the shoots are young, a suitable portion must be secured to the wall, as is done to the peach, and all others be taken clean away." As soon as it is perceived the shoots have embryo buds upon them, a cover of canvas, or something that will cause shade, must be fixed so as to cover the entire plant. This shading is essential to success. If the covering is placed so as to keep the rains from the border, recourse must be had to watering, also an occasioned sprinkling by means of syringe must be given over the foliage.

When the blooming is over, the shading is no longer requisite, and its removal is necessary to promote the ripening of the shoots for the next year's supply, which is an essential point to be obtained. My first success with blooming the rose successively was by the following circumstance. A plant was growing at the south side of a vase placed on a pedestal, around which the branches were trained. At the blooming season I found all the buds on the south (sunny side) went off in the usual way, but all that portion of the plant which was on the shady side produced perfect bloom in perfection. It appears to me to be essential to obtain well ripened wood, and then to give shade during the period from buds being formed to blooming. These being obtained success is certain. I have a plant which now annually produces a profusion of fine flowers treated in the manner above specified. During the first summer that I trained the plant against the wall, a considerable quantity of young shoots was produced. In order to assist the shoots that had buds upon them, I cut off all others, which amounted to three parts of them, so sudden a destitution caused all the buds to drop off, but when the shoots are stripped off at an early stage this evil is entirely obviated.

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TOWN'S EXHIBITION OF CARNATIONS AND PICOTEES HELD AT DERBY, August 4, 1852. The requirements were A Town's Collection of 12 dissimilar varieties of Carnations, and the like number of Picotees, to be shown in boxes of the Horticultural Society's (of London) dimensions." A spirited competition .took place, and York, Leeds, Wakefield, Middleton, Birmingham, Leicester, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Northampton, and Stamford, each contributed something to the general gathering. Through untoward circumstances Middlesex was unrepresented. CARNATIONS: Ist, Derby, with Seedling, S.B., Flora's Garland, Premier, Firebrand, Lorenzo, Lord Milton, Admiral Curzon, Magnificent, Cradley Pet, Squire Meynell, and Princess (Seedling); 2nd, Birmingham, with Premier, Lord Rancliffe, Briseis, Admiral Curzon, Ariel, Miss Thornton, Pollington, Lydia, Black Diamond, Lord Lewisham, Lady Rhodes, and Lovely Ann; 3rd, Nottingham, with Taylor's Lucia, Hale's Albert (Seedling), Lady Peel, Earl of Leicester, Falconbridge, Admiral Curzon, Lord Byron, Lord Milton, Lady Gardiner, Firebrand, and Oberon; 4th, Leeds, with Lord Milton, Magnificent, Great Northern, Rainbow, Firebrand, Ariel, William the Fourth, Lady Ely, Rose Helen, Admiral Curzon, Paul Pry, and Justice Shallow; 5th, York, with Miss Thornton, Lord Rancliffe, William the Fourth, Admiral Curzon, Ariel, Knostrop Pet, Lydia, Briton Splendid, Rainbow, Squire Meynell, and Brilliant; 6th, Wakefield, with Seedling No. 2, Beauty of Brighouse, Admiral Curzon, Lady of the Manor, Hepworth's Leader, Lord Rancliffe, Nulli Secundus, Seedling, Lord Milton, Seedling, Squire Meynell, Patriot; 7th, Leicester, with True Briton, Duke of Rutland, Prudence, Earl of Leicester, Gladiator, Briseis, Black Diamond, Squire Meynell, Lorenzo, Hamlet, Queen of Purples, and Princess Royal. A fine stand from Edinburgh was disqualified, containing a self-petal. TWELVE DISSIMILAR PICOTEES: 1st, Derby, with Mrs. Norman, Duke of Rutland, Ganymede, Green's Queen, Mrs. Barnard, Venus, Alfred, Ophelia, Bayley's Seedling, Mary, Prince of Wales, and Isabella; 2nd, Birmingham, with Audrey, Prince of Wales, Alfred, Green's Queen, Elizabeth, Mrs. Brown, Duchess, Delicata, Venus, Amethyst, Mrs. Barnard, and King James. 3rd, York, with Alfred, Green's Queen, Lady Franklin, Miss Rosa, Red Rover, Mrs. Wood, Elizabeth, Portia, Delicata, Mary Ann, Mrs. Barnard, and King James; 4th, Nottingham, with Princess Royal, Elizabeth, Juliet, Green's Queen, Gem, Lord Nelson, Prince of Wales, Duke of Rutland, Enchantress, Isabella, Alfred, and Mrs. Barnard; 5th, Leeds, with Mrs. Barnard, Elizabeth, Lady of the Lake, Prince of Wales, Regina, Ann Schofield, Alfred, Christabelle, Cerise Blanche, Mrs. Norman, Duke of Rutland, and King James; 6th, Leicester, with Prince of Wales, Duke of Rutland, Nina, King James, Venus, Christabelle, Lord Nelson, Youell's Gem, Bates, Seedling, Mrs. Norman, Prince Albert, and Jenny Lind,

HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS VARIETY.

THE Stork is very fond of the leaves and tender branches of this tribe of plants, and from this circumstance the name Hibiscus (derived from Ibis, a Stork) has been applied.

The Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis (Rose of China, or Chinese Rose) is held in high estimation in that country, as well as in other parts of India, where it grows naturally. It is called by the Indians "The Gem of the Sun." In its native situation, it grows to a moderatelysized tree, and its large rosy-red blossoms, produced in profusion, render it very ornamental. In China and Cochin-China, it is said to be very commonly used for garden hedges, as well as singly in the gardens for ornament. Latrobe speaks of it as making a conspicuous figure in the hedges of the Cape of Good Hope, and there growing to the height of twenty feet. The Indians make these beautiful flowers into festoons and garlands on all occasions of festivity, and even in their sepulchral rites. They are also put to a humble and very different use, that of blacking shoes, whence it has been named the Shoe-flower. flowers yield a very black pigment: on this account it is said to be used for blacking the scabbards of the hangers in Batavia. The females blacken their hair and eyebrows with these Roses, which bloom nearly all the year round.

The

In

We are informed by plant collectors that the Hibiscus, in its native localities, flourishes the best in a deep loam, upon a dry substrata. our stoves, &c., they succeed best in equal portions of rich loam and peat.

The Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis was introduced into England just one hundred years ago, and has been an inhabitant of our hothouses in general throughout the nation. The flowers of the original species are single, of a dull red colour. We have long possessed, too, several varieties both single and double-flowered. There are the double red,

X

double crimson, double buff, double yellow, double flesh, and double variegated; all of them are highly ornamental: so are the single blossomed. Of these latter, the H. Parkerii has flowers of a rich red, with a deeper coloured centre, very handsome. The variety which we now figure is much superior to it or any other we have seen; its intensely rich brilliant scarlet flowers, with a dark centre, are most splendid, and render it deserving a place in every stove or warm greenhouse. It is a seedling raised by a gentleman in the Isle of Wight, and blossoms of it have been sent us by Mr. Samuel Whitmore, nurseryman, near Ryde, in that island, who possessed the stock.

NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS.

ABELIA TRIFLORA.—) -Major Madden sent seeds of this pretty halfhardy shrub to the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, Dublin. Mr. Moore, the curator, states that "four years ago seeds were sown, and of the plants raised the first has bloomed this season (1852). I consider it an acquisition in the way of a hardy shrub. Our plant is about three feet high, and covered over with pretty pink blossoms." The plant had been put in the open border four years ago, where it flourished without protection. It forms a neat branching shrub, blooming profusely. The flowers are borne at the ends of the numerous shoots, three blossoms together, and each terminal head has two or three of these clusters. The blossom has a tube three parts of an inch long, pale yellow at first, becoming tinged with red; but when the flat, five-parted limb (end of blossom) opens, the surface is white, tinged with rose, and is half an inch across. It is a charming neat shrub, either for the greenhouse or open air, in a sheltered situation. Dr. Wallich states that it is found wild on the highest mountains towards the Himalaya. He also states the blossoms are highly fragrant. (Figured in Paxton's Flower Garden, plate 91.)

BRYA EBENUS. THE JAMAICA EBONY.-This West Indian shrub is common in Jamaica, where it attains the height of five or six yards; but when grown in a stove it maintains a branching shrubby character. It is an evergreen, with box-like leaves, and blooms in profusion. The flowers are pea-shaped, each blossom three parts of an inch across, of a bright orange-yellow colour, each twiggy shoot having a long spike of flowers; and Dr. Fayden says, "that on the Jamaica hills it reminds the traveller of the Broom of Europe." The flowers are fragrant. This shrub is very different from the true Ebony of commerce, viz., Diaspyros ebenus. It merits a place in any stove collection, being highly ornamental. (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4670.)

CACTUS CRENATUS GRANDIFLORUS.-The flowers are large, of a creamy-white; the sepals are yellow and brown outside. A beautiful variety, which is in the possession of Mr. Green, gardener to Sir E. Antrobus, of Cheam.

CALANTHE VESTITA (Orchidea).-This Indian orchid has been introduced by Messrs. Rollison, of Tooting, where it has bloomed ;