34 



Tlie Horticultmisi and Journal 



In the second place, no plant should be 

 seen in a greenhouse with dirty pots, and 

 the surface of the soil covered with a green 

 confervoid growth ; it is an eyesore to culti- 

 vated taste and unfavorable to the well-being 

 of the plants. In the winter months, at 

 least, there should be spare time to attend 

 to this, without in any way interfering with 

 the usual routine of work, and in summer 

 there is often a stormy day which can be 

 spared for these operations, which, when 

 attended to as a part of the system, is not 

 looked at as additional work. 



Thirdly, never allow insects to obtain a 

 footing, or they will soon spoil the beauty 

 of the best grown plants, and lay the foun- 

 dation for continual attention and no end of 

 time in cleaning, with only temporary success. 



I am led to preface these notes with the 

 above remarks, from various mental notes 

 taken in my rambles. In some instances I 

 have seen what should be very nice houses, 

 with many choice and valuable plants, en- 

 tirely spoiled, as to enjoyment, from the 

 neglect of these little finishing touches, and 

 the thought was suggested how a nicely fur- 

 nished drawing room would look in which 

 the chickens had roosted for a few weeks, 

 and in which the broom and duster had not 

 been seen for that time. At this season, 

 flowers should be abundant in quantity and 

 variety ; perpetual Carnations should be in 

 full beauty and variety, also Bouvardias, 

 both red and white ; although Jasminoides 

 is not so good for cutting as Davidsonii, it 

 should be grown for the perfume which, in 

 the evening, is very pleasant ; this variety 

 does best treated as a shrub, and planted out 

 to remain in the greenhouse border for two 

 or three years ; it flowers all the year, and 

 can be replaced by a young plant if it gets 

 too large or dirty, which it is certain to do 

 if kept under glass entirely. I saw some 

 plants in a florist's place at Washington, 

 from which he said he could cut bushels of 

 flowers at once, and I could quite believe 

 him. The Chinese Primrose is another in- 

 dispensable winter greenhouse plant, which 

 is in full beauty at this season ; in fact, these 



plants will continue flowering from October 

 until April ; there are many varieties of 

 these — single, semi-double and double white 

 and purple ; the single varieties are very 

 extensively grown in England for furnishing 

 greenhouses and rooms, and among them 

 are many very beautiful varieties ; these, of 

 course, do not last so long as the double 

 varieties, and are of no use for cut flowers ; 

 the double white is admired by all, and is a 

 capital flower for bouquets and wreath- 

 making. I have had 600 flowers on a single 

 plant of this variety at once. 



The Primula Japonica is another very 

 beautiful primrose for the greenhouse in 

 February, and this variety, being nearly 

 hardy, can be kept dry in a cool frame until 

 wanted for the flowers ; this species is single 

 flowering and of various shades of purple 

 and crimson color. 



A few Cinerarias should also be in flower 

 at this season, but will soon get dirty if the 

 house is kept dry and hot, and at same time 

 it is as tender from frost as an Heliotrope. 



AVe must not overlook the charms of the 

 Camellia, or, as our lady friends usually term 

 these plants, Japonicas. With ordinary green- 

 house treatment, these plants will be in full 

 beauty in March, and although it can be 

 cultivated to great perfection in pots, its full 

 beauty can be only reached when planted out 

 in the greenhouse border. The size and sub- 

 stance of both flower and foliage I have never 

 seen surpassed by houses of Camellias so 

 treated at Messrs. Princes' Exeter Nursery, 

 at Lady Rolle's at Bicton, and the Duke of 

 Devonshire at Chatsworth in England ; and 

 it is easy to bring them to the same state of 

 perfection in this country, by giving the 

 plants the same liberal treatment. I have 

 seen a plant of the double white variety with 

 more than 500 expanded flowers at once. Of 

 course the white varieties, of which Fimbri- 

 ata is the most lovely, will always be the most 

 popular ; but many of the red and striped 

 varieties are very handsome, make a nice 

 variety, and are also useful for cutting to 

 mix in large vases of cut flowers ; the old 

 Reticulata variety, which is so seldom grown, 



