264 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



September^ 



house plants ; they must be so placed that they 

 can be sheltered from heavy rains and scorch- 

 ing suns. The best mode of treatment we could 

 suggest during the tropical summers of this 

 country, is to choose some northerly aspect ; and 

 having some nice large roomy frames with sashes 

 in readiness to draw on in the event of heavy 

 rains, plunge the plants up to the rims of the pot, 

 using fine sand to plunge in, which keeps the 

 roots nice and cool. Pots set out in the open 

 air unprotected from the hot rays of the sun get 

 so heated that they destro}^ all the fine fibrous 

 roots of the Heath tribe. The treatment of the 

 plants during the growing season, is also a most 

 important part of their cultivation. If fine bushy 

 specimens is the aim of the cultivator, he should 

 give careful attention to supporting the stems 

 with nice, green painted stakes — to such va- 

 rieties as the Aristatias, Jasmiuiflora, etc., and 

 all of that class; but the soft wooded varieties, 

 such as Lenoides, Caffera, and all the Ventri- 

 cosa section should have the young wood 

 constantly topped as they grow to make fine 

 bushy plants, and will do with few stakes, the 

 fewer the better ; for I think the remarks of 

 the late Dr. Lindley were good, when he said 

 " that a plant with a multitude of stakes was 

 like a cripple who needed support." Indeed the 

 fewer stakes that any of the varieties have, the 

 better, and this important point in growing fine 

 specimens may to a great extent be attained by 

 regularly pinching the tops of the young shoots 

 as they proceed in growth. During the growing 

 season Heaths, of whatever variety, should never 

 be cut back to the old wood, as in many varie- 

 ties it will prove certain death, at least in all the 

 hard wooded sections. Some of the soft wooded 

 varieties, such as the Caffera, Ventricosa, etc., 

 may do to be cut back to a certain extent, but a 

 much better plan is to shorten in the young 

 wood, which in all the difierent varieties of the 

 Cape Heaths, is sure to produce the best results. 

 The treatment of the Cape Heath under glass 

 during the winter, is a most important part of 

 successful cultivation of this fine tribe of plants. 

 They must not be crowded among other green- 

 house plants, but stand clear by themselves, and 

 the less the amount of artificial heat, the better, 

 if the frost is barely kept out. Indeed, I have 

 seen two or three degrees of frost in the Heath 

 houses, of the Botanic Gardens, Edinburg, and 

 air on them when the temperature out of doors 

 was 36*^. Mr. McNab had a very excellent plan 

 of managing the heating apparatus in the Heath 



houses, by keeping the hot water pipes covered 

 with sand, and when very severe frosts set in, he 

 removed a portion as circumstances required to 

 allow a circulation of heated air. 



Since writing the above, I have had a conver- 

 sation with Mr. Dawson, the curator of the 

 Bussey Institute, who informs me that Professor 

 Sargant, the director of that Institute, as also of 

 the Cambridge Botanic Gardens, contemplates 

 the very judicious experiment of getting seeds 

 of the various native species at the Cape, from 

 their correspondent there, and raising seedling 

 plants which would result in a brood of real 

 aclimatized varieties which would have all the 

 vigor possessed by healthy seedlings, and would 

 cross with some of the fine European hybrids, 

 like McNabiana^Aristata, etc. I hope that the 

 Professor who possesses a fine taste for floral 

 studies, may carry out this excellent resolution. 



COLEUS PICTUS. 



BY ALMON STONE, APPLETON, WIS. 



It is claimed by most florists, that Coleus 

 pictus and multicolor were introduced from 

 different countries. I have a plant of Coleus 

 pictus, with one branch of multicolor. The dif- 

 ferent parts of the same plant are just as dis- 

 tinct as a plant of the pictus, is from multicolor. 

 Hence they must have had the same origin, and 

 as I find several of the pictus plants sporting 

 into multicolor, I should judge that multicolor 

 is nothing but a sport from pictus. Will those 

 who introduced them throw some light upon the 

 subject ? 



HYBRID PERPETUAL ROSES.TWELVE 

 BEST FOR FORCING. 



E. FRYER, DELAWARE, O. 



In the Monthly, for April last, E. H., of 

 New Bedford, Mass., asks for names of twelve 

 best H. P. roses for forcing. I suggest the fol- 

 lowing list : 

 Mad. Chas. Wood, La France, 

 Louis Canique, Mad. Prosper Langier, 



Mo. Laing, Anna Alexieff", 



Roi D'Espagne, Geant des Battailles, 



Coquette des Alps, Pseonia, 

 Gen. Jaqueminot, President Willermoz, 

 All of the above will be found perfectly reli- 

 able, if grown in pots at least one year previous 

 to being forced. I have given this brief list as 

 proved by experience of some years. 



I would also suggest to E. H. that if, after a 

 season's forcing of any variety of H. P. Roses, 



