FOREIGN NOTICES. 



97 



Mexico. — One of the first objects to Avhich Mr. 

 Hartweg ilirecteil his attention on his return to 

 Mexico, in 184"), was the recovery of this bcauti'- 

 ful plant, which he hatl found in tiie course of 

 his former researches,but which had not been rear- 

 ed in the garden of the Society. Although the sea- 

 son was so far advanced that herbage had all be- 

 come withered, he succeeded in discovering some 

 roots, which were immediately sent home by the 

 post, and proved to be this plant. Nor does it 

 disappoint the expectations that had been formed 

 of it ; for with the habit and foliage of A. longi- 

 flora, it bears flowers of so intense a violet that no 

 artificial colours can imitate them. This most re- 

 markable tint fades away on the outside of the co- 

 rolla into a clear bright purple, and is renewed on 

 tlie tube of the corolla in an intermediate tint. 

 The border of the corolla is slightly notched, and 

 its tube is extended into a singular blunt horn, 

 which projects beyond the calyx, and is more or 

 less lobed at the sides. The corolla measures 

 about an inch and a half across the flat border, and 

 the tube is rather larger. Achimenes patens, like 

 most of the other kinds, may be treated so as to 

 flower nearly at all seasons of the year, and only 

 requires to be kept in a dormant state and quite 

 dry when at rest. It should be started gradually, 

 and grows best in a soil composed of a small por- 

 tion of well decomposed cow-dung and half decay- 

 ed leaf mould, in a very rough state. 



It is easily increased by the scaly roots, and re- 

 quires a close atmosphere, but not a very damp or 

 hot one. It is a very handsome kind, being one 

 of the finest both for colour and foliage. — Jour- 

 nal of London Horticultural Society. 



Gardenia Florida, L. ; var. Fortuniana. 

 Mr. Fortune's Cape Jasmine, Green-house Shrub. 

 (Cinchonads.) North of China. — The common 

 single and double varieties of this plant are 

 known to every one. That which is now noticed 

 differs merely in the extraordinary size of the 

 flowers, which are nearly 4 inches in diameter, 

 and in having fine broad leaves, sometimes as much 

 as 6 inches long. The flowers are pure white, 

 changing to light butf as they go off, and not un- 

 like a very large double Camellia. Tlieir calyx 

 has the long broad lobes of the original species 

 instead of the narrow lobes, at least twice as short 

 as the tube of the corolla, of G. radicans, by which 

 that species is technically known. It is one of the 

 very finest shrubs in cultivation, and ranks on a 

 level with tlie double white Camellia, which it 

 equals in the beauty of the flowers and leaves, and 

 infinitely excels in its delicious odour. — Joui'. of 

 London Horticultural Society. 



Rose-coloured Halesia. — "M, Leroy has, in 

 his nurseries at Angers, a Silver Bell Tree, Halesia 

 tclraptcra, with rose-coloured flowers: in the form 

 of the llovver, the leaf, and the general habit of tlie 

 tree, it does not differ from the common Halesia ; 

 the petals are, however, rose-colourcil, marketl with 

 longitudinal stripes of darker leii. M. Leroy has 

 cultivated this tree for fourteen or liflecn years, 

 among many others of the common Halesia, whose 

 flowers are pure white ; but it is only lately that 



13 



the diCTerence m the colour of the flowers has been 

 noticed. It is now being largely propagated and 

 will soon be offered for sale abundantly." — Jf . Pepin 

 in Revue Horticolc. 



To RAISE Cedars of Lebanon. — "M. Leroy 

 employs a very simple mode of i-aising this some- 

 what difficult tree from the seeds. Instead of en- 

 deavoring to get the seeds out of the cones, (which 

 it is always a difficult matter to do without injuring 

 a great many,) he plants the cones entire in the 

 earth. In this condition they finil just thenecessary 

 state of moisture ; they germinate between the 

 scales of the cone, of which latter many fall to 

 pieces of themselves. It is then easy to take them 

 up and transplant them in the open air, or in pots." 

 [A shady north border is preferable for young seed - 

 lings in this country. — Ed.] " In this mode, which 

 is the nearest approach to the natural one, every 

 fertile seed germinates." — Ibid. 



Appearance of the Paulownia as a large 

 tree. — We are now able to judge of the effect of the 

 Paulownia as an ornamental tree. The oldest tree 

 in France, that planted in the open air in 1836, by 

 M. Newmann, in the garden of the Museum of Na- 

 tural History, Paris, is almost in an adult state, 

 and has assumed its proper character. We can 

 then predict that this tree will assume in a great 

 degree the shape and the dimensions of an apple 

 tree, and that its proper place therefore will not be 

 in the avenue, but as a single specimen, or form- 

 ing small groups on the lawn. Its straight and 

 pyramidal clusters of large blue flowers (resem- 

 bling in size and shape those of Gloxinia caules- 

 cens) lose something of their effect when they 

 begin to bloom, because they expand before the 

 leaves. But towards the middle and close of their 

 blooming season, the foliage is rapidly devel- 

 oped and forms a rich back ground, making a mag- 

 nificent appearance by their number, their colour 

 and their gay effect. It is then a very cliarming 

 tree. 



The Paulownia forms its flower-buds for a next 

 season in summer, so as to show very conspicuoas- 

 ly in September, the clusters of large buds so well 

 clothed as to stand the cold of winter perfectly. 

 This gives it rather a singular effect. But it 

 would be more charming if its large leaves were 

 fully developed before the flowers opened. Poi- 

 teau, Annates de la Sociiti d' Hort. Paris. 



Remarkable Cereus speciosissimus. — M. Pe- 

 pin gives an account of an extraordinary speci- 

 men of this brilliant Cactus, in the possession of 

 M. Gervais, at Audillibly, valley of Montmorency. 

 " It is an old plant anil has been growing in the 

 ground in a green-house for seven years past. It 

 covers the whole surface of the wall of this green- 

 house, which is 15 feet high and 40 feet long. It 

 jiroiiuces every year from l,r)00 to 2,000 flowers. 

 l'"roni 400 to SOO are often seen expanded at the 

 same time wlien the effect of the rich colours is 

 that of a glowing and superb tapestry. The plant 

 now covers the wliole space on the wall, and they 

 arc obliged every summer to cut off the extremi- 

 ties of the leading shoots many times." — Revue 

 Hoiticolc. 



