Mnrcb 18, 1869. 1 



JOOBNAL OP HORTIOOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



187 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



Day 

 Month 



liny 



Tu 



K 



S 



SfN 



M 



To 



W 



MABO^ 18-24, 1869. 



iMi^otinc of Koyftl and r.iuiiim]^ SdciotieB. 



(^ftinliridt'o Ukmt Term ciuIh. 



Oxford Lont Ttirift ends. 



(> Sunday in Lknt. 1'ai.w Sukdav. 



Meutiu^j of Royiil GeoyrapUiciil Society. 



Moon I Moon 

 Risou. 1 HctM. 



Ill li. 

 87af8 



7 9 

 45 9 

 82 10 

 80 11 



after. 

 51 1 



in. ]|. 

 35 a 11 

 morn. 

 4(1 



Moon's 



Age. 



Duya. 

 5 

 6 

 7 

 ) 

 9 

 111 

 11 



Clock 

 lu-f.ne 

 Snn. 



H 9 



7 51 



7 »S 



7 15 



II 5< 



fi »S 



G 20 



"oV 



Year. 



From observations taken ncmr I*nnclon (InrinR the last forty-two years, the averaRe day temperatnre of the week in 50.7'; and its ninht 

 temperature S8.1^\ Tbo great^stboat was C9^ on the 19th and 20tb, 1836; and the luwcBt cold 16", on the 2Uth, 1845. The groatost fall 

 of rain was 1.11 inch. 



SUBTROPICAL PLANTS. 



XCICPT fVimi those with abundant glass 

 aoi'ominiidatittji, and with purses "' ample 

 3'ct full," these plants have not liitherto 

 received the attention which they deserve. 

 The cost of tlio plants was a serious draw- 

 back til their general culture, but now, 

 thanlis to the enterpri.'ie and perseverance 

 of our seedsmen, one at least of the obstacles 

 to the employment of such plants for the 

 summer decoration, of the flower garden has 

 been removed. A sliort time ago the plants were expen- 

 sive to purchase, and they are so even at the present time, 

 but now their seeds are offered for sale, and a packet con- 

 taining enough to produce a dozen or more plants may be 

 bad for the price of a smiill 'plant; all that is necessary 

 beyond that being means for, raising the plants and grow- 

 ing them to a size lit for planting- out. and a structure or 

 structures for their safe preservation in winter and growth 

 in spring, so as to insure their being planted-out in good 

 condition. There is a something in sowing the seed, and 

 tending a plant in all its stages, which acts as a charm. 

 It is more thought of, and a greater interest is taken in it 

 than in one purchased. The plant is tliought finer, and 

 the fruit sweeter, when one can claim most of the credit 

 attached to it as a result of careful cultivation. 



Foremost in the race for meeting the public requirements 

 in this particular are the Messrs. Veitch, to whom we owe the 

 introduction of numerous rare and beautiful plants ; and it 

 is to theii' seed catalogue for lS(i!) tiiat I am indebted for the 

 following list of subtropical and ornamental-foliaged plants 

 which may be raised from seed ; to it I sliall add such cul- 

 tural hints as I trust will be of service. I shall classify the 

 plants under two divisions — viz.. Annual and Perennial, 

 and subdivide each into Half hardy and Hardy Species 

 or Varieties, naming none but those suitable for our climate 

 during at least tlie months of .Tune, .Tuly, August, and 

 September, or if otherwise the fact will be stated in the 

 notes appended to each. A few of the best and most 

 distinct will be marked with an asterisk (*). 



1. SUBTROPICAL AND FINE-POLIAGED PLANTS-ANNUAL 



AND TENDER. 



These require to be sown in a mild hotbed of from 05 

 to 7.1°, with an increase from sun heat to HO" or '"5°, and a 

 bottom heat of 70° to 7.j°, in which they not only need to 

 be sown, but to be gro^^•n until they become strong. They 

 should be well hardened oil', and exposed to the air prior to 

 being planted-out, and it is bad practice to allow them to 

 become potbound and stunted in growth before being placed 

 out of doors, for they rarely do any good afterwards, and 

 on that account some consider them not equal to the 

 description, as well as unsuitable for the purpose for which 

 they are reall.y adapted. 



Ajiaranthcs iiicoi.ou. — Foliage crimson and green. 

 2 feet. 



A. TRICOLOR, — Foliage scarlet, yellow, and green. 2 feet. 

 More ornamental than the p'receding. lint neither is very 

 desirable for outdoor decorative purposes, except in exten- 



No. 416.— Vol. XVI., New Sr.mr.n. 



sive arrangements, and even then they require warm skel- 

 tered situations. 



•A..MKi,A.N(;iioLiirs miiEii — Dark reddish-crimson leaves. 

 Bright and distinct, fine for masses or borders, but should 

 be stout, and from '.I inches to 1 foot high before planting- 

 out, deferring that until the end of the first week in .June, 

 or later if cold. 



A. Ei.EoANTissiJM's, closelv allied to the last, but more 

 compact in growth, and with the base of the leaves deep 

 red. and the upper part bronze-purple. It is a new variety, 

 and will no doubt prove a very elfeelive plant for beds and 

 borders, being brilliant as a single plant, and we may con- 

 clude it will be equally so in a mass. This and A. melan- 

 cholicus ruber attain the height of Vj foot. They should 

 have a bed of rich rather light soil, for in a cold wet soil 

 they do not succeed. An open, sunny, yet sheltered situa- 

 tion is requisite. 



•Datura fastuosa HrnERtAXA it.ore-pi.eno. — Foliage 

 bold and profuse, bright green ; stem and branches deep 

 purple ; Howers white, lilac throat, large, drooping, very 

 lilio tlrose of D. arborea, and double. It is one of the finest 

 of the genus, attaining a height of 4 or .5 feet. To have 

 it fine the seed should be sown in autumn, and the plants 

 liept during the winter on a shelf near the glass in a green- 

 liouse, keeping them dry, but not to such an extent at 

 any time as to cause the plant's foliage to flag much. The 

 seed should be sown not later than August, and the plants 

 should bo strong, and potted-olf singly in small pots, and 

 established before winter. In spring they should be en- 

 couraged by a gentle increase of heat, a moist atmosphere, 

 and a larger size of pot as often as those they are in be- 

 come filled with roots. 'Well harden-off before planting- 

 out. A light turfy loam, with a fourth of old cow dung, 

 and a free admixture of sharp sand, is tlie most suitable 

 compost. A plentiful supply of water and frequent syring- 

 ing overhead will be necessary to keep down the attacks 

 of red spider, to which the whole of this family are subject. 



•Feriiinanda EMINEXS (Cresceutia macrophy 11a of John- 

 son's "Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary"). — Large bold 

 foliage ; having a noble appearance, and being tall, it is 

 well adapted for the centres of beds and backs of borders. 

 It should be sown early in March in a good brisk heat, 

 forwarded in heat, and thoroughly hardened-off previous 

 to being planted-out. A compost of two-thirds turfy light 

 loam, and leaf mould and old cow dung, or well-rotted 

 manure one-third, with a free admixture of sharp sand, 

 suits it. The plants ought not to be plantedout until the 

 beginning of .lune, and should have a sheltered situation. 

 It attains the height of from h to 13 feet. The remarks 

 attached to the Datura apply to this plant, which it is well 

 to treat as a biennial, the seed being sown in summer, and 

 the plants treated in the same manner as Humea elegans, 

 also desirable for subtropical gardening, being very elegant, 

 graceful, and fragrant, and too well known to need descrip- 

 tion. For its culture I will refer the reader to Vol xii.. 

 New Series, page 40". The Ferdinanda is a perennial, but 

 may be treated as an annual or biennial. 



Marvei. 01- Peirt, VARiEo.\TEri. — Foliage bold and hand- 

 some, with golden variegation. The plant is a half-liardy 



No. IOCS.— Vol. XLI., Old Seiuis. 



