ON THE CULTURE «0F SWEET-SCENTED VIOLETS. 



we are at present discoursing on. Considering the cheapness of this article, there 

 is no reason why it may not be more freely used, and a comparatively small por- 

 tion is sufficient to cause a very perceptible smell when the thermometer rises to, 

 or above 75°. When sulphur is used for these purposes, it ought to be distributed 

 with an upward jerk, so that a portion may adhere to the under-side of the leaves, 

 which will prevent the rains washing it off", and if the ground be left undisturbed 

 beneath, what falls to the surface will continue to act for some time. 



In conclusion, I would say, that although our native grapes are scarcely acknow- 

 ledged, in their present state, in Europe, we must recollect that there has been 

 very little attempt at improvement hitherto. They are nearly in the same con- 

 dition, comparatively, that the austere Crab of by-gone days is to the present 

 luscious Newtown Pippin, and now our cultivators and experimenters are alive to 

 the subject, it is no stretch of the imagination to say, that future generations of 

 seedlings will lead to improvement, the finale of which will be, grapes of equal 

 quality to the exotics, and suitable for all purposes. 



ON THE CULTURE OF LILIUM LANCIFOLIUM. 



BY F. HARDWICH. 



Towards the end of November, 1854, I prepared a bed for planting the bulbs 

 of this beautiful Lily ; the bed was four feet wide and nine feet long, composed of 

 common garden soil, well dug and broken up with a fork, and without any manure, 

 which I believe to be rather disadvantageous in the culture of this plant. The 

 bed was afterwards raked level, and the bulbs planted on the surface, spreading 

 out the fibres every way, with a distance of fourteen inches between each ; they 

 were covered with a light mixture of fine, sifted mould and sand, to a depth of 

 four inches from the crown of the bulbs, and the surface neatly raked. After the 

 stems were quite dead, in the following autumn, I took off the surface compost, 

 without disturbing the bulbs, and laid fresh sandy soil over them to the depth of 

 four inches, and this year I have been favored with a splendid show of their lovely 

 blossoms, and am decidedly of opinion that this plant succeeds better, and has a 

 more vigorous growth, thus treated, than when kept in the greenhouse. It is a 

 most ornamental bulb, the flowers possessing also an agreeable fragrance, and 

 should be more extensively grown than it is, meriting a place in every flower 

 garden. I have cultivated several other kinds of Japan Lilies out of doors with 

 much success, — London Florist. 



ON THE CULTURE OF SWEET-SCENTED VIOLETS. 



BY JOHN HUNT. 



It may be of use to your readers, to detail the method which I pursue in the 

 treatment of Sweet-Scented Violets, especially as I have not seen a paper on the 

 subject from any of your contributors. I consider the Neapolitan Violet to be 

 the best sort in cultivation, but it unfortunately requires protection in winter. 

 To treat them with advantage, about the end of April take the old roots and part 

 them, plant them out in beds on a north or northeast border, there to remain till 

 the end of September; then take them up, and pot them in thirty-two-sized pots, 

 in a mixture of vegetable mould, road-scrapings, and loam ; if not sufficiently 

 add a little coarse river sand. Place a tile in the bottom of each pot, lil 

 a handful of potsherds, broken very small. Water them, and plunge 



