CULTURE OF CAPE HEATHS.

35:

to injure the parts of fructification, and its modest pendant position throws off all water from the same. The pure white petals contribute to perfecting the farina, for they act as reflectors to throw all the light and warmth on the anthers. In shrubberies, care should be taken to have these flowers plentifully where they can be seen from the window. of a breakfast-room, and among shrubs, grass, &c., they should have the appearance of growing wild, avoiding formal clumps, and seem as if scattered in irregular masses :—

"Poets still in graceful numbers

May the glowing Roses choose;
But the Snowdrop's simple beauty
Better suits an humble muse.
Earliest bud that decks the garden,
Fairest of the fragrant race,
First-born child of vernal Flora,
Seeking mild thy lowly place.

Though no warm or murmuring zephyr
Fan thy leaves with balmy wing,
Pleas'd we hail thee spotless blossom,
Herald of the infant spring.

'Tis not thine, with flaunting beauty,
To attract the roving sight,
Nature from her varied wardrobe
Chose thy vest of purest white.
White as falls the fleecy shower,

Thy soft form of sweetness grows;
Not more fair the valley's treasure,
Nor more sweet her Lily blows."

CULTURE OF CAPE HEATHS.

THE garden establishment of S. Rucker, Esq., Wandsworth, near London, is justly celebrated for its collection of superb plants, as well as for the superior manner in which they are grown. The superb Heaths are under the skilful management of Mr. W. P. Leach, who has drawn up an excellent Article on the method of culture he practises, which is inserted in the Gardeners' Chronicle of last Nov. 25th. It comprises the following particulars:

Heaths will thrive as well in a greenhouse with other plants as when in a heath-house; in fact, some of the woolly-leaved kinds do better, but they should be kept at the coolest end. The soil best suited is a mixture of Wimbledon peat and a much lighter kind of peat from Croydon; or, as a substitute for the latter, well-decomposed leaf mould. Wimbledon peat two parts, light peat or leaf mould one part, and silver sand one part. He uses the peat fresh from the common, where it is dug two inches deep, paring off the subsoil and the rough top. The compost is passed through a sieve of 14-inch mesh.

36

ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS AS TO COLOURS.

Re-potting is done any time from first of February to the end of August. He uses a liberal drainage, this being very essential in proper culture for large plants three or four inches deep. In potting, he places the collar of the plant a little above the fresh soil, so that water may not lodge about that part; never disturbs the old ball, except to rub off a little of the surface soil; fills up sufficiently high to leave it at the sides one inch below the rim, in large pots more in proportion-this is in order to retain water when applied; and presses the fresh soil very firmly round the ball. When done in summer, he shades the plant for a few days. They require little water after potting till they push a fresh into the new soil. All free-growing kinds succeed best out-of-doors, in a not overshaded place during summer; the slow growers, as Massoni, tricolor, &c., are best kept in the house or pits; the Heath tribe requires plenty of air and little shade. Always gives a liberal shift if the plants are well rooted, as from an eight-inch pot to a twelve. As soon as plants are re-potted, he pegs down some of the lowermost branches, to hide the soil and have the plant bushy. In hot dry weather he well waters the ground between the pots, which is much better than wetting the plants overhead, which is apt to induce mildew, and causes the plants, too, to lose their inner foliage. To remedy the evil of mildew, he dusts the parts affected with sulphur, and places the plant in a dry situation, allows it to remain two or three days, and then brushes it off. When large specimens have done blooming, he says, "I take a pair of shears, and clip them all over. Free growing sorts are then placed out-of-doors, to make their growth and set their bloom; the slow growers are kept in-doors, and have plenty of air day and night. In housing them in autumn, they are not allowed to touch one another, and, if possible, are elevated on pots or blocks, so as to allow a free ventilation of air among them."

They require little water in winter. He raps the side of the pot, and, if it sounds hollow, gives it water carefully; for to give much to such as Massoni, Hartnelli, and aristata, would be sudden death to them; but such as the ventricosas, perspicua nana, &c., require it often, and as much as will soak the entire ball. In winter, he applies it in the morning, to get the house dry during the day; in dull weather a little fire heat is given in the day-time, giving air then back and front. The heated pipes are allowed to cool before the house is closed. Nothing is more injurious to Heaths, or, indeed, any other plant, than high night temperature. He never uses fire at night unless there are twelve or fourteen degrees of frost; eight or nine degrees of frost will not injure Cape Heaths, if the wood has been properly ripened in autumn. Damp will do them more mischief than frost.

ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS AS TO COLOURS, &c.

BY G. B. N., OF SOMERSET.

I THINK you would be conferring a great favour on many amateurs if you were to follow up the Article upon the grouping of flowers which

you inserted in your last Number, I mean, so far as regards the arrangement of their colours; and I would take the liberty of suggesting that a tabular form would be the most useful, admitting of the easiest reference. It would be desirable to state in such a table, not only what is the complimentary colour, but also what is the best contrast. I would specify some of the colours about which I want this information, and which that Article does not satisfy. See table annexed.

But if you feel that all this is beyond you, as I confess it is beyond me, perhaps some notice of this, my request, in your next Number would enlist the services of some lady amateur, whose more immediate province, perhaps, it is; or, perhaps, you can refer me to some work which treats of colours in these particulars. I have observed accidental notices of contrasts in some of your Numbers, but they seemed to me at the time not to mention several colours which I wanted information about.

FUCHSIA CORDIFOLIA.

BY J. C.

Is this Fuchsia generally a shy bloomer? With me it grows to an immense size both in and out of doors, but a flower is seldom seen on it. Most probably I mismanage it.

[In 1846 we had a strong plant grown in a rich loamy soil, in a pot about ten inches diameter at the top. It grew vigorously, but had only a very few flowers. Feeling disappointed with it, the plant was retained undisturbed in its pot, and during winter kept in a cool part of the greenhouse, and just secured from frost. Very little water was given, scarcely enough to keep the soil moist. As the spring advanced, the plant began to push, and an increase of water was given, but it was not re-potted. It commenced flowering early in the season, and continued to bloom profusely all the summer. The colours of the flowers were much richer than those borne when the plant was luxuriant the previous year. It is very probable the plant will bloom well, if it be grown in a compost of sandy loam, and a moderate proportion of vegetable mould, also to have a pot comparatively small to the size of the plant. Properly attended to in other respects, we think it would prove to be, as it did with us, a very handsome object.]

PLUMBAGO CAPENSIS.

BY A. G.

A CONSTANT reader would feel obliged to some practitioner who can inform him, to say how he must grow this plant so as to bloom it well. I have a plant five years old, now in a twelve-inch pot, trained in a circular manner round some stout stakes from four to five feet high. Last year I spurred all the shoots into two or three eyes, and re-potted it in a rich loamy soil, and kept it in a cool greenhouse; it looked healthy, and grew moderately, but bloomed very sparingly. Now, if any kind friend can inform me how I can grow and bloom it well, I shall feel greatly obliged.

THIS is one of the most elegant blooming exotic plants which has ever been introduced into this country. It is a native of China and Japan, and is there held in very great esteem. In those countries it grows

erect, about three yards high, forming a tree-like shrub, and branching numerously. The large curled-formed flowers are borne in profusion at the extremities of the shoots in large branching panicles of a beautiful rose colour, rendering it an object of highest admiration. It is but little known in this country, although it was introduced many years ago. The reason appears to be, that it did not receive that mode of treatment it required; and, in consequence of failure in blooming, it became a neglected plant. We recollect it being in several old-fashioned dark greenhouses or orangeries, and, although we never saw it bloom in such places, yet it was a handsome object, being of such a graceful form. It requires to be grown in a very warm greenhouse, or, which is better, a hot-house. The compost should consist of equal parts of loam, peat, and well-rotted manure and leafmould. A liberal drainage should be given, and in the growing season a free supply of water. It roots rapidly, and requires plenty of pot room. Another essential is to have bottom heat, either by being placed upon a flue or plunged in a tan bed; but we had it upon the former, where it bloomed beautifully. If turned out into a border which was warmed, near to a flue, it would flourish still better, and bloom in surprising profusion. In its period of growth it requires a high temperature, not less than seventy degrees by day, and the plant must be syringed frequently and the flue sprinkled with water two or three times a-day. If properly treated, it will begin to flower by the end of May, and continue to the end of October. When the blooming season is over, it must have a lower temperature, and less water to the roots, so as to be kept nearly dry. It is essential it should have a season of rest from November to the end of February. At the latter time all the previous year's shoots must be shortened, so as only to leave two buds on each. A little water may then be given, gradually increasing it till the buds burst, when the plant, if in a pot, must be re-potted. If the roots have coiled in the pot, so as to form a matted mass, carefully loosen them, and prune them in. We repeat, plenty of pot room is essential. The plant is readily increased by cuttings of the young wood, which should be taken off as soon as the shoots have attained sufficient firmness not to be likely to damp off. Insert them in equal parts of loam and silver sand, plunging the pot where it will have a gentle bottom heat and be covered with a bell-glass.

YELLOW PICOTEE.

A WRITER in the January Number of the Midland Florist very earnestly urges all cultivators of Picotees to persevere in attempts, by impregnation, to obtain perfect flowers of the yellow class; and having proceeded thus far, he states, "I conceive the following plan, under distinct heads, will be eligible for the purpose I have in view :

"First. Saving seed from yellow selfs, hybridized with the yellow picotee; and, for experiment's sake, reversing the parents, whenever it will not have a tendency to reduce colour.

"Secondly. From two yellow-ground picotees,