7S THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the soil will be certain to become sour, and then the roots rot as 

 fast as they are made. When repotting, shake them clean out. I 

 do not approve of pans placed under the pots ; and never syringe 

 overhead, as it has a tendency to induce a softer growth in the 

 pitchers, which causes them to die off much sooner. During the 

 growing season I water every day ; in winter, twice a week. 



I should strongly advise those who may be commencing their 

 cultivation to procure thoroughly-established plants, as there is 

 great uncertainty in imported ones : sometimes almost every plant 

 in an importation will grow, but much oftener after potting they 

 commence growing, and go on the first season without making any 

 roots, the leaves they produce being simply the last effort of the 

 plant working on the little vitality it has left. In this respect they 

 resemble ferns, which often die while producing fronds, but without 

 a particle of root. Such plants are almost certain to go off in the 

 winter ; hence their scarcity. On one occasion I received a dozen 

 plants, which all appeared to be going on right the first season, but 

 only one of the number lived through the winter ; they had made 

 no roots. 



Many amateurs fail in the cultivation of these plants through 

 neglect of one peculiarity of their constitution. I have frequently 

 seen plants in the hands of those to whom I have related my prac- 

 tice, and, perhaps, in much the same words as now. They generally 

 appear right in the material in which they are potted, and in respect 

 of water, and so forth ; but they are often placed upon dry shelves ! 

 Now, it must be obvious to any one who has any pretensions to a 

 knowledge of vegetable physiology (and no man can be a gardener 

 without such knowledge), no matter how great an amount of water 

 we apply to the roots of a plant that grows naturally in a swamp 

 if the atmosphere that surrounds it is too dry, it cannot possibly be 

 expected \o succeed. It would be just as reasonable to expect a 

 Cape heath to thrive well in the atmosphere of a fern-house, by 

 simply using suitable materials in potting, and keeping its roots 

 sufficiently dry. I have a movable stage for my Sarracenias (placed 

 upon inverted flower-pots), standing upon the permanent stage of 

 the house in which they grow. This stage is six feet by six feet, 

 and is made of spruce boards, without any openings. It is unplatted, 

 and not painted. This, it will be seen, absorbs a great deal of water, 

 which is being continually given off amongst the plants above, and 

 obviously must keep the Sarracenias in a much different condition 

 to what they would be if placed on a shelf, or anywhere under the 

 influence of a dry current of air. 



The sorts I cultivate are these : — 



S. rubra, which is extremely rare ; the flowers scented, equal to 

 Russian violets. 



S. purpurea, and a variety much finer than usual in its veinings. 



8. flava, three varieties, quite distinct from each other. 



8. variolaris. 



S. Drummondii rubra and Drummondii alba, the latter variety 

 being very scarce. 



