410 THE GARDENER. [Sept. 



S. cauarieuse, noticed in the ' Gardener ' some time ago, deserves all 

 that can be said in its favour ; it is, perhaps, the grandest of its class, 

 and a free grower. Among the least, but one of the neatest and most 

 effective, is S. hirtum, dense in habit, and with a deep maroon tint on 

 the points of the leaves that contrasts finely with others of a lighter 

 hue. S. montanum is another tliat should be in every collection, as 

 also S. glaucum, S. pinosum, S. sulphureum. With the exception of 

 canariense, all the above are quite hardy. Among gems may be men- 

 tioned Pachyphytum bracteatum, with its symmetrical rosette-like habit 

 and thick fleshy leaves, like the point of one's finger, and of a beauti- 

 ful creamy- white colour. A good contrast to this is Klemia repens, with 

 its narrow, round, succulent leaves, covered with a fine bluish bloom ; 

 this loses its straggling habit when planted out, and does not grow above 

 2 inches high, or little more. If a shoot does straggle out of its place, 

 it may be cut off and stuck in the ground, where it will strike readily : 

 it is easily increased. Of the Pachyphytum, on the other hand, it is 

 difiicult to get stock. The only way is to detach the leaves carefully 

 from the stem and lay them in rings round a pan of fine soil, with the 

 base of each leaf just touching the soil, but not buried. From the base 

 of each leaf will spring a crowd of young plants, and the old leaf will 

 perish. A warm and somewhat dry greenhouse temperature suits it 

 best for propagating. It will be some time before there are many 

 thousands of this in the country. A still scarcer plant, and a greater 

 acquisition, is Echeveria pulverulenta. From the difficulty we have 

 had in procuring a plant of this, and from inquiries we have made, it 

 would appear there are hardly a dozen plants in the country at the 

 present time. Imagine a massive plant of the habit of Echeveria 

 metallica, but as white as snow almost, and you have E. pulverulenta. 

 I must not omit E. glauca metallica and E. glauca major. The first of 

 these two is, however, the best, and has more of the habit of E. metallica 

 about it ; though a hybrid, it comes true from seed. It is a free-flower- 

 ing variety, and on this account it is very useful for conservatory work. 

 E. retusa and retusa glauca are also very useful in this way, as they 

 flower very freely at any period of the year, and continue long in bloom. 

 I had some plants in bloom early in spring for a long while, and they 

 struck us as being exceedingly ornamental, and well adapted for baskets 

 or stands. The flowering -stems were cut off at bedding -time, and 

 they are now coming freely into bloom again outdoors. E. grandiflora 

 is another grand variety, and I find it to be about one of the hardiest 

 and most free growers among them, ionium arboreum atropurpureum 

 is another bold and characteristic-looking plant, a free grower, and 

 easily propagated by cuttings. ^-Eonium variegatum is also very effec- 

 tive. Eochea falcata is a good thing and a unique-looking plant, and 



