202 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[^July, 



and praeelul habit nuiking it speciiilly suitable 

 for that purpose. We have some plaut^s of it 

 here in 3li-sized pots raised from cuttin^^s put in 

 last spring, and each plant is now a nuvss of 

 briglit pinkish-salmon-colored inHorescence, 

 borne on live or six main stems which branch 

 ami ramify in all directions. These plants were 

 potted in a mixture of loam and leaf-mould, t'> 

 which was added a sprinkling of silver sand, and 

 they were kept in the stove for a short time after 

 they were potted. As the season advanced tliey 

 were moved to the front shelf of a late vinery, 

 and after being there for a time they were again 

 moved to a small span-roofed house, in which 

 no fire-heat was used. Here they received all 

 the light and air possible, and remained till cold 

 weather set in, when they were removed to the 

 top shelf in the stove, and at once commenced 

 to throw up their flower stems. The shoots were 

 stopped several times during the Summer. After 

 they were taken out of the stove, they would 

 have done equally well in an ordinary frame, 

 provided they had been gradually hardened by 

 exposure to the air. It is, of course, easy to 

 grow much larger specimens if required, but I 

 find these young plants much more handy and 

 compact for general purposes than older plants 

 cut back and grown on again in Spring. I may 

 add that if the old flower-spikes be left undis- 

 turbed after blooming, their points will continue 

 to lengthen and produce a second crop of flow- 

 ers early in the Spring; but, of course, these will 

 not be so fine as on the first occasion. A little 

 weak manure-water given occasionally will assist 

 them." 



The Beauty of the Eucalyptus.— Some of the 

 Eucalyptus have beauty as well as fragrance. 

 The annual report of the Director of the Mel- 

 bourne Botanic Garden, in referring to improve- 

 ments in portions of the grounds, says that sev- 

 eral specimens of the gorgeous scarlet-flowering 

 Eucalyptus ficifolia are there planted, and then 

 adds: "This magnificent plant, from Broken 

 Inlet, Western Australia, produces its flowers at 

 a much earlier stage of growth than any other 

 species of the genus with which I am acquainted. 

 Its bloom resembles a ball of fire more than 

 anything else to which I could compare it. I 

 have seen the Flame Tree of Illawarra, and the 

 brilliant scarlet masses of Erythrina laurifolia 

 on the banks of Rewa in Fiji, but neither sur- 

 passes the effect produced by the floral display 

 of this Eucalyptus." 



Buri.inotonia FKA<iUAN8. — Not only are orchidH 

 valued for their rare and singular l)eauty, but 

 many of them have a delightful fragrance. Aa 

 the London Journal of HorticuUure says: "One 

 of the sweetest of orcliids is Burlingtonia fragrans ; 

 its perfume may be described as that of May 

 blossom intensified. This plant wjis recently 

 flowering — indeed, itaj)pears tobe almost always 

 in flower — in the collection of Mr. Bull at 

 Chelsea. The plant is growing on a block, and 

 its pendulous racemes of delicate blush-tinted 

 flowers are very attractive. It is a most enjoy- 

 able orchid, and worthy of a place in all collec- 

 tions of stove plants." 



A Fine Head of Thomas Hogg Hydrangea.— 

 The following letter has been addressed to Mr. 

 Robert Buist on account of a very remarkable 

 specimen of "Thomas Hogg": 



Philadelphia, May 17th, 1877. 



Robert Buist, Esq. : — At the stated meeting of 

 this Society, held on Tuesday evening last, it 

 was, on motion of the undersigned, 



Resolved, That the thanks of this Society be 

 presented to Mr. Robert Buist for the truly 

 superb specimen of Hydrangea, "Thomas 

 Hogg," presented this evening, containing six 

 trusses of snow white blossoms, the largest of 

 which measured 16 inches in diameter. 



Very respectfully, 

 A. W. Harrison, Reconling Secretary. 



Maiden Hair Fern for Bouquets. — The 

 Garden says : "Some idea of the extent to which 

 Maiden Hair Fern is used in Covent Garden for 

 bouquet making may be gleaned from the fact 

 that Mr. Rochford, of Tottenham, has several 

 large, span-roofed houses entirely devoted to its 

 culture for furnishing fronds in a cut state. The 

 plants are grown in 12-inch pots, and in order 

 to keep up a regular succession, only a portion 

 of them is cut at a time, those which furnish 

 such fronds being subjected to a lower tempera- 

 ture than the rest, by which means the fronds 

 assume a deeper green color, and last longer 

 after being cut than they otherwise would do." 



The kind employed is not specified. In this 

 part of the world the common Maiden Hair, 

 Adiantum capillis veneris, is used to some de- 

 gree, though not to the extent indicated in the 

 above extract, as in England. But it might be 

 more generally employed than it is. By the 

 way, this is one of the best of ferns to use as a 

 window plant. 



Falling of Flower Buds in the Camellia. — 

 Among the peculiar experiences of the year in 

 English gardens, is a remarkable dropping of 



