discovery has been made, we 
believe simultaneously by three persons, which, at a very trifling expense, presents 
the means, not only to remove smoke, but to render every particle of the fuligi- 
nous matter available to the production of heat, and consequently to the saving 
of an immense quantity of fuel. The parties, we hear, have coalesced, and secured 
their discoveries by patents. 

How far these may interfere with the application of the machinery to forcing- 
houses, stoves, vineries, and greenhouses, we know not; but we write upon the 
grounds of perfect conviction, from the assurances of a close and critical observer, 
that, by the instrumentality of a jet of steam distributed over a black and smoky 
surface of even wetted small-coal, every portion of smoke became instantly ignited, 
distributing a volume of heat in lieu of a cloud of vaporous soot. We do not wish 
to anticipate, but merely to inform the inquiring reader that there 1s that in pro- 
egress which, at no distant day, unless some cross events interfere, will wholly 
destroy a two-fold nuisance, and increase the efficiency of our furnaces in propor- 
tion as it economises their means of supply. 

We hope that the invention will proceed, and be fully acted upon ; for nothing, 
of a certainty, could so tend to enhance the pleasures of horticulture, as the 
possession of a method to produce increased temperature, relieved from that 
serious outlay of money which “gives pause” to many an ardent admirer of those 
beautiful subjects of the warmer climates, that are, by hundreds, introduced every 
succeeding year, through the zeal of our collectors. 

The discovery of the combustible energy of steam implies so many interesting 
chemical phenomena, that we only wait for further facts to enable us to invite 
the attention of reflecting readers to an investigation of their character and 
results. 


FLOWER-GARDENS AND THEIR ORNAMENTS. 


——_@——_. 


A FLOWER-GARDEN, if tastefully designed and effectively disposed, is second to 
no other kind of garden ornament in interest and attraction. Within its limits, 
however confined, almost every species of embellishment, both natural and arti- 
ficial, may, on a proportionate scale, be arranged and exhibited to the greatest 
advantage. Structures the most diversified, parterres and plots of the most varied 
form, and plants of ever-varying habit and hue, may be associated together in a 
flower-garden with such consummate skill and captivating effect, as to cast a 
charm over the whole, of which no other department is at all susceptible. 

The lamentable absence of this most interesting feature in the gardens of the 

less wealthy horticulturists, has induced us to publish a series of designs adapted 
* to small estates, whereby all persons may learn how to dispose a small flower- 
garden worthy of the most magnificent domain. ‘The subjoined figure is the 
second design we have furnished with a view of attaining this desirable object, and 
represents a flower-garden of one-third of an acre in extent, surrounded by low 
shrubs, either evergreen or deciduous, or both; through the spaces left between 
which, views of the other parts of the pleasure-ground may be obtained, or, if 
necessary, walks may be formed. 
_ By reference to the letters in the figure, the different parts will be better 
understood. In the centre is a Triton and dolphin fountain, a, with an ornamental 
basin twelve feet in diameter; 6, 6, are pedestals for statues; c, c, are circular 
flower beds; d, d, rustic alcoves; e¢, ¢, Swiss alcoves; 7, f, pedestals for vases ; 
and g, g, eight mignonette boxes and flower baskets, placed on the grass plot, at 
regular distances round the central walk. 

The general outline of this fower-garden represents the union of two crowns 
at their base, and the attentive observer will not fail to remark that an ornamental 
structure is seen from every point of the walks. As in previous designs, the dark 
ground-colour is mtended for flower-beds, while the green delineates the extent of 
grass plot or lawn. By the hberal intermixture of these varied, but strikingly- 
symmetrical surfaces, a most interesting diversity is obtained ; and as the grass in 
all cases forms the verge, box or other edgings will be wholly dispensed with. 

It is needless to recapitulate the different features, for the purpose of showing 
their adaptation to each other and to the garden, or to explain the manner in 
which they are to be introduced, or the mode of constructing them. Every reader 
will at once perceive, from the mere mention of their respective designations, and 
the reference to the situations they are intended to occupy, what will be the most 
appropriate and ornamental form in which they can be introduced. For the sake 

of contributing another delightful object to heighten the effect, we would suggest 


FLOWER GARDEN. 


Il, FiG. X 


NO 


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FLOWER-GARDENS AND THEIR ORNAMENTS. 955 


that the two circular flower-plots c, c, might, if desired, with great propriety be 
converted into small rockeries, and the flower-garden would then contain every 
necessary or desirable feature to render it complete. 

The great number of flower-beds which form the central part of the garden, 
will furnish the means of grouping some of the most ornamental border plants ; 
and, by a judicious selection of sorts, so as to have an interesting combination as 
well as variation of colours,—such a system will produce a most engaging effect. 
In modern flower-gardens, the old practice of having a variety of plants in one 
large bed, and arranging them according to their height and colour, has been 
entirely superseded, and the system of grouping plants of one sort in small beds 
substituted for it. That the latter method possesses many advantages over the 
former, although it is not so extensively adopted as it deserves to be, needs little 
argument to prove ; and we shall now enter briefly into the mode of effecting it. 

We propose banishing entirely from the flower-garden all such plants as are 
perfectly hardy, or, in other words, those which are generally termed hardy her- 
baceous plants, and supplying their place with the more showy and favourite kinds 
which require protection during the winter. We would not, however, exclude 
those sorts which are ornamental, and especially the dwarfer ones, but only those 
tall, straggling, uninteresting, or rather less interesting species, which are much 
better adapted for the borders of shrubberies, or other parts of the pleasure- 
grounds, and which would exhibit themselves much more advantageously in such 
situations. 

A number of garden frames or pits are essential for the purpose of preparing 
young plants for the flower-garden ; but no artificial heat will be required, except 
im one frame, which must be devoted to the work of propagation. Early in the 
autumn this latter operation should commence, and Pelargoniums, Petunias, Ver- 
benas, Calceolarias, and all the splendid train of et-ceteras, should then be struck 
in large quantities. Immediately on their appearing to have formed roots, they 
should be potted into small pots, and removed to the cold frame or the open air, 
to make way for a succession of others of a similar nature. This process should 
be continued till the commencement of frosty weather, or till a sufficient number 
of plants has been obtained ; and the young stock thus procured may be protected 
through the winter in cold frames, with due care in watering them, admitting air, 
and preserving them from frost. 

A small and well-sheltered piece of ground in a retired part of the garden is 
likewise necessary, in order to raise a succession of the more hardy, but not less 
showy annuals, biennials, and perennials. In this spot, seeds of the more hardy 
kinds of annuals may be sown in the autumn, and these will be ready for removing 
to the flower-garden early in the spring, where they will speedily flower. Many 
dwarf and charming perennials might also be propagated in this department, eitiver 
by seeds or otherwise, to be transplanted to the flower-beds a short time previous 
to their flowering, and returned to their parent soil when the flowers have faded. 


256 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


- We find, however, that we must reserve any further observations on this sub-_ 
ject till a future opportunity, when we shall bring forward some directions for the 
arrangement of the different kinds of plants, both with regard to the individual 
beds, and the whole of them collectively, and endeavour to afford data whereby 
not only the form and disposition of a flower-garden may be improved, but, what 
is of equal importance, the plants which are cultivated in it may be regulated and 
distributed so as to produce the most pleasing and ornamental effect. 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 


FIGURED IN THE LEADING BOTANICAL PERIODICALS FOR NOVEMBER. 


CLASS I.—PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONE). 


THE MALLOW TRIBE (Malvacee). 


PavontA Scurankir. Schrank’s Pavonia. This handsome-flowered new 
species was received from the Botanic Garden, Berlin, in the year 1836, and 
flowered in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden in July, 1837. The blossoms, which are 
of a rich scarlet colour, are exccedingly showy, while their dark anthers contribute 
much to their beauty ; but, unfortunately, they expand only during the forenoon 
of the day, and though the leaves are large and deep green, the plant is described 
as being of a coarse character, and not likely to become a favourite. All admirers, 
however, of brilliant-coloured flowers, should certainly possess it. It is a stove 
plant, and of easy culture. Sprengel unites Lebretonia with this genus, and 
other eminent botanists incline to the same opinion ; while Sir W. J. Hooker states 
that the only distinction appears to be in the reported dehiscence of the capsules of 
Lebretonia, which property has not been observed by that gentleman. Bot. Mag. 
3692. 


THE INDIAN FIG TRIBE (Cactacee). 


Metocactus pepressus. Depressed Melocactus. One of the new plants 
which have rewarded the researches of Mr. Gardner in the districts near Pernam- 
buco, and which have been sent to Woburn Abbey and the Glasgow Botanic 
Garden. The drawing in the Botanical Magazine has not been taken from a 
flowering specimen, though the flowers are said to have been produced previous to 
its being shipped for this country, and are supposed to be small and red. The figure 
represents a number of pretty-looking seed-vessels, which arise from the midst of 
a dense cluster of aculei on the apex of the plant, and are of a delicate, trans- 
parent, pink hue. When dissected, they were found to contain a few black, 
shining, reticulated seeds, which will most probably vegetate. The shape of the 


NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 257 


plant is that of a flattened cone, with about ten broad furrows, and as many alter- 
nate ribs, on the edges of which the clusters of spines are few in number and much 
scattered. ‘The plant has a very handsome appearance, on account of the large’ 
intervals of deep green which occur between every rib. Bot. Mag. 3691. 


THE PEA TRIBE (Leguminose). 


Hovea Maneuest. Captain Mangles’s Hovea. A new species, of a very 
neat character, nearly allied to H. lanceolata and H. trisperma. It first flowered 
in the garden of R. Mangles, Esq., of Sunning Hill, in January, 1837; since 
which time dried native specimens have been received from Captain James 
Mangles, R. N., after which latter gentleman the species has been named. The 
leaves are long, linear, reticulated, and mucronulate, and one of the distinctive 
characters of the species is, that these organs are clothed beneath with “ long, 
entangled, tornlose hairs, which are scarcely at all glandular at the base.” The 
flowers are of a deep purple hue, and are produced numerously. It is a green- 
house shrub, requiring the usual treatment of its allies, and increasing freely by 
cuttings. It is remarked that, in the wild specimens, the leaves are scarcely half 
as broad as those of the cultivated ones; and the same difference has been observed 
by us between a specimen in the collection of Messrs. Low and Co., Clapton, and 
the figure in the Botanical Register. Bot. Reg. 62. 


Composite. 


HELICHRYSUM MACRANTHUM. Tor an account of this species, see a former 
part of the present Number. The figure in the Botanical Register represents the 
flowers much darker than those in our drawing, and not nearly so large, both 
which differences are undoubtedly occasioned by the different periods at which the 
original drawings were made; ours havmg been taken when the plant was in full 
perfection, while that of the work in question was made much earlier, from the 
garden of R. Mangles, Esq. In speaking of this species, Dr. Lindley observes, 
that the number of beautiful plants which the Swan River colony contains, and 
which have not hitherto been introduced to this country, is truly astonishing, and 
would abundantly reward the researches of collectors. Bot. Reg. 58. 

STEVIA FASCICULARIS. Close-headed Stevia. An interesting, though not a 
showy, greenhouse, herbaceous plant, secds of which were imported from Mexico 
by G. F. Dickson, Esq., and presented to the Horticultural Society. It produces 
its neat white flowers (which are very sweet-scented) in dense terminal clusters, 
from the extremities of the principal or lateral shoots, and they form an ornamental 
feature in the greenhouse during the autumnal months. It is extremely easy to 
cultivate, as it will thrive in almost any soil, and cuttings will strike with great 


rapidity. Bot. Reg. 59, 


VOL. V.—NO. LIX. L L 


958 NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


CLASS II.—PLANTS WITH ONE COTYLEDON (MONOCOTYLEDONEZ),. 


THE COLCHICUM TRIBE (Melanthacee). 


MrrRENDERA CAucasicA. Caucasian Merendera. This pretty little half-hardy 
bulbous plant greatly resembles some of the species of Colchicum in general 
appearance, amd, indeed, is very closely allied to that genus. Its foliage, however, 
is somewhat broader, and it appears to flower at a different period, as, in the 
Glasgow Botanic Garden, it blossoms in the early part of the spring. It is kept 
in a cold frame in that establishment ; but is, we believe, quite hardy in the 
latitude of London, and in the open ground would probably flower later. It is a 
native of the Caucasus and Middle Iberia, and plants of it have been introduced to 
the Glasgow Botanic Garden by Dr. Fischer. Bot. Mag. 3690. 


THE ORCHIS TRIBE (Orchidacee). 


PaxtontaA RosEA. Pink Paxtonia. A beautiful as well as highly curious 
orchidaceous plant, received by Messrs. Loddiges from Mr. Hugh Cumming, of 
Manilla. It much resembles several species of Bletia, both in appearance and 
habit, but is essentially different from them in the structure of its flowers. These 
latter are composed of what would appear, at first sight, to be six nearly equal 
petals and sepals, three of each ; but one of these parts is described as the labellum, 
and is said to be only distinguishable as such by its position. The cylindrical 
column rises erect in the centre of the flower, and is of the same colour as the 
other parts, 7.¢. a beautiful rosy pink. It is a free-growing and also a free- 
flowering plant, requiring the same treatment as the genus Bletia. Bot. Reg. 60. 

CaTASETUM ATRATUM. Dark-flowered Catasetum. This very handsome new 
species combines the character of the late genus Myanthus with that of Catasetwm, 
and in this respect confirms the propriety of abolishing the former genus, and also 
exhibits anew the tendency of these plants to vary in character. The flowers are 
produced in long pendent racemes ; the sepals are internally of a deep brownish- 
purple colour, and the petals are prettily spotted with brown; the labellum is 
cucullate, much denticulated, of -a greenish-yellow colour, and, like the petals, 
spotted with brown. It is undoubtedly one of the most ornamental species of the 
genus, and was imported by Messrs. Loddiges from Brazil. Dr. Lindley states 
that he has been informed by Mr. Schomburgk that Catasetum and Myanthus 
produce no seed, while Monochanthus is seed-bearing ; a fact. which is certainly not 
a little extraordinary. Similar information has likewise been furnished to Mr. 
Henchman, of the firm of Messrs. Low & Co., from a gentleman resident in 
Demerara ; who further affirms, that he has raised plants from seeds of Mono- 
chanthus which partake of the characters of both the other supposed genera. 
Bot. Reg. 63. 


NOTICES OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN FLOWER IN THE PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


Messrs. Henperson’s, Pine-Apple Place. Gesneria oblongata. This very 

handsome species, which is almost perpetually in flower, particularly at this season 
of the year, is a most valuable ornament to the stove. It is flowering beautifully, 
however, in the greenhouse of these gentlemen, and appears to thrive most vigor- 
ously in such a situation ;—a fact with which every cultivator should be made 
acquainted. The flowers are of an oblong form, with an expansive corolla, and of 
a bright scarlet colour, prettily spotted internally. Lophospermum scandens. We 
again notice this new species for the purpose of informing our readers that it is an 
autumnal-flowering one, and makes an excellent display in the greenhouse at the 
present time. From what we have seen of its habits when planted out in the open 
border, it would appear to be a trailing, rather than a climbing plant ; although, 
when supported by stakes, it assumes a climbing habit. 
Mr. Kyient’s, Chelsea. Cattleya Mossiw. A small specimen of this superb 
plant recently flowered in the orchidaceous house of this gentleman. The colours 
of every part of the flower are much darker than those of C. labiata, to which, 
however, this species is closely allied. The lip of the flower is a truly magnificent 
object, and is certainly superior in richness to that of C. labiata. It may with 
propriety be considered the most splendid of this extremely beautiful tribe. 
Anneslea tomentosa, vel Houston. A singular plant, with the above designation, 
is now in flower in the stove of this nursery. It has handsomely-pinnated foliage, 
much resembling that of Clianthus, or some of the species of Acacia, while the 
flowers are produced in large clusters at the extremities of the shoots; their prin- 
cipal feature being that of protruding a bunch of delicate pink filaments, which 
have a most interesting appearance. It is an ornamental plant, and blossoms most 
abundantly. Phlow Youngw. An exceedingly pretty species, with pure white 
flowers, and growing about two feet in height. It is blooming freely in the green- 
house, but, we presume, is quite hardy. 

Messrs. Loppices’, Hackney. Cclogyne maculata. An extremely elegant 
and lovely little orchidaceous plant, of Kast Indian origin. The pseudo-bulbs are 
partially flattened round the edges, but rise to a cone in the centre, from the apex 
of which it would seem that the leaves are produced, but the plant is at present 
in a leafless state. The flowers arise in short peduncles from the base of the 
pseudo-bulbs ; they are solitary, and the sepals and petals are whitish, while the 
labellum is spotted and blotched in the most exquisite manner with a rich and 
striking variety of colours. These gentlemen possess a plant of it in a flowering 
state. Oncidium Russelianum. A neat and very pretty species, and at present 
rare. It is inferior to many of its allies, but nevertheless contributes to form a 
pleasing and interesting variety in the orchidaceous house, in which structure it is 


960 NEW AND RARE PLANTS IN FLOWER. 


now producing its flowers. Curcuma Roscoeana. One of the many plants dis- 
covered by Dr. Wallich in the East Indies, and named by that gentleman after 
the celebrated botanist Roscoe. The flowers, though comparatively insignificant 
in themselves, are produced in a terminal spike, and severally enveloped in a bril- 
liant scarlet sheath, which imparts to them a most ornamental character. Plants 
of it are now splendidly in flower in the stove of this nursery. 

Messrs. Low & Co.’s, Clapton. Crowea saligna. In the absence of any 
remarkably new feature, we notice a very handsome specimen of this valuable old 
plant, which is now completely covered with its beautiful pink blossoms in the 
greenhouse of this nursery. To all who are desirous of cultivating those plants 
which develop their flowers at this most gloomy season, we cannot recommend a 
more suitable object than that above-named. Helichrysum macranthum is still 
producing its charming flowers in the open ground, and appears likely to remain 
m this state till more severe frost occurs. Buddlea Madagascariensis, another 
autumnal-flowering greenhouse plant, deserves to be much more extensively culti- 
vated than it is at present, as it is now exhibiting a rich profusion of its showy 
orange-coloured blossoms. 

Messrs. Rotutson’s, Tooting. Cycnoches chlorochilum. A remarkably large- 
flowered new species, the flowers of which greatly exceed those of the species 
previously known in size, and are of a greenish-yellow colour. It has recently 
flowered in the collection of these gentlemen. Mawillaria Rollisonii. One of the 
smallest, but not the least interesting of Maxillarias; before noticed by us, but 
now producing a great abundance of its pretty blossoms. It is suspended from the 
roof of the orchidaceous house in the half of a cocoa-nut shell, in the bottom of 
which holes are bored for drainage, and the plant is growing in reduced moss. We 
mention these facts, as most growers of orchidacez are attached to novelties, and 
we conceive this to be one, besides forming a most suitable receptacle for the 
plant, and exhibiting its beauty most favourably. Cyanotis axiilaris. This is 
not a new plant, but is certainly a very rare one. It is closely allied to the genus 
Tradescantia, and much resembles the species of it in habit. An astonishing 
profusion of its charming little blue blossoms is now expanded, and it is a great 
ornament to the stove. 

Messrs. Youne’s, Epsom. Lisianthus Russelianus. This splendid plant is 
flowering in great perfection in the nursery of the gentlemen above named, and its 
large blue flowers make a most brilliant display. It should be observed that this 
is the genuine species, as some very inferior varieties have been cultivated in many 
collections. Cytisus nubiginensis. A very interesting species, with slender, pendent 
branches, from the joints of which numerous clusters of neat white blossoms 
are produced, these latter being delightfully fragrant. It is a remarkably free- 
flowering plant, and is particularly valuable on account of its blossoms appearing 
at the present period. Roclla elegans. This charming little plant is now blooming 
in great beauty in the stove of the gentlemen before mentioned, and its lively blue 
flowers contribute much to the appearance of that department. 


NOTICES ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS 


IN THE 


PRINCIPAL NURSERIES IN THE VICINITY OF LONDON. 


On the Treatment of Passifiora Loudoniana and P. kermesina. 
: es 

THESE two extremely beautiful species of one of the most. interesting genera 
of stove-climbing plants with which we are acquainted, have recently been the 
subjects of some erroneous impressions in the horticultural world, and many culti- 
vators have been disposed to recommend for them a situation in the greenhouse, 
instead of retaining them in the department usually assigned to them—the stove. 
As we have seen them cultivated in the London nurseries under a great variety of 
circumstances, and in both of the situations above alluded to, we may perhaps be 
allowed to state the effects of the different systems of treatment, and deduce from 
thence the most convincing proofs as to which is most congenial. 

The oldest and best known of the above two species (P. kermesina) has 
always, as far as our observation extends, been assigned a place in the stove; but 
P. Loudoniana having been recently introduced to our collections, and some culti- 
vators having discovered that the leaves of the latter species (from a cause which 
they appear to have entirely overlooked) assumed a sickly and morbid appearance 
when kept in a stove, they have been induced to remove both the species to the 
greenhouse ; and, as we conceive, without due reflection, have recommended the 
practice for general adoption. 

That such a system of treatment is radically erroneous in principle, and would 
prove seriously injurious in practice, we have received ample testimony, and shall 
now proceed to lay it before our readers. And as it materially affects the health 
and beauty of two of the most ornamental of all stove plants, it cannot be con- 
sidered unworthy of notice. | 

The principles upon which the successful cultivation of the above two plants 
depends, are heat, moisture, and shade. We assert this from actual experience, as 
well likewise as from analogy and the evident natural habits of the species. Heat 
and moisture are perhaps the least necessary of the three, and should be applied in 
equal proportions the one to the other ; but they are very far from being useless, or 
even unnecessary, and from repeated and long-continued observation we consider 
them absolutely essential. Shade is, however, of much greater importance, and it 
is to a want of a knowledge of this, or the lack of a disposition to apply it, that 
cultivators have mainly to attribute any ill success they may have experienced. 

Thus much premised, it may be asked whether these necessary principles can 
be afforded in a greenhouse. That heat and moisture are incompatible with the 
usual treatment of greenhouse plants, every person must be prepared to admit ; 
and that shading would be highly prejudicial to most of the plants usually culti- 
vated in a greenhouse, must likewise be well known. In very extensive collections, 


262 ON THE CULTURE OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 


where Camellias and other similar plants are sometimes kept in a house with a 
northern aspect, the latter objection would certainly not apply ; but such is very 
rarely the case, and even where it is, both heat and moisture will be. still wanting, 
without which, we are persuaded, these charming species would never flourish. 

Discarding at once, then, the notion that a greenhouse is the most favourable, 
or indeed. is at all a suitable, situation for the plants whose treatment is now 
under consideration, and asserting that the only reason for the failures which have 
been experienced in their cultivation when kept in a stove, 1s their having been too 
freely exposed to the solar influences without any modification of them by artificial 
shading, we will venture to affirm, that if either or both of these species are kept 
In a moist stove or orchidaceous house, where shading will always be of great 
advantage to the other plants with which they are assembled, and where in con- 
sequence it is usually employed, they will attain to a degree of perfection which 
has hitherto only been witnessed in the collections of those who have practised 
the system of treatment thus generally propounded. | 

To an orchidaceous house, indeed, these two species appear to us to be almost 
indispensable requisites ; for, besides the peculiar adaptation of the treatment to 
which that tribe of plants is usually subjected to those here noticed, there is a 
degree of beauty and elegance in these two species of Passtflora which contributes 
most astonishingly to the gaiety and interest of such a structure, as the great 
profusion and almost constant succession of their splendid flowers, will always 
compensate for any deficiency in the display of the flowers of the Orchidacez, 
and even when they are in their greatest perfection will add a charm to the 
appearance of the whole, of which none but those who have witnessed its effect 
can have any adequate conception. 

They should not be trained to the rafters or roof of the house, but a number 
of strong wires or chains may be extended longitudinally from one end of the 
house to the other, supported by the rafters, and allowed to hang loosely, so as to 
form a kind of semicircular festoons. To these chains the plants in question may 
be attached, and they will also answer the purpose of supports, on which can be 
suspended any of the more epiphytal kinds of Orchidacex. This practice has 
‘been adopted with excellent effect by the Messrs. Loddiges ; and other cultivators 
of Orchidaceze would greatly add to the appearance of their collection by following 
the example of those gentlemen. 

It may be well to mention, that the moisture recommended in a preceding part 
of this article applies more to that supplied in the form of vapour, than to that 
which is furnished to the roots, as the latter require only an ordinary degree of it. | 


263 


OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 

Towarps the middle of this month the winter usually commences, and severe 
weather may be expected. All valuable shrubs and plants which may be deemed 
hardy, but the hardiness of which has not been sufficiently tested, should be 
afforded some kind of protection, that the fearful ravages committed by the frost 
in the preceding winter may not be reacted during the present season. ‘There are 
various modes of affording shelter to plants, all of which are useful, but most of 
them are especially applicable to different kinds. Thus, litter for herbaceous 
plants, old bark for bulbs, and mats or straw hurdles for shrubs and trees, are 
respectively found most suitable for those peculiar sorts. 

In making use of any kind of protection for plants in the open ground, the 
first and principal point is to attend to the preservation of the roots ; for, if this 
is duly effected, most plants will recover and sprout again, even though the stems 
and branches should be entirely destroyed. This practice is very frequently 
neglected by cultivators, who appear to think only of preserving the stems and 
branches, which is certainly sufficient where this end can be fully accomplished, but 
where the protection afforded to those parts proves inefficient, in nine cases out of ten 
the roots perish with them. Hence the importance of sheltering the roots likewise. 

Whatever material is used for this purpose, the necessity of its being of a dry 
nature, and also, if possible, capable of repelling wet, should always be kept in 
view. Moisture, where it exists in any quantity, is sure to attract the greatest 
degree of frost, and therefore, when the roots of plants are surrounded and satu- 
rated with a superabundance of it, they will be much more exposed to injury on 
that account. That covering, then, which is found to be most impervious to rain, 
will undoubtedly prove most beneficial. By thus protecting the roots, we by no 
means wish to supersede the use of other covering for the more exposed parts of 
plants, but merely to see these two desirable objects distinctly yet conjointly 
effectuated ; and every practicable method should by all means be adopted for 
preserving the upper portions of shrubs. 

In the management of all plant structures, we have little to recommend beyond 
what was inserted in our last month’s “* Operations.” Stove and other plants should 
be placed on a dry and even surface, and not plunged in bark or any other mate- 
rial of a similar nature, as this would tend to keep them too moist, according to 
the temperature we wish to see employed. All climbing plants, whether stove 
or greenhouse, that are trained to the rafters or roof, should be vigorously pruned ; 
as, besides this being the proper season for performing that operation, it would 
remove a considerabie obstruction to the rays of light, which, being very limited 
at this season, should be allowed to descend, without any mitigation, on all kinds 
of plants. When fire-heat is required in any department, the temperature should 
be elevated very gradually, and never be suffered to rise higher than is absolutely 
necessary. A rapid change in the temperature of a house from cold to heat, or the 


964 OPERATIONS FOR DECEMBER. 


employment of a great degree of heat when only a very trifling quantity is required, 
is productive of immense injury to plants, and all good cultivators most cautiously 
endeavour to shun it. 

It is of great importance that the management of the furnaces connected with 
plant-houses be intrusted to an individual who thoroughly understands the prin- 
ciples on which heat should be applied. There is nothing hyperbolical in the 
assertion, that, on the abilities of such a person to perform the office intrusted to 
him, the health and beauty of the plants entirely depend. This should render 
cultivators cautious as to who they employ for such a purpose, and induce them 
strictly to inspect the management of that department. All plants should now 
be kept as near to the glass as is consistent with their safety ; for, even in this, 
there is a degree of propriety to be observed, which, if exceeded, would greatly 
endanger the subjects of it. It should not be forgotten, that frost enters chiefly 
through a glazed roof, and the plants should be placed at : just such a distance from 
it as will secure them from that destructive principle; though it is better to keep 
them at a trifling distance, and protect them by covering the house with mats in 
very severe weather. 

Cold pits and frames will now be found among the most useful of plant struc- 
tures. Auriculas, Carnations, and Polyanthuses, with all tender plants that have 
been removed from the flower-garden, or are in preparation for that department for 
the ensuing season, are by this time securely housed in these or similar erections. 
They should be carefully tended for the purpose of admitting air in favourable 
weather, and duly protected with mats, hay, or dry litter, during frosts. 

The beds and borders of the flower-garden and pleasure-grounds may still be 
dug roughly over, if this operation have not previously been completed. Shrubs of 
all kinds may be pruned if necessary, and especially climbing plants, which must also 
be nailed to the wall, or fastened to the trellis against which they may be growing, 
at the same time. Collect the seed of Rhododendrons, if it is wished to be saved, 
and sow it in the early part of the succeeding spring in a slight hot-bed. Make, 
and plant, cuttings of any species of Ribes, or other similar plants ; those shoots 
which are slipped (not cut) off, succeed best, and a sheltered situation, with a 
light loamy soil, is most suitable. All the buds, except those at the base and the 
two uppermost ones, should be extracted, as, if left, they would only weaken the 
young plant; and, in inserting them into the ground, care should be taken to 
place the earth close around them, that no cavities may be left in which water can 
collect. Beds of Tulips and other bulbs, should be covered, when necessary, with 
a little dry litter, and all insects that would injure or destroy the bulbs should be 
carefully looked after. Remove any trees or shrubs which require shifting, or 
that may be desired in any other part of the garden. Always take them up with 
as much earth as possible about their roots, and be careful to preserve the fibrous 
roots entire. Examine Dahlia roots occasionally, and adopt gentle measures for 
the expulsion of damp from the apartment in which they are kept, if it shall be 
found to have entered. 


AY 


eres 


aN 


" eyo 


Didphadrsies AC/ 


goog : 


DELPHINIUM BARLOWII. 


(im. BARLOW’S LARKSPUR. ) 


CLASS. : ORDER. 


POLYANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


RANUNCULACE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—Calyx coloured, deciduous, five-sepalled ; sepals superior, prolonged at the base 
into a hollow spur. Petals four, sometimes growing within each other; two superior, prolonged at 
the base into appendages contained within the spur. Stamens indefinite. Ovaries one to five, 
usually three. Capsule entire, distinct, one-valved, one-celled. | Seeds numerous, dry berries. 


Speciric Cuaracter.—Plané perennial, growing usually from four to five feet high. Leaves with five 
principal divisions, deeply lobed and jagged; serratures acute ; deep green on the surface, light green 
beneath, smooth. lowers semi-double, of a most intense blue colour, produced very numerously 
in terminal spikes. Sepads of the calyx greenish externally. 


We have pleasure in again directing the attention of our readers to the deeply 
interesting and important results which have been produced by the practice of 
hybridization, as illustrated in the splendid plant of which the accompanying 
figure will convey some idea, but the colours of which it is impossible to imitate 
successfully upon paper. In a communication to Dy. Lindley, published in the 
Botanical Register, t. 1944, Messrs. Rollison, of Tooting, state—“ We received the 
Delphinium from a friend at Manchester under the name of ‘ D. Barlowii, and 
we believe it to have been raised by a florist of that name in the neighbourhood 
of Manchester ; undoubtedly it is an hybrid production, and we think the parents 
to be D. grandiflorum and D. elatum, partaking in the growth and flowers of the 
character of both.” 

From the above extract it will be seen that this remarkably showy plant affords 
another demonstration of the advantages of hybridizing plants, the colours or 
habits of which it may appear desirable to combine. Apart, however, from any 
existing proofs of its utility or efficacy, it is a subject which possesses more than 
ordinary interest to the inquiring physiologist. To ascertain in what precise 
manner the fertile organs affect, or are affected by, those of plants with different 
habits, would be worthy of the most distinguished botanist. We know that 
certain combinations produce certain results ; for instance, that an admixture of 
two opposite colours will give an intermediate shade, and that, by the cross-ferti- 
lization of plants of different habits, a hybrid partaking in some degree of the 
nature of both parents will be raised; but further than this we are comparatively 
ignorant, and we should rejoice to see some talented individual devoting his 
attention to a minute investigation into the laws and process of hybridizing plants. 


VOL. V.—NO. LX. MM 


266 DELPHINIUM BARLOWIL. 


The plant here figured, and which has elicited these remarks, is, without 
exception, the most strikingly beautiful of the numerous ornamental species and 
varieties which constitute the genus Delphinium ;—a genus, we may observe, the 
species of which are but ill-defined, but yield to no other herbaceous plants in 
brilliancy of hue, and general showiness of appearance. Cultivators are much 
indebted to Dr. Lindley for having described and figured many of the most 
beautiful of them in the recent numbers of the Botanical Register ; and, as occasion 
offers, we shall present to our readers drawings of the best and most valuable of 
the species. 

Delphiniums may be classed among those herbaceous plants the cultivation of 
which requires no particular attention. Our present plant needs only to be sown, 
and planted where it is desired to flower, to ensure a profuse display of its most 
attractive blossoms. Support will seldom be necessary, and it is found to flourish 
in almost any soil. An exposed situation is doubtless preferable, though it will 
thrive beneath the shelter of trees, or amongst shrubs. Planted in beds or masses, 
a display of flowers is produced, which, for liveliness, intensity, and richness of 
colour, is, perhaps, unrivalled. We witnessed a bed of it in full flower in the 
Tooting nursery during the last and preceding seasons, and its appearance was 
really magnificent. 
vat orows usually to the height of two or three, but occasionally exceeds six or 
seven, feet, and its disposition to branch is not the least valuable feature of its 
character, since, from the extremity of every lateral shoot, a dense cluster of flowers 
appears. To add to its value, it is said to flower profusely throughout the whole 
of the summer and autumnal seasons, frequently maintaining its disposition to 
bloom until injured by early frosts. 

Messrs. Rollison’s was the first metropolitan nursery in which it appeared, and 
our drawing was obtained from thence in the month of July, 1838. From these 
gentlemen it may now be procured, as well as from most of the leading nurseries 
throughout the country. No collection, of whatever extent or description, should 
be destitute of this most superb object. Messrs. Rollison state that it is likewise 
known under the name of D. pheeniceum. 

The generic name is from the Greek delphin, a dolphin, in allusion to the sup- 
posed resemblance of the nectary of the plant to the usual figures of that fish. 
It has received the English designation of Larkspur, from the French Pred 
d’ Alouette, on account of the spur of the calyx approximating in form to the 


posterior talon of the lark. 


Mista 


| 
iia pts 


See 


ae lancfolium CODCOD 


LILIUM LANCIFOLIUM ROSEUM. 


(RosY-SPOTTED LANCE-LEAVED LILY.) 
CLASS. ORDER. 


HEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


LILIACE. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. v. p. l. 


Spreciric Cuaracter.—Slem augular, hairy, erect, simple, a foot or more high. eaves alternate, 
sessile, lanceelate, smooth, shortening by degrees as they approach the summit of the stem. Corolla 
small, white. 


Var. Rosrum.— Stem growing from three to four feet high, erect, branching horpentally at the summit. 
Leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate, slightly reflexed. “Perianth of five nearly equal segments; seg- 
ments large, broadly oblong, recurved, wavy at their margins, of a delicate white, beautifully spotted 
and blotched with rose colour, and with a stripe of green towards their base. Stamens prominent, 
partially pendent, with large orange-coloured anthers. Style longer and stronger than the stamens, 
inclining upwards towards the extremity. 


SYNONYME.— Lilium lancifohum punctatum. 


In the exquisite loveliness of its flowers, their superior size, and the stronger 
and more robust habits of the plant, this charming variety almost outvies the 
splendid species (LL. specioswm) of which a figure was given in the first number 
of the present volume of our Magazine. The dazzling brilliancy of hue for which 
the species just mentioned is so deservedly admired, alone maintains its ascendancy, 
for in every other respect our present subject is decidedly unequalled. 

Among the many beautiful and valuable plants introduced to this country 
from Japan through the researches of Dr. Siebold, perhaps none can be compared 
with these truly magnificent lilies. Indeed, we scarcely think there is exagge- 
ration in the statement, that they are unsurpassed by any plant previously known 
and cultivated in Britain. The variety now figured commands especial attention 
on account of the large size of its flowers. These, it will be seen, are much more 
expansive than those of L. speciosum, and the plant is altogether of a much larger 
and stronger habit of growth. Besides these differences, however, the segments of 
the perianth of L. speciosum are much more recurved at both extremities, forming 
quite a hollow cup in the centre of the flower, and folding back so as almost 
to touch each other; the little projections with which the centre of the flower is 
studded are also red, instead of white; and the colour of the anthers is brown, 


those of the present plant being orange-coloured. 


268 LILIUM LANCIFOLIUM ROSEUM. 


Unfortunately for the science of botany, and particularly so for the cultivators 
of beautiful plants, the lilies sent home by Dr. Siebold have, like many other 
plants, been strangely confounded by the application of several names to one 
plant. ZL. speciosum was long called L. lancifolium rubrum, and roseum, previ- 
ously to the establishment of its present designation by Dr. Lindley ; and the 
one here figured has by many been considered identical with that species, owing 
to the same appellations having been indiscriminately applied to them both. To 
preserve a distinction, our present plant has received the name of L. lancifolium 
punctatum from some of the Continental horticulturists, which has, in a great 
measure, tended to increase the confusion. 

That these impediments to the knowledge and distribution of this variety may 
no longer exist, at least in this country, we propose retaining the name now 
applied to it, as being much more expressive of the character of the plant than 
the one above alluded to, since the term “ punctatum” is quite as applicable to 
L. lancifolium album as to the plant here noticed ; and although the name thus 
selected may have been used as a synonyme to L. speciosum, that cannot now be 
the case, since the latter plant has been specifically distinguished. 

In the cultivation of this delightful plant, the same system of treatment should 
be pursued as has been recommended for L. speciosum in a former number of this 
volume. An exposed situation in the border of a greenhouse is found decidedly 
preferable to confinement in a pot; though the latter system possesses some 
advantages, as by it the plant can be more easily kept in a dry and dormant state 
during the winter months. Under no treatment, however, will its flowers be 
exhibited in their true character, unless it be abundantly supplied with solar light, 
from the period of its first appearance above the soil, till the flowers commence 
expanding ; and the importance of placmg it im a situation where this potent 
principle can be freely imbibed, cannot be too strongly insisted upon. It is 
probable that the application of manure water in the early stages of its progress 
might have a beneficial effect ; at all events, water should be liberally administered 
during this period, though this must always be proportioned to the supply of light. 

Some remarks on its propagation are inserted in page 273 of this number. 

Messrs. Low & Co., of the Clapton nursery, kindly permitted our artist to 
take a drawing of this valuable plant, and informed us that, when in flower, it 
emits a most delicious fragrance. It blossomed in the greenhouse of these gentle- 


men in the month of August, 1838. 


269 


~SOLANUM HERBERTIANUM. 


(MR. HERBERT'S NIGHTSHADE. ) 


CLASS. ORDER. 


PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


SOLANACE/. 


Generic Cuaracter.—See vol. iii. p. 1. 


Spreciric Cuaracter.—Plant shrubby, evergreen, growing from two to three feet in height, and upwards. 
Stem nearly erect, much branched, covered with a ferruginous pubescence. eaves petiolate, ovately 
oblong, bluntish, deep green above, clothed with brownish pubescence beneath, slightly undulated at 
the margins. Calyx five-parted ; segments linear, green, alternate with the divisions of the corolla. 
Flowers large, terminal, deep purple, with a yellow streak down the centre of each division. Corolla 
rotate, monopetalous, deeply five-lobed ; lobes broad at the base, tapering gradually to an obtuse 
extremity, slightly recurved. Stamens collected round the mouth of the corolla. Style as long as 
the segments of the corolla, reclining on them, and curving upwards, towards its extremity. 


One of the most ornamental, and consequently the most valuable, species of 
the genus. Blue is evidently the predominant colour of Solanums ; but there are 
few species in which it assumes such an intensity and brilliancy as the one now 
for the first time figured. Rarely, also, do their flowers attain so large a size as 
those of our present plant; and these circumstances combined, impress it with a 
superior character, and render it a desirable acquisition to any collection. 

While excessive luxuriance, very frequently amounting to coarseness, characterises 
most of its allies, this beautiful species is remarkable for its dwarf and peculiarly 
neat habits. Seldom growing more than two or three feet high, being moreover of 
a shrubby nature, and flowering most abundantly when its stems are not more than 
six or nine inches in length, it is admirably adapted for placing on a stage in a 
conspicuous situation. It must not however be too much elevated, as its flowers 
require to be examined from above, in order to obtain a full perception of their 
beauty; the upper surface of the leaves is likewise of the most lively and 
pleasing colour, since they are covered beneath with a ferruginous pubescence. 
These circumstances should not be forgotten in choosing for it a position in the 


plant-house. 


270 SOLANUM HERBERTIANUM. 


Cultivators have hitherto treated it as a stove species, and it is found to thrive 
best in a humid atmosphere, and a partially shaded situation, but not one which is 
too much secluded from light. It should not be too closely surrounded by other 
plants, as this would have the effect of rendering its stems bare and unsightly, and 
it would not afterwards exhibit itself to advantage in a more exposed part of the 
house. A light loamy soil, with a slight admixture of heath-mould and sand, will 
produce a compost, which is undoubtedly the most favourable to the production of 
flowers ; but if the plant is desired to grow larger, or more rapidly and luxuriantly, 
a richer soil may be employed. If not too freely exposed to solar light, this species 
will flower much more profusely when only a small quantity of water is applied to 
the roots, its necessities being supplied in the form of atmospheric moisture, and 
occasionally by a slight syringing. 

Cuttings root with tolerable facility when planted and treated in the ordinary 
manner, and they will form flowering plants in little more than a year after 
striking, if the mode of treatment has been favourable. They require some care 
in. preserving them from injurious dampness, as the wood is naturally of a soft and 
juicy nature. 

It is very questionable whether this plant can be cultivated in the greenhouse, 
as a high temperature appears essential to the maturation of its shoots and the 
development of its flowers, These latter we have seen produced at almost all 
seasons, but the summer months would seem to be the usual period of its flowering. 

We are indebted for our drawing to Messrs. Young, of the Epsom Nursery, in 
whose collection it has existed for several years, and from whom plants of it can 
be procured. 

Of its native country we regret to be compelled to confess our entire ignorance. 
It has been cultivated in the Epsom nursery during the last five years, but it is 
not known from whence it was procured. The specific designation has been 
adopted as being the one by which it is generally known, but we are alike unin- 
formed as to its origin, or to whom it alludes. 


The generic name is explained at page 1 of the third volume of this Magazine. 


sa 


oe 


271 


ANIGOZANTHOS COCCINEDS. 


(scARLET ANIGOZANTHOs.) 


CLASS. ORDER. 
HEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 


NATURAL ORDER. 


H/EMODORACEA., 


Generic Cuaracter.—Perianth superior, coloured, tubular, woolly or hairy; limb six-parted, lobes 
nearly equal, inclining upwards; slowly deciduous. Stamens six, inserted in the mouth of the 
limb, ascending. Anthers erect. Ovary three-celled ; cells many-seeded. Style filiform, deci- 
duous. Stigma simple. Capsule three-celled, dehiscing at the summit. Seeds numerous. 


Sprciric CuaracteR.—Plant an evergreen herbaceous perennial, growing four or five feet in height. 
Leaves dcep green, channelled, linear-lanceolate, acute, from one foot to eighteen inches long, half 
erect. Perianth crimson or scarlet, gradually inclining to green towards its summit, green inter- 
nally, swelling near the apex, where it is divided into six segments; segments partially reflexed 
when matured; covered with short hairs. 


Tue genus Anigozanthos has recently received several accessions from the 
Swan River colony, through R. Mangles, Esq., of Sunning Hill, Berks, from whose 
collection so many new and beautiful plants have, within the last few years, been 
most liberally distributed. Among the most remarkable additions to this genus, 
is a species, and likewise a variety of another species, with a somewhat unique 
combination of scarlet and green in the same flowers. In point of beauty, how- 
ever, the present species stands pre-eminently conspicuous; its showy crimson or 
scarlet blossoms possessing only a slight tinge of green, and being also rather 
larger than those of the other species. 

The name under which this beautiful plant now appears, is believed to have 
been originally applied to it by Dr. Lindley, and is peculiarly applicable to the 
colour of its flowers. This is not a pure scarlet, but a shade apparently inter- 
mediate between crimson and scarlet ; and as the term “ coccineus” may, without 
any perversion, be appropriated indiscriminately to flowers of either of these hues, 
(though most frequently restricted to the latter by botanists,) the character of the 
present species is thereby fully expressed. 

The treatment of this plant may be comprised in a few words. A moderate- 
sized pot, a light loamy soil, and an abundant supply of water in the summer, 
with great care in preserving it from unnecessary moisture during the winter 
season, constitute its principal particulars. It is specially desirable to keep it 


always in an open situation, where it will not be too closely surrounded or shaded 


Die ANIGOZANTHOS COCCINEUS. 


by other plants ; as it delights in a full exposure to the solar influences, and is 
frequently injured by mildew on account of the accumulations of moisture conse- 
quent on its being buried, as it were, amongst plants of stronger growth. 

Retained in the greenhouse, it will thrive most luxuriantly with the treatment 
above detailed, and frequently produce flower-stems of from four to five fect in 
height. These latter branch most profusely towards their summits, and the 
beautiful flowers are exhibited from the extremities of all the numerous ramifi- 
cations of the stem, thus forming sometimes a compact head of one foot or more in 
diameter. Planted in the open ground, however, it would most probably form a 
most striking object in the summer season, and might easily be removed in a pot 
to the greenhouse on the approach of winter. We have not yet seen the latter 
system practised with any of the species; but we certainly think it would prove 
advantageous, and be the means of greatly increasing their interest. 

It has been found impossible to exhibit, in a drawing on our present scale, the 
manner in which the leaves of this plant are produced, and to those acquainted 
with the genus this would be wholly unnecessary. To such as are not conversant 
with the old species, it will be sufficient to observe that they spring from the roots in 
the same manner as the herbaceous species of Yucca, or the common pine-apple plant. 

Seeds either produced here, or procured from its native country, will vegetate 
freely in a sandy soil, if sown in shallow pans, and kept in a gentle hotbed, or in 
even a cold frame. The heat which they require must be regulated according to 
the season of the year. Thus, if sown in the spring, (which is the best time, ) they 
will not need any stimulus of that kind ; but if the sowing is effected late in the 
autumn, or during the winter, a slight heat will be necessary. The more usual 
method of propagation is, by division of the plant into as many portions as there 
are shoots, or merely detaching such of the external ones as may be required. This 
may be practised immediately after the flowers have faded, and the young offsets 
will speedily form new roots, if planted in sand, or a sandy loam ; indeed, where 
sufficient roots are possessed, they may be at once potted in the usual manner. 

The drawing was taken in the nursery of Messrs. Low & Co., Clapton, in 
July, 1838, the species flowering continually from June to August. 

The genus was named from anischo, I raise up, and anthos, a flower, according 
to Dr. Lindley ; but Mr. Loudon derives the former part of it from anoigo, to 
expand. It is difficult to say how the former can apply ; but the latter may allude 
to the expansive property of the segments of the perianth during fine weather, and 


when fully matured, 


Sg Se Ee ee er a 


273 


FLORICULTURAL NOTICES. 

Litium spectosum.—This superb plant and its allies have unquestionably been 
the most attractive objects in the London nurseries during the late season. We 
allude more particularly to the one figured in another part of the present number, 
and L. lancifolium album, though the latter is by far the least beautiful of the three. 
On account of their extreme scarcity, they have hitherto been cultivated only in the 
greenhouse, and no attempts have, we believe, been made to grow them in the 
open air. Little doubt, however, can be entertained that they would thrive well 
in such a situation during the summer months, as so many of the plants introduced 
from the same country have been found to succeed in the open ground, with a 
trifling protection in the winter ; but the trial must be made with all due precau- 
tion. Should they prove capable of enduring such treatment, its effect would 
doubtless be to enhance their beauty, for a full exposure to the solar influences 
could not fail of producing favourable results. 

In confirmation of this opinion, we may mention a remarkable variation in the 
colour of the flowers of L. speciosum, which occurred in several instances during 
the last summer. We saw plants of this species in flower in 1837, and the same 
specimens bloomed most profusely in 1838. In the latter season, the colours of 
the flowers were so much paler, that it was considered identical with L. lancifolium 
voseum by many who had only made a cursory examination of the last-named 
plant. The cause of this difference may evidently be traced to the general obscura- 
tion of the sun during the summer of 1838, and to the plants having been kept at 
a pretty considerable distance from the glass ; so that, if this inference is correct, 
the advantages of complete exposure may be considered as demonstrated. 

The principal reason why these beautiful plants remain so scarce, appears to 
be the great difficulty which attends their propagation. ‘To remove this obstacle, 
we shall now describe the system practised in many of the principal metropolitan 
nurseries. <A bulb of the sort which it is desired to propagate being obtained, it 
is taken from the pot while ia dormant state, but just before the period at which 
it begins to grow, a number of the external scales are carefully removed, and the 
bulb returned to its original position. These scales, or cloves, are then planted 
separately into small pots, in a light soil, and the pots plunged in a slight bottom 
heat. They must be sparingly watered with lukewarm water, and after a short 
period, they should be examined, when a number of small bulbs will be found to 
have formed around the base of the clove. ‘These may be carefully detached when 
about the size of peas, if they are not sufficiently numerous, in which case others will 
subsequently be formed ; but if a great quantity is not desired, they may be allowed 
to remain on the parent till they are somewhat more advanced. With careful 
potting, and judicious attention, all these young bulbs will ultimately form flowering 
plants ; and, by means of the adoption of this practice, we hope soon to see these 
delightful objects in the garden of every admirer of lilies. 

VOL. V.—NO. LX. NN 


274 


OPERATIONS FOR JANUARY. 


—_ ¢—_——_ 


CHRISTMAS is invariably considered the annual precursor of frost and other 
rigours to which our northern climate is accustomed, and seldom are these predic- 
tions unfounded. Now, therefore, the flues and furnaces of plant-houses should be 
tested, and held in readiness, (if not hitherto required,) that they may not be 
found deranged or ineffective, should a sudden change in the weather render their 
employment ‘necessary. In the open ground, likewise, on account of the large 
quantities of rain which have fallen within the last three months, preparations 
should be made for sheltering every valuable plant in a case of emergency, as the 
saturated state of the soil will give increased effect to an attack of frost, and, we 
fear, if the winter should prove severe, will contribute greatly towards the destruc- 
tion of all kinds of vegetable productions. 

All exotic plants require, at this season, as much light as can possibly be 
dispensed to them, and as little water as will suffice to keep them alive. Orchi- 
dacese and other tropical kinds, need little further attention than that which is 
necessarily bestowed on the regulation: of temperature, which should be kept, as 
far as practicable, uniformly low. The smaller and more tender sorts should 
occasionally be very attentively examined, lest, from the prevalence of moisture, 
they suddenly perish; for, if the process of decay from this cause be once allowed 
to commence, it is difficult to check its progress, and the only effectual remedy 
is an immediate amputation of the part affected ; or, if this is impracticable, some 
slacked lime should be applied to the diseased part as soon as it is detected. 
Plants of a succulent nature are. peculiarly liable to injury from this source, and 
the species of Stapelia especiaily so. As prevention is always preferable to repa- 
ration, a low temperature and dry atmosphere will be found unfailing antidotes 
to this most prevalent and destructive disease ; for, in no case where these have 
been properly attended to, has it ever been shestrenl : 

In extreme frost, when, from accidental causes or an inefficient command of 
heat, great difficulty is experienced in counteracting its effects, or preserving 
plants from injury, it has been found useful to burn a number of lamps as near to 
the roof as consists with safety, the heat diffused from which has, in many cases, 
alone been sufficient to prevent the ingress of frost. To render this experiment 
effectual, it is necessary to cover up the front and sides of the house with mats, and 
leave only the roof exposed. Its success may be easily accounted for. It is well 
known that heated vapour invariably ascends ; so that by arranging its sources. in the 
upper part of the house, a constant volume of it is maintained near the roof; and as 
frost can only enter through the latter medium, when all other inlets are secured, 
the heated air thus interposed between the roof and the plants effectually preserves 
the latter by excluding the former. Want of space prevents us from elaborating this 
subject ; we therefore merely suggest it, and shall revert to it ona future occasion. 

In ‘The flower-garden, digging, planting, and pruning, may be continued in 
favourable weather, and every secon afforded to all plants requiring it. Fur- 
ther directions will be found in our last number, which are equally applicable to 
the present month. 


INDEX. 


A: 


ABSORPTION, process of, explained, 86 

Acarius Tellarius, means for destroying, 71 

Aconitum chinense, 3 

AMschynanthus grandifiorus, culture and habits 
of, 241 

Agave Americana, means of inducing it to 
flower, 135 

Air, directions for admitting it into plant houses, 
96, 168, 192, 216, 240 

Alpine plants, natural habits of, 230; culture 
of, 230 

Amancaes, Mr. M‘Uean’s, 210 

Amaryllises, preparations for forcing, 216 

American aloe, suggestions for flowering the, 135 

American cowslip, entire-leaved, 16 

Amphicome arguta, 90, 189 

Andromeda floribunda, its hardihood, 94 

Anemones, planting, 24, 48 

Angelonia salicarizfolia, natural habits of, 75; 
culture of, 76 

Angrecum gladiifolium, 188 

Anigozanthos coccineus, 271 

Anise-seed tree, Florida, 147 

Anneslea tomentosa, 259 

Annuals, sowing tender and hardy, 24, 48; 
sowing, for flowering in the autumn and 
spring, 120, 144, 168, 192; thinning and 
transplanting, 48, 96; importance of timely 
supporting, 120 

Anzectochilus setaceus, 16 

Anomatheca cruenta, planting roots of, 48 

Antirrhinum majus caryophylloides, 55 

trionithophorum, 235 

Anthrocercis viscosa, beneficial efiects produced 
on, by planting out, 214 

Aotus ericoides, culture of, 51 

Aphelandra cristata, 236 

Aquatic, treatment of Calla A‘thiopica as an, 
226 

Aristolochia hyperborea, 187 

— saccata, 65 

Arthrostemma versicolor, 209 

Asarum japonicum, 93 

Aspasia epidendroides, 163 
—  variegata, 140 

Astelma eximium, culture of, 104 

Auriculas, top-dressing, 24 ; dividing the roots 
of, 72 


ee 


Azalea Danielsii, 117 
— littorza, 140 
— indica Smithii, 67, 91 
— Indica variegata, 119 

Azaleas, importance of watering freely, 72; 
hints on forcing, 216 ; propagation of hybrid, 
142; advantages of grafting, 142 


B. 


BALSAms, treatment of, 120 
Banksias, care necessary in watering, 24; great 
degree of light required for, 181 
Barren-wort, large-flowered, 151; 
flowered, 123 
Bartonia aurea, 141 
Batemannia Colleyii, 67 
Begonia odorata, 69 
Begonias, great quantity of water requisite for, 95 
Bell-flower, dark-blue bearded, 16 
Biennials, time for sowing, 192 
Birthwort, pouch-flowered, 69 
Bletia, distinction of the genus, from Phaius, 
126 
Boiler, diagrams and description of an oval, 39 
Boilers, remarks on the construction of, 63 
Bolbophyllum bracteolatum, 235 
Botanical Lexicon, review of a, 86 
Brunsfelsia americana deciduous in a low tem- 
perature, 252 
Buddlea madagascariensis, 260 
Bulbs, management of stove, 119 
— change of soil useful to, 208 
— preparation of beds for hardy, 216 
— time for planting hardy, 240 
— remarks on forcing, 216 
— mode of treating exotic, 250 
— protection for hardy, 264 
Burlingtonia candida, 237 
Butterfly plant, 175 
Butterfly plant, the Indian, 162. 


violet- 


C. 


CactTaceous plants multiplied by seed, 232 

Cactz, hints on grafting, 23, 69; propagation 
of the spherical-headed kinds of, 70; direc- 
tions for sowing seed of, 232 ; natural habitats 
of, 132; an intense degree of light necessary 
for, 133 


276 


Calla Aithiopica, culture of, 225 ; treated as an 
aquatic, 226 
Callionema puichra, 139 
Calhstemon microstachyum, 42 
Camellia picturata, 68 
—  Pressii rosea, 171 
Camellias, house most suitable for, 180; in- 
jured by too great exposure to solar light, 
179; general management of, 72, 95, 144; 
remarkable display of, 92 
Campanula barbata ; var. cyanea, 16 
— pyramidalis, mode of multiplying, 
(2 
Canvas useful for shading heaths, 157 
Cape bulbs, time for potting, 240 
Capsicum ustulatum, 197 
— culture of the genus, 197 
Carica citriformis, 43 
Catasetum, singular fact respecting the late 
genus, 258 
a atratum, 258 
Cattleya crispa, 5 
— Mbossie, 187, 259 
—  Perrinii, 18 
— pumila, 139 
— culture of the genus, 5; temperature 
most suitable for the genus, 83 
Centaurea depressa, 161 
Centaury, prostrate, i61 
Cereus pentalophus ; var. subarticulatus, 115 
—  speciosissimus, exposure useful to, 134 
—  speciosus and Jenkinsonii, beneficial 
effects of exposure upon, 134 
Chelone barbata alba, 189 
— Mexicana, 212 
Chemistry of nature, 11 
Chilodia scutellarioides, culture of, 195 
China roses, propagation of, 72, 120 
Chinese Aconite, 3 
Chorizema cordata, 42, 68, 97 
mee scorploides, 93 
Chrysanthemums, propagation of, 120; planting 
out, 144 
Chysis aurea, 140 
Cineraria, the king, 92 
Cinerarias, hybrid, 19 
Cinquefoil, rusty-brown flowered, 223 
Cirrhopetalum Thouarsii, 44 
Clematis czrulea, 119 
—  cerulea grandiflora, 93 
—  Sieboldu, 119 
Clianthus puniceus, cultivation of, 108; to be 
treated as a conservatory plant, !10 
Climate, its influence on plants, 110, 131, 155, 
179, 203 
Climbing stove plants, shading requisite for, 
113 
Clintonia pulchella, 139 
Coelogyne fuliginosa, 237 
— Gardneriana, 20 
— maculata, 257 
Coffzea not injured by a low temperature, 252 
Colours, solar light the cause of, 182 
Comesperma gracilis, 93, 145 
Conservatory plants, hints on planting, 181 
Correa speciosa grandiflora, 20 


INDEX. 


Coryanthes macrantha, 31; culture and propa- 
gation of, 32 
Corycium orobanchoides, 186 
Cosmus scabiosoides, 66 
—  tenuifolius, 15 
Crategus glabra, dimensions of a naturalized 
plant of, 12 
Crowea saligna, 260 
Crucianella stylosa, 212, 233 
Curcuma Roscoeana, 260 
Cuttings, excellent mode of striking, 178 
Cyanotis axillaris, 260 
Cycnoches chlorochilum, 260 
Cymbidium triste, 91 
Cyrtochilum bigtonense, 188 
— maculatum, 93, 186 
Cytisus nubiginensis, 260 
—  racemosus, 93 
—  rhodaphne, 117 


D. 


Dautias, time for planting, 120; attention 
required to, 144, 168, 216, 264 
Darkness, its effects on plants, 112 
Day Lily, Dr. Siebold’s, 25 
Decomposition of vegetables, 11 
Delphinium Barlowii, 265 
— intermedium ; var. sapphirinum, 233 
Dendrobium aggregatum, 66, 92 
amplum, 237 
aureum, 92 
densiflorum, 121] 
fimbriatum, 67 
Gibsonii, 169, 211 
moschatum, 140 
—nobile, 67, 92 
secundum, 92 
Dendrobiums, culture of, 121; season of rest 
requisite for, 122 ; high temperature essential 
te, 83; natural habits of, 122 
Deterioration of soil, its causes, 206 
Deutzia scabra perfectly hardy, 95 
Dianthus Bisignani, 138 
Digging, advantages of frequent, 239 
Dodecatheon integrifolium, 16 
Double pots recommended for particular kinds 
of plants, 177 
Drymonia bicolor, 18 


lel lel ial 


E. 


EARWIGS, means for entrapping them on 
dahlias, 192 
Echinacea Dicksonii, 116 
Kchinocactus Eyriesii ; var. glaucus, 138 
— tubiflorus, 17 
—_ grafting the species of, 23, 69 
Kchium giganteum, culture of, 149 
Enkianthus quinqueflorus, 127 
— reticulatus, culture of, 127 
Hpacris microphylla, 138 
Epidendrum bicornutum, culture of, 246 
— floribundum, 44 


INDEX. 277 


Epidendrum ionosma, 118, 164 
—  papillosum, 18 
— Schomburgki, 234 
— tenuiflorum, 212 
— tesselatum, 66 
cae viridi-purpureum, 162 
Epimedium macranthum, culture of, 152 
— violaceum, 68, 123 
Erica chloroma, 65 
— fiorida; var. campanulata, 65 
Erica, shading beneficial to the genus, 156 ; 
native localities of many of the species of, 
156 ; causes of ill success in the cultivation 
of the genus, 156, 204; a separate house 
requisite for the genus, 156 
Euphorbia Jacquiniflora, 185 
— rigida, 185 
— veneta, 42 
Euryale, characteristics of the genus, 47 
Eutoca Wrangeliana, 117, 187, 199; culture 
of, 200 
Evergreen plants, importance of light for, in 
the winter season, 250 
Everlasting flowers, remarks on, 247 
Excrementitious slime exuded from the roots of 
plants, 206 
Exotic plants, advantages of devoting attention 
only to one or two kinds of, 182 ; importance 
of commencing to protect them early in the 
autumn, 251 


F. 


FERRARIA azurea, 187 

Fig tree, remarkable effects of sudden exposure 
on a, 203 

Fire heat during the winter months, 192, 252, 
263 

Fires without smoke, 13, 80 

Flints available in the formation of rockeries, 
229 

Flower-gardens and their ornaments, 136, 254 

— designs for, 136, 254; hints on 

the plants most suitable for, and their pre- 
paration, 250 

Flowerpot, an improved kind of, 177 

Flowers, solar light inimical to expanded, 183, 
204 

Flower-vase, design for a cast-iron, 64 

Forcing flowers, time for commencing, 216 ; 
exposure to light necessary to plants in- 
tended for forcing, 192 

Fountains, remarks on, 9 

Frames, management of, 264 

Frost, importance of guarding against autumnal, 
215 

Fuchsia arborea, dimensions of, in the open air, 


—  fulgens, 17, 164; culture of, 222 
— method of protecting the genus, in the 
open ground, 251 

Funckia albo-marginata, 139, 211 
—  Sieboldiana, 162 

Furnaces, hints on the formation of, 62; re- 
marks on the management of, 264 


G. 


GALPHIMIA glauca, 236 
Gardenia radicans and florida, successful method 
of cultivating, 105 
Gardening, pleasures of, 153 
Garden ornaments, 19, 40 
Gardoquia multiflora, 210 
Gas-stoves, their applicability to horticultural 
purposes, 80 
Genista monosperma, 21 
Gesneria faucialis, 117 
— oblongata, 259 
—  reflexa, 92,117 
— rupestris, 53, 187 
— verticillata, 118 
Gladiolus Mortonius, 210 
Glass, refraction of light by, 205 
Gloxinia maxima, 219 
Gloxinias, practice of hybridizing, recommended, 
219 
Gompholobium polymorphum, 118 
Govenia liliacea, 66 
Grafting Azaleas, advantages of, 142 
Grafting Cacte recommended, 23, 69 
Greenhouse and greenhouse plants, general 
management of, 24, 48, 72, 95, 119, 144, 
169, 192, 216, 239, 263 
Greenhouse plants, time for potting, 48 ; varied 
effects of light upon, 155; advantages of 
dividing a collection of, accerding to their 
habits, 180, 182; benefited by a removal to 
the open ground in the summer months, 213 
Grottoes, directions for forming, 230 


Hi. 


HALF-HARDY plants, propagation of, 168, 255 

Hakea florida grown in the open air, 12 
—  saligna, naturalization of, 12 

Heartseases, practice of washing the roots of, 
207 

Heat, means of economising, 13, 80, 253, 274 

Heath, drooping round-headed, 65 
—  green-tipped, 65 

Heaths, a separate house advantageous to, 156; 
causes of ill success in the cultivation of, 
156, 204 ; method of renovating sickly plants 
of, 215 

Hellebore, Corsican, 233 

Helleborus lividus, 233 

Helichrysum macranthum, 141, 164, 247, 257, 
260; culture of, 248 

Hemerocallis Sieboldii, 25 

Herbaceous plants, directions for supporting, 96 

Hibiscus lilacinus, 15 

Hippeastrum ambiguum longiflorum, 165 

Hot water, its advantages over steam in heating 
plant houses, 57 

Hot-water apparatus, management of, 58 

Hot-water pipes, most suitable size for, 60 

Hovea Manglesii, 257 

Hybridization, remarks on, 219 

Hydrangeas, hints on watering, 120 

Hymenzea Courbaril, 236 


278 


I. 


ILxi1c1uM floridanum, culture of, 147 

Impatiens scapiflora, 101, 238 

Improvements in gardens, advantages of design- 
ing them in the early part of the autumn, 191 

Insects which infest stove plants, modes of 
destroying them, 71 

lonopsis utricularioides, 211 

Ipomea bonariensis, 161 

Platensis, 234 

Tron inferior to wood for the roofs of plant 
houses, 34 

Ismene Macleana, 210 


Ji 


JASMINE, privet-leaved, 15 
Jasminum glaucum, 15 


K. 


KALMIAS, directions for forcing, 216 
Kennedia glaberata, 92 


L. 


LARKSPUR, sapphire blue variable, 233 

Mr. Barlow’s, 265 

Laurus indica, dimensions of a naturalized plant 
of, 12 

Layering shurbs, directions for, 240 

Leaves, an abundance of them an indication of 
the necessity of a large supply of solar light, 
112 

Lebretonia, close proximity of the genus to 
Pavonia, 256 

Leucothoe floribunda, remarks on the hardihood 
of, 94 

Liatris borealis, 27 

Light, its influence on plants, 110, 131, 155, 
179, 203 

valiant aurantiacum, 189 

lancifolium album, 188 


— roseum, 188, 267; culture 
of, 267 

— speciosum, culture of, 1; propagation 
of, 273 


Lisianthus Russelianus, 17, 189, 260 
Lissochilus parviflorus, 68 

Loasa lateritia, 42, 77, 118; culture of, 78 
Lobelia Bridgesii, 185 

Cavanillesii, 118 
Drummondii, 238 
fenestralis, 210 
heterophylla, 15, 238 

Leelia anceps, 20 

anceps Barkeriana, 21 
autumnalis, 236 

Leeligia ornata, 92 

Lophospermum scandens, 63, 259 
Luculia gratissima, treatment of, 21 


— 
— 


—— 


—d 


— 


M. 
Matva Towardii, 141, 235 


| 


| 


INDEX. 


Mammillaria atrata, 65 

floribunda, 96 

Lehmannii, 43 

tenuis, 90 

Mammillarias, mode of grafting, 23, 69 

Manure, means for dispensing with, 239 

Masdevallia infracta, 117 

Maxillaria aurea-fulva, 18 

graminea, 163 

Rollisoni, 186, 260 

Stapelioides, 163 

tenuifolia, 141 

Meadow-sweet, bearded, 15 

Melocactus depressus, 256 

Mentzelia stipitata, 119 

Merendera caucasica, 258 

Mesembryanthemums, directions for planting 
out, 120; general remarks on the cultivation 
of, 129; great degree of light necessary for, 
134 

Mildew, causes of, and means for removing, on 
heaths, 158 

Miltonia candida, 236 

spectabilis, 164 

Miscellaneous greenhouse plants, remarks on 
the construction of a house for, 181 

Moisture, consequences of a superabundance of, 
to plants, 207 

Monochanthus, singular facts respecting the 
late genus, 258 

Morna nivea, 42 

Mucuna pruriens, 89, 119 

Myanthus, curious particulars connected with 
the late genus, 258 


— 


— 


N. 


NatuRAL habits of plants, importance of ascer- 
taining and studying the, 113 

Naturalizing plants, method of, 12 

Nemesia floribunda, 161 

Nemophila atomaria, culture of, 100 

New and rare plants which have flowered in the 
principal nurseries in the vicinity of London, 
19, 67, 91, 117, 139, 163, 187, 211, 235, 259 

New Holland plants, mode of naturalizing, 12 

Nuttallia grandiflora, 165, 217, 235; culture of, 
236 


O. 


OAK-TREE, curious circumstance respecting an, 
10 

Observation, great importance of, 204 

Oncidium Henchmannii, 20, 237 

Lanceanum, 163, 237 

papilio, culture of, 176 

pulchellum, 164 

ramosum, 68 

raniferum, 210, 237 

Russelianum, 259 

Oncidium, low temperature preferable for the 
genus, 83 

Operations for January, 
March, 47 ; 


274; February, 24 ; 
April, 71; May, 95; June, 


INDEX. 


119; July, 143; August, 167; September, 
191; October, 215; November, 239; De- 
cember, 263 

Opuntia, singular fact relative to the genus, 132 

Opuntia vulgaris, means of fruiting, 133 

Orangeries, hints on the construction of, 158 

Orange trees, advantages of washing the roots 
of, 207 ; degree of light necessary for, con- 
sidered, 158 

Orchidacez, preparations for potting, 24; pot- 
ting, 47 ; hints on the general management of, 
95, 119, 144, 168, 192, 239, 274; indiscrimi- 
nate treatment of, prejudicial, 65; import- 
ance of having two or more houses for, 82; 
means for improving their cultivation, 85 

Orchidaceous house, remarks on a method of 
suspending plants from the roof of the, 262 


E. 


PacHYPopIuM tuberosum, 68 
Papaw, citron-fruited, 43 
Passiflora Kermesina and Loudoniana, culture 
of, 261 
—  lLoudoniana, 117 
—  nigelliflora, 43 
— onychina, 90 
—  Tucumanensis, 43 
Passion-flower, large-stipuled, 43 
— Lieutenant Sullivan’s, 90 
— nigella-flowered, 43 
Pelargoniums, full exposure to light necessary 
for, at certain periods of their growth, 181 ; 
general management of, 96, 144, 168, 216 
Pentstemon Cobea, 163 


— crassifolius, 66 

a gentianoides, 138 

oo Murrayanus, winter treatment of, 
22 


Perennials, collecting and sowing seed of, 192; 
benefited by yearly transplantation, 207 

Petunias, propagation of, 168 

Phaius albus, 125, 139; natural habitats of, 
125; culture of, 159 
— distinction of the genus from Bletia, 126 

Phalznopsis amabile, 20, 69, 93, 162, 164 

Philibertia grandiflora, 141 

Phlox Youngii, 259 

Physiological botany, great utility of a know- 
ledge of, 113 

Physostegia imbricata, culture of, 174 

Pimelea incana, 116 

Pits and frames, management of, 264; most 
suitable for forcing plants into flower, 216 

Plants, influence of climate upon, 110,131, 155, 
179, 203 ; importance of studying the natu- 
ral habits of, 1113 effects of sudden exposure 
on exotic, 203 

Platystemon californicum, 141 

Pleasures of gardening, 153 

Porcupine cactus, glaucous sweet-scented, 138 

Porous plants require little ight, 113 

Potentilla ferruginea, 223 

— glabra, 209 
—  Tonguii, 187 


279 


Potting plants, soils used by nurserymen in, 
183 ; important principles to be attended to 
in, 208 

Pots, improved kind of, 177 ; those employed 
by nurserymen usually too small, 184 

Propagation of tender plants, 48, 168, 255 

Protecting plants in the winter season, modes 
of, 249, 263 

Protecting tent, strictures on a, 249 

Pseudo-bulb, definition of the term, 245 

Psidium Cattleyanum, low temperature not in- 
jurious to, 252 


R. 


REHMANNIA chinensis, 116 
Rejections of plants, 206 
Renanthera coccinea, 164 
Resins, their presence in plants an indication 
of a great degree of light being required, 112 
Rest necessary for exotic plants, 215, 239 
Rhodanthe Manglesii, culture of, 201 
Rhododendron albiflorum, i85 
— Cunninghamii, 69 
_— guttatum, 118 
— hybrid, 67 
Rhododendrons, watering, 96; collecting seed 
of, 254 ; shaded situation necessary for, 180 ; 
house most suitable for the tender species of, 
180 
Ribes, directions for propagating the various 
species of, 72, 264 
Richardia A‘thiopica, culture of, 225 
Rockeries suitable for mesembryanthemums, 
130 
cant remarks on the formation of, 227 
Roella elegans, 165, 260 
Roofs of plant structures, materials most suit- 
able for the, 34 
Roots of tender plants, importance of protect- 
ing the, 263 
Roses, suggestions on pruning, 240; propaga- 
tion of China, 72, 120 
Roxburghia viridis, 117 
Rudbeckia Drummondii, 189 


S. 


SACCOLABIUM premorsum, 140 

Salvia canescens, 161 
— patens, 212, 236 

Science of gardening, interest attached to the 
study of the, 154 

Sedum Sieboldii, 187 

Seed, directions for collecting and preserving, 
167; light necessary to mature, 183 

Shells an ornamental feature in rock-work, 229 

Shelter, different modes of applying, 263; ne- 
cessary for alpine plants, 230 

Shifting plants, remarks on, 109 

Shrubberies, hints respecting, 7 

Shrubs, season for pruning, 240; 
planting, 264 

Siphocampylus bicolor, 163 

Smoke, means for consuming, 81 


time for 


280 


Snails very destructive to Clianthus puniceus, 
108 
Snow, protection afforded to plants by, 230; 
temperature of, 230 
Soils, importance oe turning them frequently, 
239 
— hints on pinnae, 209; exposure to the 
air useful for destroying extraneous matters 
in, 208; used by nurserymen in potting 
plants, 183 
Solanum campanulatum, 186 
—  fragrans, 234 
—  Herbertianum, 269 
Spathodea pentandra, 234 
Sphenogyne speciosa, 189 
Spine cactus, tube-flowered, 17 
Spirea barbata, 15 
Stanhopea quadricornis, 18 
==) Wardii,: 21) 
Stapelia, effects of an insufficiency of solar light 
upon the genus, 132 
Statice arborea, 93, 118; propagation and cul- 
ture of, 189 
Steam, combustible energy of, 253 
Stenia pallida, 91 
Sternbergia colchiflora, 16 
Stevia fascicularis, 257 
Streptocarpus Rexii, light injurious to the flow- 
ers of, 204 
Stove and stove plants, general management of 
the, 24, 47, 72, 95, 119, 144, 168, 192, 216, 
239, 263 
Stove, remarks on Dr. Arnott’s, 253 
— plants, agency of light upon, practically 
considered, 113 ; importance of having 
two houses for the cultivation of, 114 
Succulent plants, influence of light upon, 132 
Sun dial, design for a, 40 
Sun’s rays the source of all colour in vegeta- 
tion, 182 
Syringa Josikeii, 140 


Ae 


TELOPEA speciosissima, 73; causes of failure 
in the cultivation of, and directions for its 
management, 73 

Temperature, equability of, 80 ; most congenial 
to exotic plants in the winter months, 192, 
215, 252, 263 

Tender plants, time for planting, in the flower- 
garden, 96; season for protecting, 240; dif- 
ferent methods of sheltering, 263 

Thysanotus proliferus, 43 

Touch-me-not, stemless, 101 

Top-dressing, utility of, 208 


INDEX. 


Transpirations of plants, their effects upon 
other species, 204 

Transplanting, importance of shading plants 
after, 183 

Tree-pink, Prince Bisignani’s, 138 

Tritonia fucata, 162 

Tropical climbing plants, natural habits of, 113 

Tropxolum Jarrattii, 29 


— peregrinum, 211 

— tricolorum, methods of improving, 
165 

— tuberosum, 49; culture of, 50 

— novel method of preserving the 


species of, from drought, 166 
Tuberous-rooted plants, advantages of a change 
of soil for, 208 
Tubers of tropzeolum tuberosum edible, 50 
Tulips, protection of, 72, 264 
Tweedia cerulea, 238 
— floribunda, 212 


Vv. 
VANDA teres, 117, 193 
pale habits and cultivation of, 194 


Vegetables, decomposition of, 11 
Ventilation, principles of, 38; its importance 
in the autumnal months, 216 
Verbena araniana, 117 
—  chameedrifolia superba, 213 
—  incisa, 17 
— Neillii, 213 
—  teucrioides, 243; culture of, 244 
Tweediana splendens, 188 
Wenenns time for increasing, 168 
Vervain, teucrium-like, 243 
Victoria Regia, account of, 114 
Vinca minor, history and culture of, 8 
Viper’s Bugloss, gigantic, 149 
Vistea lycioides, treated as a hardy plant, 12 


Ww. 


WaRRATAG, the, 73 

Water, great importance of a free circulation of, 
208 ; an indispensable feature in rockeries, 
228 

Watering plants, hints on, 95 

Wooden roofs preferable to iron for plant 
houses, 35 

Wood-wort, two-coloured, 18, 163 


Z. 


ZicKtiA molle, 93 
Zygopetalum Mackayanum, 186 


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