126 THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Fruit Garden.— There should be but little to do here now except to keep down 

 •weeds and tliin the crops of trees that are producing; largely. 



Greenhouse. Air must be piven freely ; but it is well to be cautious when the 



wind is in the east, as too little air at such times is saf r than too much. Quickly 

 shift and repot all plants requiring it, as our sea«on is short, and we want all the 

 ffrowth that can be obtained before it closes. Bedding plants ought now to be 

 clearrd out of the house into pits or frames, or even to sheltered borders, where, in 

 case of frost or heavy rain, mats or spare lights may be placed over them. 



*^* Past issues of tie Floral World contain copious calendars of operations ; 

 and the Garden Oracle has a complete and concise calendar, adapted for reference. 

 For these reasons the " Garden Guide" will be on a contracted scale this year. 



TO COEEESPO:XDENTS. 



Generic Distixctioxj^ between- Calvdivm and Alccasia. — W. Rose. — In 

 reply to several inquiries which we have had addressed to us upon this subject, we 

 resolve the question in the following manner, which will serve to dissipate all the 

 doubts which can be cjnceived upon the generic identity of these elegant plants. 

 The species of Caladiura and Alocasia do, without doubt, very much resemble each 

 other in tlieir habit and foliage, and it appaars at first sight extremely difficult to 

 distint^uish one from the other in the absence of their elegant inflorescence, and 

 more "especially during the early stages of the growth of the species of the latter 

 genus. However, even when the Caladia and Alocasise have not yet developed their 

 snathes (inflorescence), the first may he recognized by their rhizome being always 

 tubercular and their leaves invariably radical ; and the ■ second by their distinct 

 stems wbich are more or less raised. So much for their habit ; now for their inflo- 

 rescence. "With the Caladium, the ^padix flowers along its whole length — the 

 females beins: situated at the base, the males at the upper part, and the neutrals in 

 the centre. With the Alocasia, the floral disposition is precisely similar, but the 

 gpadix is always prolonged in a sterile appendix. 



Pampas Grass. — P. B. — We really cannot assign any reason for the non- 

 flowerin'T of your plant, after being several years planted. It is a fact, however, 

 that the°plants of pampas vary much in individual qualities, and there are amongst 

 them some that appear to be incapable of producing flowers, just as in strawberries, 

 seed saved from one good variety only will produce staminiferous plants, pistili- 

 ferous plants, hermaphrodites, and plants that never flower at all. At all events, 

 we should leave the plant alone ; it may, after all, be only delaying the time of its 

 flowering. 



Azalea SrcKERS. — B. G. — The suckers will make nice plants if they are well 

 rooted before they are removed. To make sure of roots, remove the soil so as to 

 explore them nearly to the part of the root they spring from, and surround them 

 with a mixture of chopped n:oss,(very small), peat, and silver sand, equal parts of 

 each. By August next the suckers will be well rooted, and may then be cut oflf the 

 stump they ri.-e from, and be potted separately. 



Names of Ferxs. — S. J.., BirTcenJieacl. — 1. Cystopteris fragilis ; 2. Pteris 

 tremula ; 3. Lastrea dilatata dumetorum. 



Heating a Small Plant-house. — Ada of Surrey. — Having tried all the make- 

 shift modes of heating, and found many of them better than nothing, and some few 

 almost free from objection (a grand quality for any stove inside a house), we have 

 at last settled upon Hayss Constant Stove as the very best and cheapest. As for 

 burning many hours, it really seems, when once lighted, as if it would never have 

 done. The season is past now.and all these inventions lose their importance for a time. 

 But before next autumn we shall take an opportunity to say another word upon this 

 subject. For the present we direct inquirers after Hays's Constant Stove to the 

 agent, Mr. Baker, Harp Lane, Tower Strt,et. London, E.G. It is pleasing to hear 

 of your success with tuberoses, but are we to understand that you really had twenty- 

 six to thirty-two blooms from any one bulb ? 



AcHiMiNES.— I'. J. H.—ln the sixth volume of the Floeal World, page 67, 

 this subject was treated at length, and to that we must refer you for a full treatise. 

 It is easy enough to grow these bulbs. Pot them during February, March, and 



