THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



185 



kinds, the first with white, the second with 

 yellow flowers. They require the usual treat- 

 ment of greenhouse succulents. The most 

 effective way of displaying a collection of 

 these plants is to construct a rockery in a 

 sunny lean-to, and plant them out. They 

 grow finely in a bulk of soil of about half 

 rubbly material, with a compost of peat, 

 loam, old dung, and small broken bricks, 

 to start them in at their first spring growth. 

 They grow and flower freely in pots; their 

 real beauties are best seen when they are 

 grouped in collections, and encouraged to 

 attain to a luxuriant growth. 



Mimulus roseus. — A pretty, half-hardy 

 herbaceous species from California, which 

 can be treated as an annual or perennial, 

 and will pay to grow in quantity, as a 

 frame will keep it all winter. 



Mirbelia dilitata.—k. fabaceous shrub 

 from New Holland, bearing yellow pea- 

 shaped blossoms in abundance, and useful 

 now that few of this class of plants are in 

 bloom. Treat the same as Cnorozema, 

 with extra care as to the drainage of the 

 pots, as it is impatient of stagnant moisture. 



Nivenia spathulata and lagopus. — 

 Beautiful proteaceous shrubs from the 

 Cape, bearing purple flowers, and requir- 

 ing cool greenhouse culture. Soil, peat 

 and loam, with a liberal admixture of 

 ssnd. The first is a small shrub, the 

 second grows to a height of five or six 

 feet. 



Ni/rnphcsa biradiata and reniformis. — 

 Two beautiful greenhouse water lilies, re- 

 quiring plenty of root room, and a soil of 

 strong loam. In spring the soil should be 

 renewed ; and if a run of fresh tejid water 

 can be kept up during the early part of 

 the season, the bloom and growtli will be 

 magnificent. The water should be almost 

 wholly drawn off before winter. 



Sempervivum arboreum, ccespitostim, 

 and tortuosum. — These are beautiful 



species ; the first of large growth, and 

 makes a fine specimen. Treat the same as 

 other succulents. 



Senecio argutus, elegans pi. alius, and 

 cineraroides. — The second of these is the 

 well-known bedding kind, of which the 

 one named is a white variety, eminently 

 ! adapted for pot culture. S. argutus and 

 cineraroides are yellow-flowered green- 

 house evergreens from Mexico, and showy 

 subjects when well grown. None of these 

 call for special remark ; they are not par- 

 ticular as to soil and treatment, and the 

 only matter of great moment is to guard 

 against damp in winter by surfacing the 

 soil in the pots with sand, and adminis- 

 tering water carefully. Of the bedding 

 Senecios there are now some improved 

 dwarf varieties of free-blooming habit, 

 much superior to the old form of this fa- 

 vourite. We have seen one lately with 

 flowers of a lavender blue, another vivid 

 carmine; and the private giower may 

 obtain several distinct straiusby selecting 

 from seedling plants, and keeping the best 

 on from cuttings. 



Senec'o speciosus and vtnustus. — Two 

 useful greenhouse evergreen groundsels, 

 the first with scarlet, the second purple 

 flowers. The first is a good subject for a 

 small suspended basket, as if stopped early- 

 it spreads freely, and may be trained over 

 to form a pendant mass of herbaceous 

 growth, loaded with flowers. If in a sunny 

 aspect, venustus is a most beautiful shrubby 

 species, requiring a good compost of "a, 

 peaty nature, and to be kept moderately 

 dry all winter. 



Septas umlella.—A. Cape succulent, 

 with white flowers, requiring the usual 

 treatment of the greenhouse species of 

 houseleeks. Soil, sandy loam and brick 

 rubbish ; liquid manure in summer ; kept 

 dry all winter, at a temperature never 

 lower than 40'. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Boseb. — Commelina— Microphylla roses are 

 very delicate in constitution, and if you 

 wish to bloom them well it will be ad- 

 visable to plant them on a warm, dry, 

 elevated border, against a wall facing 

 south, early in November, or at the same 

 season put them into pots. For the pre- 

 sent they should not be disturbed ; but 

 if you are an adept at budding, by all 

 means enter a few buds of microphyllas 



or short brier stocks, and make some 

 neat little standards for pot culture. It 

 flowers better this way than on its own 

 roots. Small greenhouses may be kept 

 safe from frost by means of Joyce's 

 patent stoves. Let us know what is to 

 be the size of the house and we will ad- 

 vise you. — R. Simpson. To get a good 

 autumn bloom you ought to soak the 

 perpetuals well with strong manure 



