APRIL. 119 



double red Chinese Almond, a truly pretty plant, and one to which we 

 would direct the attention of all who are anxious about keeping their 

 greenhouses or conservatories gay at this season of the year. The 

 freedom with which it flowers renders it particularly striking. Among 

 plants from Messrs. Henderson, Pine-apple Place, was Pteris asperi- 

 caulis, a tender Fern, figured in our March number. Mr. Butcher sent 

 some well preserved Grapes of the Barbarossa kind, which received 

 honourable mention. Among plants from the Society's garden was the 

 golden-flowered Lachenalia, a rather pretty bulbous plant, imported a 

 .year or two ago from the Cape of Good Hope, by Mr. Wicks. 



At this meeting the Vice-Secretary gave a short lecture on our two 

 kinds of British Oak, viz., the Durmast, or Quercus sessiliflora, and the 

 common sort, or Q. pedunculata. Of these the Durmast was shown to 

 be the most valuable; for, in addition to its timber being at least equal, 

 if not superior to that of the common Oak, evidence was adduced to 

 show that it grew faster and formed a much handsomer tree. Planters, 

 therefore, would do well to bear this in mind, and in future should take 

 care to select the Durmast, of which examples are to be found in the 

 New Forest and other parts of England, in preference to the common 



THE BALSAM. 

 This is one of the most beautiful of plants, and certainly one of the 

 easiest to cultivate. Many good articles have been written respecting 

 the best mode of growing it, but still in this particular there is, appa- 

 rently, room for improvement, and some of your readers may possibly 

 like to be put in possession of the practice by which plants such as those 

 exhibited by me at the National Floricultural Society's meeting, in 

 July last, may be produced. The following, then, is my mode of 

 proceeding. 



In sowing the seed, I prefer the method of putting one seed in a 

 thumb or small 60-sized pot, especially if the object is to exhibit at 

 shows. This should be done about the middle of March, for flowering 

 in June or July. Place them on a gentle hotbed or hot-water tank, as 

 near the glass as possible. The lights should incline towards the south, 

 in order that the plants may catch every ray of light. The precaution 

 of letting all superfluous moisture escape at the highest point of the 

 frame must be adopted, by opening it about a quarter to half an inch 

 on bright sunny days, if the wind be not too cold or strong ; a little air 

 may be given as soon as the plants begin to form their first leaves ; ' 

 when the latter are well developed, the plants should be shifted into 

 larger pots ; if plenty of convenience exists as to warm greenhouses or 

 intermediate houses, with a tan or hot-water pit within them, and it is 

 desired to gfow the plants to a large size, they may be shifted into 32's 

 (six-inch pots) at once, and plunged halfway in bottom heat of from 

 50° to 55°, as near as possible ; the roots will soon appear at the sides 

 of the pot, and before they turn halfway round the ball they should be 

 again shifted, for the last time, into 16's, 12's, or 8-sized pots, 

 according to the size that may be desired. 



