irarch 0, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



207 



ill-formed, and weak it is better to replace them with young 

 and vigorous subjects than to seek by any severe manipula- 

 tions to restore an old plant to good form. It is better to 

 raise fresh plants from seed than to grow on weakly plants 

 from cuttings, or seek to renew an old one by cutting back. 



The seeds should be sown, it they are home-saved, as soon 

 as they are ripe in pots filled with equal parts of light loam 

 and sandy peat, with one-fourth of silver sand ; drain well, 

 placing the rougher parts of tha compost over the drainage, 

 and fill to within half an inch of the rim with sifted soil. 

 Make the surface even, press it gently, scatter the seeds thinly, 

 and cover them a quarter of an inch deep with flue soil ; then 

 water gently, and place the pots on a shelf in the greenhouse. 

 In a few weeks the plants will appear, and should be potted-otf 

 singly iu 3-inch pots when they show the first leaves, in addi- 

 tion to the seed leaves, to which last they should not be potted 

 nearer than half an inch, and in the compost named before. 

 Place the pots on a sheU in the greenhouse, and keep the soil 

 just moist. By the following spring the plants will be thriving 

 young stock, and should be encouraged to grow by more co- 

 pious supplies of water, and sprinkUngs overhead morning and 

 evening. When the roots become matted round the sides of 

 the pots shift the plants into ij-inch pots, which will be re- 

 quired by May, and in July they may have C-iuch pots. The 

 seedlings should have the leading shoot stopped when it has 

 grown a foot, and the side shoots when they are 6 inches long. 

 Keep them well stopped, and so secure a well-branched plant 

 from the commencement ; but do not stop the shoots after 

 July. If a pyramid be desired the shoots resulting from the 

 stopping must be regulated, tying them out where they are 

 crowded in the direction in which they are required, and select- 

 ing the best as leader, train it erect. In this way the plants 

 may be kept iu good form. Whether it be bush or pyramid is 

 desired, judicious pruning after flowering, with stopping irre- 

 gular growths afterwards, will enable us to produce good 

 specimens. 



If the seeds are not sown untU spring, March being the best 

 tune, they should be soaked twenty-four hours in water at a 

 temperature of 90° to 100°, placed in a hotbed, and treated 

 like those sown when ripe, only they must bo potted-off 

 singly, and retained in the hotbed until established, hardening- 

 off before placing iu the greenhouse. The young plants suc- 

 ceed better in cold jiits during the summer months than in a 

 greenhouse. Being subject to red spider, free syringing is 

 beneflcial during summer. I do not advocate placing them 

 out of doors iu summer, but I have found doing so conduces to 

 the destruction of white scale, to which these plants are liable. 

 I imagine the benefit derived from rains in a great measure 

 arises from the ammonia and nitric acid so brought down in- 

 vigorating the plants. My plants, however, have no scale ; 

 therefore they are kept constantly under glass. 



The following species and vaiieties are especially worthy of 

 cultivation — viz : 



* -Icacut oleifulia elfgans. — The leaves simple, pale glossy 

 green. The plant is of strong free growth when young and 

 rather straggUug, but when it becomes older — say three or four 

 years — is not strong-growing, producing numbers of fine pendant 

 shoots, giving it when trained with a stem feet high a very 

 fine appearance, a drooping head reaching almost to the pot. It 

 is a very desirable plant for pillars or for the rafters of the green- 

 house or conservatory. The flowers are in globose heads, very 

 abundantly produced, sometimes in September and on through 

 the winter, attaining its best generally in February. It is in my 

 opinion the fijiest of all. 



* .-1. h>n(]ilio)-ii iiiar/nifica. — Leaves, long and pointed; habit, 

 stiff and erect, but well branched, forming a good iJyramid. The 

 flowers are borne in long spikes of a bright clear yellow, about 

 February or March. This is probably the most^noble of 

 Acacias. 



* A. pnlcheUa. — The leaves are fine but not large, giving the 

 plant a very elegant appeai'ance. It is of free growth and erect, 

 forming a good pyramid or bush, and is armed with thorns. 

 Flowers in globose heads, produced in April, earlier or later 

 according to the temperature and condition of growth. When 

 iu flower it is a mass of bright j'ellow. 



* A. Drninynondi. — Leaves slightly divided; habit rather 

 slender, and well branched, forming a good bush. The flowers 

 are in cylindrical spikes, short, and numerous, of a bright yellow. 

 It flowers iu March and April. 



* A. armata. — Leaves entire, thickly set on the branches with 

 bundles of hair-like spikes. Flowers in globose heads, very 

 abundantly produced in March and April. It is one of the best. 

 Pyramid or bush. 



.4. hijhrida. — Leaves entire, longer and farther apart than iu 

 A. armata; flowers in globose heads, bright clear yellow, pro- 



duced iu February and March. Of diffuse habit, it is better 

 suited for a bush than pyramid. 



A. lophantka, — Leaves large and very finely divided ; habit 

 stiU and erect, the plant making several feet of growth in a sea- 

 son. If kept potbound its growth is checked, and it then flowers 

 freely in clusters of a pale straw colour. 



* A. platijptera. — Leaves included in the stem or shoots, having 

 a Cactus-like habit. Flowers very abundant iu globose heads in 

 November and December. It is a mass of bloom in its season, 

 and forms a fine spreading bush. 



A. grantlis. — Leaves finely divided, rather small; habit stiff 

 and erect, forming a good pyramid or bush. Flowers globose, 

 bright deep yeUow iu March or April. 



A. asparaauidea. — Leaves simple; habit graceful and Aspa- 

 ragus-hke. Flowers globose, profusely produced in March or 

 April. 



A. floribimda. — Leaves very fine and abundant, the flowers 

 not less so, of a bright yellow colour, produced iu spikes in April 

 or May. 



A. ciiltri/orinis. — Leaves knife-shaped and silvery, of strong 

 habit, requiring abundant room. Flowers yellow in April. 



A great many other Acacias are worthy of cultivation. Of 

 those named, such as are distinguished by an asterisk are the 

 best in my estimation. 



I may state that I have three plants of A. Cunninghami from 

 seed received through a correspondent of this Journal two 

 years ago, which have large, bright green, entire leaves, the 

 habit erect. It is very distinct in foliage, but as I have not 

 seen the flowers, I am unable to say what it will prove as a 

 flowering plant. — Cr. Abbey. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 

 At a recent meeting of the Eot.vl Bohnic Society, it was 

 decided to erect a new range of houses for the collection of 

 economic plants. 



The post of Sopeeintexdext of HLimpton Couet Gau- 



DENS is still vacant. The salary is £130 per annum, with 

 apartments in Hampton Court Palace. Candidates, who must 

 be between the ages of 30 and 45, should apply to the Secre- 

 tary, Her Majesty's Office of Works, 12, WhitchaU Place, S.W. 

 It was currently believed that Mr. Carmichael, late of San- 

 driugham, would have been appointed, but we understand 

 that though accepted by the Board of Works, the Civil Service 

 Commissioners, while quite satisfied with his recommenda- 

 tions and abilities, refused him, as he somewhat exceeded their 

 Umits as regards age. 



At a recent sale of Oechids, on Thursday last, at Mr. 



Stevens's Booms, King Street, Coveut Garden, a sum of £430 

 was realised for the owner, Mr. W. C. Dixon, of Beverley, who 

 parted with them to make room for other subjects. The fol- 

 lowing prices were realised : — -Vanda gigantea, £3 3s. ; Vanda 

 Dennisoniana, twenty-one leaves, £8 ; Angrmcum sesquipe- 

 dale, five flower-spikes, eight blooms, 2 feet high, thirty-eight 

 leaves, £14 14s.; Cielogyne oristata, 2 feet inches across, 

 finely flowered, £13 13s. ; Cattleya maxima, fine variety, £2 

 to £3 3s. ; Oncidium maoranthum, £2 4s. to £3 ; Odonto- 

 glossum Andersonii, fine variety iu flower, £11 lis. ; Dick- 

 sonia antarctiea, 7 feet stem, £0 Os. The next, several thou- 

 sands of flne bulbs of Lihum auratum were sold at the same 

 place, together with other Lilies and seeds of Conifers, bring- 

 ing altogether £359. 



Messes. Tehtschel & Co., Colchester, have a sale at 



Messrs. Stevens's on the 10th, of a New Feuit Tkee from Japan, 

 the Pebsimmon, in eight varieties. It is the first time this tree 

 has been oft'ered in Europe. There have to be sold 10.5 trees 

 received from Mr. Kramer, also some new and rare LiUes, 

 Wilsoni and Krameri from Japan, Michauxii, Humboldtii, 

 Puberulum, and Washingtonianum from North America, with 

 Colochortus and Erythronium. The fruit tree is a Diospyros, 

 respecting the proper name of which there has been some con- 

 troversy ; M. Carriere calling it at first Diospyros Kaki, after- 

 wards D. costata ; and M. Decaisne, who objects to both of these 

 names, D. Schi-tse. It is a native of Eastern Asia, and has 

 bright orange-coloured fruit, which, iu the climate of Paris are 

 from 2 to 2^ inches in diameter, and have an Apricot flavour, 

 blended with that of the Medlar. It will probably succeed 

 against a wall in the warmer parts of this country. 



The Phylloxeea continues to attract much attention 



iu France. M. Marc mentioned a few days ago iu the Paris 

 Academy that, having kept during some of the winter months 

 roots taken from a Vine which had been attacked, he had ascer- 

 tained that the Phylloxera may easily be developed, even iu 



