January 31, 1867. ] 



JOURNA.L OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



81 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



Day 



o{ 



.Month 



81 

 1 



2 

 3 

 4 

 6 



Week. 



Th 

 F 



Tu 

 W 



JAN. S:— FEB. 6, 1867. 



Erica coccinea. 



Acacia unciuata. 



PuRiFiCATroN. Candlemas Day. 



4 Sunday after Epiphany. 



Acacia ftrandis. 



Acacia Drummondi. 



Azaleas. 



Snn 

 Sets. 



Mnnn 

 Rises. 



h. 

 44af 4 



4 



4 51 



4 I 31 



4 I K 



4 : 38 



4 7 



ra. h. 

 16nf4 

 6 5 



Moon 

 Sets. 



m. h. 

 13af 1 



Moon's 

 Afe. 



Clock 



before 



Sun. 



Days. 

 25 

 26 

 27 

 2:1 

 • 



1 



2 



13 41 



18 .50 



13 68 



14 5 

 14 11 

 14 16 

 14 20 



Day 



of 



Year. 



81 

 32 

 88 

 34 

 3.-, 

 36 

 37 



From observations taken near London during the last forty years, the ayorage day tcmperaturn of the week is 44.7- ; and its nighl 

 temperature 31.8-. The greatest heat was 67^ on the 1st, 1852 ; and 3rd, 1H30 ; and the lowest cold 8-, on the 31st, 1857. The greatest fall of 

 rain was 0.75 inch. N.B. — The Calendar contains the names of plants flowering in the greenbonse. 



NEW AND BEAUTIFUL PLANTS, 



RECENTLY INTRODUCED. 



I EAUTIFUL as many of the 

 ^ stove plants are that liave 

 lieen distributed to the pub- 

 lic by jMessrs. Veitch and 

 Sons during the last year 

 or two, tliere is none more 

 effective and useful than 



Begonia Peakcei. — This very beautiful species is bota- 

 nically allied to B. cinnabarina, and it was introduced from 

 La Paz by Mr. Pearce. It possesses the double quality of 

 having both beautiful leaves and large showy flowers ; the 

 plant has also a very desirable habit. The foliage ia very 

 prettj% the upper surface being of a dark velvety green, 

 traversed by pale straw-coloured veins, and the under side 

 of a dull red colour. The flowers are large, bright yellow, 

 and bome on slender stalks in clusters of two or three. 

 Sometimes only 0110 flower is borne on a peduncle, when this 

 is the case the flower is very much larger ; some wliich I 

 have seen were as large as a five-shilling piece. 



I have no doubt that this beautiful Begonia may be had 

 in bloom all the year round, if care be taken in propagating 

 and resting the plants at the proper time : and, as the 

 flower-trusses are produced in large numbers and the colour 

 of the flowers is rich, it will be found invaluable both for 

 summer and winter decoration. The plant thrives well in 

 a mixture of peat, leaf soil, loam, and silver sand, and is 

 easily propagated by cuttings or leaves. 



To have it in bloom throughout the year it will be ne- 

 cessary to propagate plants every two months. The young 

 plants should be grown in a brisk temperature, and as near 

 the glass as possible. As soon as they have become well 

 established in their pots, a little weak manure water will 

 assist them very much if given once or tT\'ice a-week ; a 

 well-grown plant in a 4H-sized pot will afford a constant 

 succession of bloom for three months. After the plants 

 have done flowering water should be withheld for a period 

 of three or four weeks, when thej' may be gradually started 

 into gro\rth again, so that, after two or three dozen plants 

 have been propagated, there may be a constant succession 

 of beautiful tlowermg specimens. 



For drawing-room decoration I know of no more useful 

 plant, as the flowers do not fade very soon, and if small 

 examples are used for this purpose they will be found in- 

 valuable. I have great pleasure in recommending this 

 beautiful plant for all purposes. 



Pbijiula cortusoides AMa-:NA is another most welcome 

 addition to our stock of plants for spring and early summer 

 decoration. This plant appears to be nearly if not (juite 

 hardy, the flowers are produced on slender stems, and 

 form large umbels several inches in diameter, which are 

 bome well above the foliage ; the colour of the flower is a I 



No. 805.— Vol. XII„ New Sebies. 



rich rosy purple. This is one of the beautiful plants intro- 

 duced by Mr. J. G. Veitch from Japan. It is propagated 

 by dividing the roots. A good, j-ellow, sandy loam, with a 

 little leaf soil, appears to suit it well. The plants must be 

 grown in a cool frame or pit, and he fully exposed for twa 

 or tliree mcmths after the flowering season, and the pots 

 should he plunged in some material to keep the roots cool 

 and moist during the summer. 



I have no doubt this beautiful Primula will soon be 

 followed by others equally good in various shades of colour. 

 It is to be hoped that the plant will produce seed as freely 

 as the original species ; if so, there will be a wide field for 

 its improvement, and a few years mil, doubtless, bring us 

 as many and varied forms of tliis valuable species as there 

 now exist of the rapidly increasing section of the Chinese 

 Primulas. I have not yet seen the seed of this beautiful 

 Primula advertised, but it is to be hoped Messrs. Veitch 

 will soon be able to distribute it to the public. 



UncEOLiNA AUREA is a beautiful, very gi-aceful Amaryl- 

 lidaceous plant, requiring the same treatment as Eucharis 

 amazonica. It has broadly ovate leaves like the above, 

 and a tall scape supporting an umbel of gracefully droop- 

 ing bright yellow flowers tipped with green. The plant is 

 propagated by offsets. 



Manettia jiicans. — A valuable stove climber, with rich,, 

 glossy, dark green foliage, and producing its bright reddish 

 orange-coloured flowers very profusely during the whole 

 winter. The plant is a \'igorous grower, and valuable on 

 account of its quick growth for covering pillars, &c. 



BiGNONiA ARGYREO-vioi.ASCEXs is a pretty variegated 

 stove climber, with shaded purple and white leaves. The 

 _young foliage is beautifully coloured with various shades of 

 lilac and purple ; it is very disthict and strilung, and forms 

 an admirable contrast with the green and glossy leaves of 

 Manettia micans.- — J. Wills. 



(To be continued.) 



DANGER FROM ACCUMULATED HEAT. 



The recent tire in the Crystal Palace, which all must 

 regret, reminds me of a subject which has long occupied my 

 mind, and that is acciunulated heat. Almost every year 

 we hear of some tine building in danger or destroyed by 

 tire, and the same reason given — namely, overheated flues. 

 Of course, if this is the cause in all cases, the persons 

 having the charge of the tires are to blame ; and one may 

 imagine with what feelings they will ho regarded by those 

 who have lost their home, and many of home's treasures. 

 I do not believe, however, those who have charge of such 

 heating apparatus are in all cases or generally to blame. 



If a hot flue be surrounded in such a way that the heat 

 cannot readUy escape, and it be kept constantly hot, this 

 heat must accumulate. There is a general idea that if a 

 flue does not touch wood or other inflammable substance a 

 fire cannot take place: no idea can be more erroneous. 

 A hot flue is constantly receiving heat ; if surrounded by 

 non-conducting but inflammable substances the beat must 

 accumulate, and may reach the point at which ignition 

 takes place. Besides, it is well known that wood constantly 

 subjected to heat becomes more and more inflammable. 

 No. 957.— Vol- XXXVn., Old Series. 



