THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



205 



leaf-mould and sharp saud mixeJ ; this i-e- 

 quires to be well broken and thoroughly 

 incorporated. About tlie middle of April 

 they should be repotted. This is rather a 

 delicate operation : the old eartli should be 

 gently shaken from the roots of the phmts 

 and tli'^. new pressed firmly round them, 

 observing to keep the b:iS8 of the plant a 

 little above the rim of the pot; when 

 finished, three or four small sticks thrust 

 into the earth close to the sides of the plant 

 will keep them erect and steady, until 

 they have attained a hold by the new 

 roots. After potting, they should be at 

 once conveyed to a previously prepared 

 dung-bed, having what is teclinically 

 termed a " sweat heat " of from 85' to 

 95' temperature. They require shading 

 from strong sunshine for the first fortnight, 

 and to be kept moderately moist ; we have 

 even gone so far in hot dry weather as to 

 use the syringe upon them, though this 

 might be attended with some danger in 

 close damp weatlier. In this situation they 

 should remain from three to four months, 

 giving them air in rather small quantities 

 every fivourable opportunity ; at the end 

 of this time they will be found to have 

 made a surprising growth, and may then 

 be removed back to the succulent house, 

 the stove, the greeuliouse, or the windows 

 of the sitting-rooms, and may be expected 

 to produce flowers in the course of the fol- 



lowing month. The difference occtisioned 

 by this treatment will be apparent the first 

 season, for from poor little starvelings, 

 such as are too freq\iently seen, they will 

 be transformed to fine healthy and large 

 specimens. We have thus given a brief 

 outline (if our own practice, in which there 

 is nothing difficult, and by which fine 

 plants may be speedily obtained. And vve 

 believe we cannot conclude this article 

 better tlian with a list of a few most desir- 

 able to those about to form a collection : — 



Mammillaria atrata. Cereus cjesIus. 



Andrijea. 



carnea. 



cirrliifera. 



spinis fuscls. 



coronaria. 



depressa. 



fulvispina. 



Karv/inskii. 



magnimamma. 



qnadrispina. 



sphacelata. 



V/ildiana. 

 Midocactus depressus. 



Grengelii. 



macracanthus. 



polyacanthus. 



pyramidalis. 



Sellowii. 

 Cereus affinis. 



tenuispmus. 

 undatus. 

 Echinocactus densus. 

 echinatus. 

 Eyresii. 

 GiUiesii. 

 imbricatus. 

 latispinu?. 

 Mackieanus. 

 montevideusis. 

 parvispinus. 

 platyacanttius. 

 scopa spinis albis. 

 subgibbosua. 

 tennispinus. 

 tubifloriis. 

 Cactus corrugatus. 

 reductus or nobiiis. 

 senilis. 



CULTUEE OF DIONiEA MUSCIPULA. 



The Dionasa Muscipula, or Venus's Flytrap, 

 is naturally an inhabitant of marshy spots 

 in Carolina, from whence it was brought in 

 1788 ; but, notwithstanding the length of 

 time it has been known to us, is still rather 

 scarce, from the circumstance which ope- 

 rates in the case of other rare plants — its 

 culture not being understood. The name 

 flytrap conveys an idea of the curious 

 mechanical powers of the plant, which it 

 never fails to exercise on every unfortunate 

 delinquent that may happen to intrude 

 within the sphere of its action. It is not 

 necessary to enter into an anatomical di- 

 gression to explain the cause of this action, 

 or to broach tlie physiological question as 

 to the object to be gained by the plant, 

 thus imprisoning to death the unconscious 

 insect, first tempted within its clasp by the 

 sweet vinous liquid exuded from the epi- 

 dermis of the foliage, further than briefly 

 to mention the manner and probable ac- 

 tuating cause. Tlie petiole, or leaf-stalk, 

 is flattened, elongated, and winged, and, 

 like the whole plant, remarkable for the 



number of hairy processes distributed over 

 it : the leaf proper is nearly round when 

 extended horizontally, but rising from the 

 mid-rib on each side, in the form of two 

 equal lobes, the margins of which are 

 thickly set with strong hairs, and act in the 

 manner of the teeth of a steel trap ; these 

 lobes, immediately a fly, or any firm sub- 

 stance, touches the upper surface of the 

 leaf, close tightly together over the unfor- 

 tunate victim, v;hich hold it retains so long 

 as the cause remains. 



It has been plausibly represented that 

 the probable object is, (he furnishing the 

 plant with ammonia arising from tlie de- 

 caying body of the insect. 



The treatment proper for this little bo- 

 tanic curiosity is nearly allied to that 

 usually adopted with the Indian class of 

 Orch ideas. 



Potted in a nilxtarc of sphagnum and 

 fibrous peat well mixed with a portion of 

 cliarco:il distributed throughout the whole, 

 and placed in a warm house with a liberal 

 supply of water, but little trouble need be 



