June 19, 1E7S, ] 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE, 



491 



orr ameutal, if we except the double-floweredEockets (Hesperis) , 

 the Widldowei's, aud different species of Stocli (Matthiola). 

 The Alyssum saxatile, so appropriately named by our Gallic 

 neishboars Corbeille d'or, from the mass of golden flowers it 

 presents in spring; the Aubrietia purpurea and A. deltoidea, 

 both with purple blossoms ; the very pretty Calabrian Arabis 

 (A. rosea), and some of the Deutarias, are the principal ones 

 which suggest themselves, and they aro all worth cultivation. 

 The genus ^Ethionema contains a few plants of some beauty ; 

 the best species is jserhaps coridifolium, from Jlount Lebanon, 

 but the others may also be grown. 



The Dianthus tribe, Oaryophyllacese, needs no recommenda- 

 tion, including as it does some of our most esteemed florists' 

 flowers ; not a twentieth part, however, of the plants comprised 

 in this order are in general cultivation, which is the more to be 

 regretted, as the whole are hardy, of dwarf habit, and abundant 

 flowerers. We may cite the Dianthus Fischeri, latifolius, 

 giganteus.Libanotis, lusitanicus,Balbisii, carthusianorum, and 

 Hendersonii ; the beautiful little Sapouaria ocymoides ; the 

 SUene Schafta, fimbriata, acaulis, alpestris, and speciosa ; 

 Gypsophila paniculata and perfoliata : and Lychnis fulgens, 

 coronata, and Bungeana, as a few of the most interesting 

 border plants, and nearly all of them are excellent for the 

 rockery. 



The Flax family is oliiefly represented in our gardens by the 

 old Linum flavum, a very gay little evergreen ; but the genus 

 contains at least twenty other species equally deserving of 

 notice, among which we may mention the New Zealand Flax, 

 L. monogynum, white; arboreum, maritimum, and campanu- 

 latum, yellow; suffruticosum aud tenuifolium, pink; narbo- 

 nense, austriacum, alpinum, montanum, and hirsutum, blue ; 

 and lastly, ascyrifolium, with very handsome large blue and 

 white blossoms. 



A few of the hardy species of Geranium and Erodium are 

 snflieiently showy to be admitted into the borders ; of the first 

 genus, anemonefolium, ibericum, argenteum, macrorhizon, and 

 Wallichianum, are the best ; and of the Erodiums, serotinum, 

 hymenodes, crassifolium, and Reichardii. 



The Mallows tribe includes some highly ornamental subjects. 

 The Hibiscus roseus and H. Moscheutos are both splendid 

 plants, though a moist situation is indispensable, as they are 

 natives of swampy districts. They will succeed admirably by 

 the margin of a piece of water. The old genus Nuttallia, now 

 incorporated with the true Mallows, has a few hardy species, 

 though they are somewhat rare in this country ; digitata, 

 papaveracea, and pedata, are all beautiful, but the last is the 

 only species commonly kept by florists ; the N. grandiflora re- 

 quires some protection. The Malva Morenii and M. Monroana 

 are also herbaceous perennials of some merit. — (W. Thomi'Son's 

 English Flower Garden.) 



PACKING AND TRANSMISSION OP PLANTS, 



CUTTINGS, BULBS, AND SEEDS, TO DISTANT COUNTRIES. 



There was a time when many enthusiasts supposed that 

 cuttings, stopped at each end with sealing-wax, and then put 

 in ajar securely corked, would traverse the globe in a vital 

 condition ; but I am a suffering witness to the truth, and in 

 my experience of such "home presents," found their only 

 value in dry sticks to light my hearth ! Undoubtedly, for a 

 few days' sea voyage or land journey the plan may succeed, 

 but as I know of so many better modes of preservation, I shall 

 never require it. Next came the Potato dodge — to wit, each 

 end of a cutting is inserted in one of those tubers, and the 

 bundle is made up together in a wrapper of wax cloth or paper 

 — not inferior to the last method, but the same remarks will 

 apply thereto. Strange to say, the primitive Hindoo was the 

 prime discoverer of the proper modus operandi in packing 

 tender cuttings, and to his intuitive simplicity 1 am heavily 

 indebted for a large portion of the floral treasures I collected 

 and had the pleasure of transmitting during my long sojourn 

 in the East and other quarters. Herewith a slight description 

 of the firren idea. Having tied your various cuttings up in lots, 

 and all of as nearly the same length as possible, proceed to cut 

 down that very ubiquitous tree, a " Banana." Say your cut- 

 tings are 18 inches long, you wUl require a case of 2 feet ; you 

 therefore chop off a thick portion of the above length, and, 

 neit with your axe, split it lengthways and remove the fleshy 

 bark, set like the coats of au Onion, layer upon layer. With- 

 in this case you tightly pack your cutting, securing the two 

 halves of the Banana stems with ties of bark or twine ; then 

 you make a stopper for each end of the same substance, and 



dipping them first in moist clay, drive them in, and cut them 

 off quite even with your box. The package should then be 

 sewn-up in stout wax cloth, bearing the direction, destina- 

 tion, &c. I will now give two satisfactory instances of its 

 merits. A friend at a distance of some hundred miles, who 

 had promised me some choice Chinese Chrysanthemums, was 

 requested by me to pack them as above — the season being very 

 hot. He despatched them by transport waggon, but by some 

 accident the address had been defaced and the package sub- 

 sided among "lost goods." After several weeks' delay and 

 much correspondence, the same was duly forwarded to me, 

 and I opened the case rather anxiously — but what was my sur- 

 prise to see the plants all alive, and more than one with newly- 

 formed roots. 



Again, I was on a tour in the North-west Himalayas, and 

 coming across a superb specimen of the great Climbing Rose in 

 the old garden of a ruined palace, I set to work, and soon 

 packed myself a collection of cuttings thereof in a Banana box ; 

 this I carried about with me in all manner of climates and 

 temperaturas for about five months. When I descended to the 

 plains of India two cuttings were alive, and I subsequently saw 

 one of these growing in the garden of the friend for whom I 

 carried them. I strongly recommend the importation of 

 this invaluable article from the West Indies. I believe horti- 

 culturists will prize it highly, especially the dealers in tender 

 exotics. This pithy porous article is cold as ice, strong and 

 elastic as leather, and moist and juicy as a Cabbageleaf — the great; 

 virtues in a plant-envelope. I will now give an illustration of 

 another substance I used, under particular circumstances, with 

 similar success. When sojourning in the North-east Himalayas 

 (the Upper Burrampooter region), the humidity of the air may 

 be conceived when I state the annual rainfall may be counted in 

 hundreds of inches (excepting Terra del Fuego, the greatest on 

 the earth). Here I found green Bamboo, for the above reason, 

 vastly superior to Banana ; almost equally cool, more capacious, 

 and with far less tendency to become mouldy during a very long 

 river voyage to Calcutta. Such are the dimensions of Bambusa 

 in those remote wDdernesses, that milk buckets are constructed 

 of one joint by the native herdsmen. I have since bethought 

 me of imitating the cool porous humidity of these natural 

 plant-oases, substituting a long box of sheet cork, thickly var- 

 nished outside with gutta percha and pitch (two parts of the 

 latter to one part of the former), this case to be lined with 

 spongio-piUne ; succulents to be packed therein in dry char- 

 coal dust ; all other plants or cuttings to be previously wrapped 

 in strips of linen moistened with distilled water, and the 

 spougio-pUine similarly damped. This answers well for long 

 voyages. The following modes of conveyance to the most dis- 

 tant countries have all been attended with success, but there 

 are obstacles to their general employment. 



1. The bundle of cuttings, being packed air-tight and water- 

 tight in sheet indiarubber, is immersed in a ship's water-tank. 



2. Packed similarly, they are stowed in the ship's ice-room. 

 S. Enwrapped in several folds of wax-cloth, and then dipped 



several times in a liquefied mixture of soap and wax till densely- 

 covered, these many coats can be afterwards pressed with the 

 hand into a dense mass. 



The beautiful Lilium giganteum of the Himalayas was long 

 in being introduced into Europe ; the bulbs invariably failed, 

 until Dr. Royle hit upon the soap-and-wax process. Collodion 

 for healing the points or ends of cuttings is also a modern 

 practice to prevent " bleeding" and exclude air. 



There is a valuable substance in use throughout the N.W. 

 Himalayan Alps for roofing dwellings and granaries — i. e.. 

 Birch bark ; this tough pliable product I found far superior to 

 any kind of paper or cloth as a wrapper. The plant-collector 

 spreads a quantity of fresh damp moss on one of these sheets, 

 and rolls the whole up tightly, using ties to secure the parcel ; 

 his bundles are then stowed into a " kilta," or long basket, 

 carried endways with a strap, on the back of a stiu'dy moun- 

 taineer. — Eos. — (English Meehanic.) 



[A piece of a branch of a sappy growing tree might be em- 

 ployed instead of the Banana stem. — Ens.] 



WOEK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Advant.ige should be taken of the present showery weather 

 to prick-out young Celery and seedlings of the Cabbage tribe in 

 nursery beds, and to transplant the strongest plants of early 

 sowings into theh* proper plaees. Make another sowing of 

 Broad Beans, but previous to doing so soak the seed in water, 



