372 Jiditorial JVbtcs. 



in sand. Water was supplied to each, and in addition a dose of mineral manure 

 was afforded to the plants in the sand, care being taken by means of saucers, to 

 prevent the loss of soluble salts. After six mouths the Pelargonium, in the manured 

 sand was four times as vigorous, as that in the soil. Similar results occurred with 

 the Agaves. When the two plants were grown in ordinary soil, with or without 

 manure the effects were similar. The manure used contained the following ingre- 

 dients per 1,000 parts: 



Nitrate of Ammonia 400 



Nitrate of Potash 250 



Biphosphate of Ammonia 200 



Hydrochlorate of Ammonia 50 



Sulphate of Lime 60 



Sulphate of Iron 40 



1000 

 Four grammes (about a drachm) of the pulverized and mixed salts were dissolved 

 in a gallon of water, and administered to the plants weekly. In using solutions of 

 mineral manure for various plants, it must be remembered that the requirements 

 of each species are somewhat different. 



I'laiitu for I>rait'i nff-room I'n.ses. 



At one of the South Kensington Horticultural shows, prizes were offered for best 

 display of plants in vases ; and the following is the arrangement of the best : 



1st Prize — A small trumpet shaped vase, having three other curved trumpets 

 rising from the same vase ; this was nicely decorated with blue coniflowers (Centaurea 

 cyanus), climbing Fern (Lygodiura japonicum), and grasses. 



2d Prize — A dish, out of which rose a trumpet vase, with two blooms of crimson 

 Cactus, and two of White Water Lily, a few Fern fronds, and some grasses, prettily 

 arranged. 



Jiiitton Hole Jioitqitets, 



1st Prize — Pretty boquet, consisting of a yellow Rose-bud, mounted with small 

 sprays of Forget-Me-Not, having amongst it on one side, one pip of Kalosanthes 

 coccinea, and on the other side one pip of a pure white flower, resembling Bouvardia 

 or Jasmine. 



2d Prize — A small spray of red Cowbretnm fuiyurexim, backed with a piece of 

 Maiden-hair Fern. 



3Ii(jnonette in J<'riince. 



One Nurseryman in the Hue Montgalet, Paris, sells every year about 40,000 pots 

 of Mignonette. This gives some idea of its popularity among the French. 



A. freity Suhtroj>ic(tl Hetf, 



At the Royal Garden, Kew, England, there was planted directly in front of the 

 Museum a bed of subtropical plants, which attracted very general notice. The shape 

 was that of a parallelogram, edged with Golden Feather, plated with Nicotiana, 

 Maize, Cannas, Ferdinandas, Ricinas, etc. ; among them were interspersed Amaran- 

 thus Salicifolius, Abutilon Thompsonii, and flowering Gladiolus. It was a blaze of 

 color and had a grand effect. 



Eitt'ly Uintory nf the Tonutto in Atuerien, 



This is said to have been introduced into America by a Mr. Bolton, of Philadelphia. 

 He is said to have introduced it 90 years ago, having brought the seed from South 

 America, and distributed them among his friends in Philadelphia, who cultivated 

 them for the singularity and beauty of their appearance, but rejected them as an 

 esculent, regarding them as poisonous when grown in this climate. 



An Ohio lady tells an amusing story of their appearance years ago upon the table 

 at a fashionable watering place in Pennsylvania, in the form of pies, producing the 



