February 22, 1872. ] 



JOUKNAL 01' HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



171 



blue tiut. These two kinds are ilistinct, and of such lo£ty 

 growth as to be equally valuable for theu- timber as they are 

 for decorative purposes. 



Besides being used for the purposes aheady noticed, many 

 Conifers may be mtroduced with good effect iuto large rockeries. 

 All the prostrate dwarf kinds, as the common Savin, the dwarf 

 Juniper (Juniperus nana), and the somewhat higher but 

 eiiually spreading Juuiperus squamata, appear to a great ad- 

 vimtage spreading over and among the rocks. Then, too, the 

 pretty dwarf Juniperus hybernica compressa, Thuja ericoides, 

 and other species of a similar compact dwarf habit of growth. 



blend well either with Ferns or Alpine plants among the nooks 

 and corners of the rocks, while kinds of loftier growth and more 

 graceful habit form a useful shelter. Whenever trees or shmbs 

 are jilanted for effect, shelter, or the production of timber, there 

 some of this useful genus should find a place. Many of them 

 possess valuable economic properties, but it is improbable that 

 all these kinds will ever attain so full a development in the 

 climata of this country as to render the culture of them desir- 

 able when contemplated from such a point of view. It is, 

 however, I think, a subject of sufficient interest to merit a 

 separate paper. — Edwahd Luckhubst. 



The genus Astrocaryum bel 

 the order Palraa- 

 ceie (although I am 

 not aware that they 

 are of any value m 

 an economic poiut 

 of view). It is 

 composed of a few 

 handsome species, 

 and amongst them 

 A. mexicanum, a ■ 

 representation of 

 which we reproduce 

 from M. Alphand"s 

 work, is by no 

 means the least 

 elegant. 



The species are 

 all more or less 

 armed with long, 

 sharp, and formid- 

 able black spines. 

 The genus is dis- 

 tuiguished by its 

 unisexual flowers, 

 which, however, are 

 not produced on 

 separate plants, but 

 really upon the 

 same spike. The 

 spikes are simply 

 branched, and the 

 female flowers are 

 confined to the 

 lower portion, and 

 the males to the 

 upper, which would 

 appeal- to be a wise 

 arrangement of 

 Nature to insure 

 the fertUisatiori of 

 the flowers, for 

 were their positions 

 reversed impregna- 

 tion would be ex- 

 tremely problema- 

 tical. The fruits 

 are oval and single- 

 seeded. Ill their 

 natural habitats 

 the plants affect 

 the banks of 

 streams and large 

 rivers, and I beUeve they are i 

 tance from water, which is the 



ASTKOCAEYUM MEXICANUM. 



.ngs to the Coooerc section of | with spines. Astrocaryums are slende 



;eldom found at any great dis- I summer ; indeed, in summer it will be 

 "eneral rule with Palms armed | the pot or tub iu a lai-ge pan of water 



r-ste:amed plants, carry- 

 ing extremely 

 handsome heads 

 of broadly pinnate 

 loaves, which, iu 

 A. mexicanum, are 

 dark green on the 

 upper side, and 

 pure white be- 

 neath. This spe- 

 cies is extremely 

 ornamental iu a 

 collection of tro- 

 pical plants, and is 

 also one of the 

 best for exhibition, 

 tither in a coUec- 

 tiun of Palms or 

 mixed stove and 

 greenhouse plants ; 

 but it wOl never 

 become a small 

 amateur's plant, or 

 a plant for the de- 

 coration of apart- 

 ments, for the 

 simple reason that 

 it will not long re- 

 tam its beauty out 

 of the temperature 

 of the stove. 



The soil best 

 adapted for Astro- 

 caryums is a mix- 

 ture of loam and 

 vegetable mould iu 

 the proportion of 

 two parts of the 

 former to one of 

 the latter, adding 

 sufficient sharp 

 river sand to make 

 the whole feel 

 gritty in the baud. 

 The young plants 

 should be potted 

 firmly ; and taking 

 iuto consideration 

 the spiny character 

 of the plant, it 

 must be liberally 

 supplied with water 

 both winter and 



higlily beneficial to place 



. — ExrEHTO CilEDE. 



DIELYTEA SPECT. 



The opeiruig Fruit and Floral Meetings of this year at South 

 Kensington ai'e already distinguished by their great excellence. 

 Not only are the classes in which prizes are offered well filled, 

 but the large and choice coUectious of Orchids and other plants 

 add very materially to the interest and success of the meet- 

 ings. There is one notable feature to which I wish to allude 

 at°tliis time, and that is the choice and interesting collections 

 of hardy herbaceous plants. Since the bedding-out mania 



ABILIS CULTUEE. 



' set in, these extiuisite gems of the vegetable Icingdom have to 



a very large extent been ignored. There are now, however, 



very evident signs of retiuning popularity, and no doubt ere 



long nearly eveiy garden will have in some ijuiet nook its 



border of choice herbaceous plants. Many of them, though 



j hardy, aie amongst the most useful of our decorative plants 



! in-doors, and, with a httle forcing, the season of flowering is 



! much prolonged. What would our greenhouses and coueerva- 



