THE

FLORICULTURAL CABINET,

SEPTEMBER 1ST, 1846.

PART I.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ARTICLE I. EMBELLISHMENTS.

1. TORENIA CORDATA (HEART-SHAPED LEAF.)

ALTHOUGH this new species is inferior in the beauty of its flowers to T. asiatica (figured in the CABINET for July), it is, nevertheless, a very pleasing plant, and in growth possessing an advantage over that kind, by being more compact. Our figure was prepared from a specimen bloomed in the Clapton nursery, where it had been received from the London Horticultural Society, under the appellation of "herbaceous plant from China:" and as one of its distinguishing characters is presented in the novel shape of the leaves, we have adopted the specific name above given. The plant appears to grow successfully in a light rich soil, and treated after the ordinary manner of greenhouse plants: we dare say, however, it will ultimately be transferred to the summer flower-garden. We already find T. asiatica to flourish there.

2. GESNERIA ELLIPTICA, LUTEA. (ELLIPTIC-LEAVED, YELLOW variety.) Our drawing of this novel-coloured Gesnerea was made from a plant in bloom at the Kew Botanical Gardens during the early part of the present summer. We are informed it was originally discovered, with several other varieties of the same species, having various intermediate shades to a pale red, by Mr. Purdie, at Santa Martha, VOL. XIV. No. 163.

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in New Grenada. To all lovers of the ornamental and particularly interesting tribe of Gesnereas, the present kind has considerable claim, not alone for its distinct and clear colour, but because with that it combines an excellent erect habit, and a disposition to bloom freely. The usual treatment suffices to grow it.

ARTICLE II.

ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE PINK.

BY MR. E. F. FAIRBAIRN, NURSERYMAN, WANDSWORTH ROAD, LONDON.

THE genus Dianthus comprehends a family which have long been the pride of the florist, on account, as well of the agreeable fragrance they possess, as the beauty of their flowers; I allude to the Pink, with respect to which the old florists have justly observed, "he who can grow Pinks and Carnations can grow any florists' flower;" and I certainly agree with them in this case; as, from experience, I have found Pinks require more than ordinary care and attention to grow them to perfection. The object, therefore, I have now in view in addressing you, is to impart what knowledge I possess of their cultivation and general properties as show flowers.

In the first place, then, I would advise persons about commencing the cultivation of this most interesting flower to procure from some respectable grower a collection of the best sorts, as early in September as possible; and it is always advisable to have two pairs of each kind, to be able to plant them together, in small squares, thus:

The advantage obtained by this method is, that when in bloom they may be so readily covered with shade or glass, as deemed necessary; and it may be done so as to allow plenty of room for top-dressing the plants in spring. The bed should be so situated that it is sheltered from the north, and the composition forming it very rich. If the natural soil where the bed is intended to be formed is already fertile and light, I would recommend merely a good dressing of fresh loam

and rotten manure; but if poor and stiff, I advise such soil to be entirely removed to the depth of eighteen inches, and its place supplied by the top spit from a rich meadow, mixed with well-rotted cow manure, in the proportion of three to one. But before this is placed in the bed, it must be carefully searched, in order to destroy all grubs, which, at the season of the year alluded to, are very numerous and destructive. As a considerable number of plants may be cultivated in a small bed, they will amply reward if more than ordinary trouble is taken to prepare the bed; and in order to do that most suitably, I would recommend four or six inches of stones, or brick rubbish, to be placed at the bottom for drainage, Pinks always suffering more from wet than frost; I would also introduce one or two bushels of charcoal, after being steeped in a strong solution of guano or pigeons' dung. A bed thus prepared would be ready for the reception of the plants, which will be found to do best if planted in September, in the manner I have before described; they will, after this, require no further attention until February, when they must be top-dressed with some choice old manure, such as sheeps' or rotten cow-dung, mixed with a little pigeons' dung. In May, the plants will throw up their stems for bloom, which require particular attention properly to spindle them, as it is termed; that is, to remove all the weak and side blooms, so as to reduce the number left to one, two, three, or four, as the case may be; for instance, to produce an extra fine flower of such kinds as Enchantress, Tom Long, or Duke of Northumberland, there should be but one bloom. left to a stem; while, on the other hand, such flowers as Rubens, Great Britain, and Hero of Croydon, require that three or four blooms be left on a stem, in order to weaken the individual bloom, which otherwise would be almost impossible it could expand without bursting the pod. At the time of these operations the stems should be tied to neat sticks, and when this is completed I give the whole bed a top-dressing, in the following manner: I procure a quantity of fresh cow-dung, and place it in a large tub, adding thereto a sufficient quantity of water to reduce it to a fluent substance, of such consistency, that when poured over the bed it disposes itself in a thick crust. The beneficial effect of this application is most distinguishable, and I will here observe, might not the same means be, with the greatest advantage, employed to promote superiority in other tribes of flowers?

As the earliest blooms begin to open, the most diligent attention will be requisite, because, as the pods swell, they must be tied, to prevent unequal expansion; with bass, or, what is better, rice-bag matting. Some of the thin podded kinds it is only necessary to tie once round, but the stout ones require tieing as they swell; for, if tied too tight at first, they will burst in the sub-calyx. It is remarkable how soon the stout pods will burst, if not tied in time. In order to facilitate their opening, a plan generally adopted, is to ease the divisions of the pod with the point of a knife, which greatly assists them, as it will also to subdivide the calyx, or pod, into ten segments, instead of five.

Immediately a bloom unfolds two or three of the first, or guard petals as they are generally denominated; it will require to be placed on a card, in the usual manner, taking care that it goes on the pod sufficiently tight to support itself; in this stage the bloom can be greatly assisted by easing the petals as they are ready to expand with the point of the dresser.

In order to have blooms in the finest order for exhibition, it will be found necessary to shade the early ones to keep them back, and place glasses over such as are later to bring them forward. It is of little consequence what sort of shade is used; but the most simple is one with a tube in the centre, having a nut and screw attached; the tube goes on the stick, and the screw fastens it thereto; the same plan acts well also for glasses, and is a preventative against wind overturning them. Besides this, another admirable plan is now observed by many Pink growers, who use what is termed a table, which consists of a piece of wood something similar in shape to a child's battledore, with a hole in the handle to fasten to a stick going in the ground, or, in other words, to the leg of the table. In this table is a slit three inches long, and large enough to admit the stem of a Pink to its extremity; after which introduction the slit is filled up with moss or wool, to prevent earwigs or other insects from attacking the flower. In addition, this plan is not only secure, but very convenient; as a common garden pot placed on the table over the flower protects it as well from sun, wet, dust, wind, or insects. And if it is requisite to bring the flower forward, a small bell-glass, substituted for the pot, answers the purpose, and forces the bloom rapidly.

The usual period appointed when exhibitions of Pinks take place

is from the 18th to the 24th of June; and now it is that the careful grower anticipates his reward. In selecting a stand of blooms for show, he must therefore be cautious to have all the blooms dissimilar and, as much as possible, perfect in arrangement, bright in colour, and regular in lacing. The disqualifications are, a split pod, bass, or any other material being left on the pod, two blooms of a sort, a run petal, or a dropped petal.

To the cultivator, who has paid every possible attention in the management of his plants, the disappointment of gaining a prize by an oversight or misunderstanding is vexatious enough; he cannot therefore be too wary in placing his blooms.

Perhaps the fatal defects enumerated may not be fully understood by the young grower. I will briefly explain then that a split pod is when either division is run down to the sub-calyx; a dropped petal is when the guard petal has been eaten by an insect, or otherwise, so that it will not support itself; and a run petal is when no white is seen in the centre of the petal, or, in other words, when the lacing is run into the ground colour; in addition, as already observed, there must be no bass, card, or anything on the flower, when staged for exhibition.

As the propagation of the Pink by means of pipings is generally so well understood, I need not occupy any portion of this essay thereon; but, as it cannot be denied the various kinds now grown are very capable of improvement, I will observe, with respect to seedlings, for the particular encouragement of raisers, that I have found the plants seed much more freely when allowed to grow without any artificial treatment. It is advisable therefore to plant a bed of the best rose-leaved flowers solely for the purpose of producing seed; allowing them to grow as they like. As soon as the seedvessel begins to open at the point, it must be gathered, and the seed permitted to remain therein until required for sowing, which should be in the month of March following. I have sown it as soon as ripe, but do not recommend the plan, as the plants seldom flower the following year; and when that is the case, they are exposed a long time without any advantage being gained. I advise the seed to be sown in a cold frame, and then the plants will be sufficiently strong to transplant into beds in May, where they will bloom the following year.

In conclusion, I beg to add a list of the names of the best kinds