JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKB AND COTTAGE GABDENEli. 



[ January 8, 1874. 



plants were equally luxuriant. To lower the temperatures 

 without decreasing the care bestowed in cultivation would be 

 no loss, but to lower the temperaturea and raise cultivation to 

 a higher standard of perfection is certainly a great gain. It 

 was in contemplation in this case to keep the plants a little 

 cooler in winter than they forraerly were, but certainly not to 

 the extent forced upon us ; yet so successful was the treatment 

 that the temperatures were again lowered for the winter, and 

 no apprehension whatever is felt on entering a Pine stove in 

 the morning to find a nice sweet atmosphere and the ther- 

 mometer indicating 45". — M. 



LEUCOPOGONS. 



I WISH to direct the attention of the readers of the Journal 

 to the claims the various members of this genus have to a 

 more extended cultivation. I do not remember, during the 

 whole of my gardening experience, having ever seen them 

 grown to any great extent ; and when the taste for New 

 Holland plants died out, these, with many other beautiful 

 greenhouse ornaments, suddenly disappeared, saving in the 

 collections of those who were old-fashioned enough to love 

 plants for their real worth and beauty quite independently of 

 what might be the fashion at any particular time. I must 

 confess being old-fashioned enough to love these Leucopogons, 

 for they supply a profusion of snowy white flowers which are 

 invaluable during the winter months. They bear cutting well, 

 and I really know of nothing which is so tasteful for arranging 

 in a lady's hair for a ball or dinner party. I always endeavour 

 ti cater for the fair sex in the matter of plants and flowers, 

 and if my fair readers will only grow a few plants of the genus 

 BOW under consideration they will always have, during the 

 dullest season of the year, material for bouquet-making or 

 head-dresses of the most chaste and beautiful description. 



Leucopogons have been so much neglected that it is very 

 questionable if one in a dozen, even of those whose business 

 it is to know plants, have an idea of the truly beautiful objects 

 they are when well grown. They will not conform to crinoline 

 training like an Azalea, but with a little management they 

 form compact handsome shrubs, which in winter are laden 

 with clusters of snowy flowers of great beauty. They belong 

 to the Epacrids, and as a genus are distinguished by their 

 funnel-shaped corolla, which has five spreading lobes ; these 

 corollas being seated in a five-lobed calyx, furnished at its 

 base with a few dry chaffy bracts. The anthers are five in 

 number, situated on short filaments included within the 

 corolla ; whilst the style is furnished at the apex with a 

 capitate stigma, and gradually increases in size down to the 

 base. The fruit is usually a berry, but this will not be an object 

 of decorative ntUity. The flowers are white, borne on terminal 

 and axillary spikes. 



The cultivation of these plants is quite simple, and they 

 may he grown by those possessing very little glass-house 

 accommodation. One thing, however, is essential to their well- 

 being, and that is an abundance of sun light. The soil should 

 be about two parts good peat, one part light loam, and one 

 part sharp sand; the whole should be well incorporated, and 

 used when in a nice friable state. It used to be held as an 

 infallible maxim that Leucopogons did not like or require much 

 water, and so, forsooth, we hear it said now very often respect- 

 ing Ericas ; but my experience goes to prove that both genera 

 like a plentiful supply, but the drainage must be perfect, so 

 that nothing stagnant nor sour remains about them for an 

 instant. After flowering, and before growth commences, the 

 plants should be cut back to within some few inches of the 

 old wood, but upon no account should they be pruned too 

 hard. To avoid repetition it will be well to observe that the 

 flowers are all white, and the limb of the corolla is more or 

 less bearded with white hairs, hence the generic name. The 

 following few kinds are amongst the most desirable, and are 

 well deserving of careful attention at the hands of all lovers 

 of winter-flowering plants. 



L. EicHEi. — This species is tolerably plentiful on the moun- 

 tains of Tasmania and New South Wales, where it attains a 

 height of 4 or 5 feet, and assumes the proportions of a hand- 

 some shrub. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, of a smooth 

 and shining green, which contrasts beautifully with the snowy 

 flowers that are produced on axillary spikes, continuing in 

 perfection for several months during the winter and spring. 



L. LANCEOLATUS. — Like the preceding this plant blooms 

 during winter and spring, but in addition so profuse is it that 

 strong plants often continue weU into the summer before the 



last of the flowers pass away. It naturally attains a height 

 of from 6 to 10 feet, but I have seen it flowering when about 

 the same number of inches high. The leaves are lanceolate 

 and dark green ; the flowers borne upon axillary spikes and 

 pure white. Native of the mountain districts of New South 

 Wales. 



L. TAMiKisciN'US. — This is a very handsome species. The 

 leaves are ovate, smooth, and dark shining green ; flowers 

 produced upon somewhat dense spikes, and in great profusion. 

 It continues in beauty throughout the winter months. Native 

 of New Holland. 



L. AusTKALis. — This is the last I shall enumerate, although 

 there are many others deserving a place in large collections. It 

 attains a height of some 3 or 4 feet. The leaves are lanceolate, 

 long, narrow, and dark green; spikes many-flowered, axillary, 

 and produced during the whole of winter. Native of Tasmania, 

 &c. — ExpEKTO Gbkdb. 



VINE CULTURE. 



There is one period of the year when I think Vines planted 

 in inside borders are not treated rationally, even by many 

 whose cultivation is otherwise faultless, and to this I attribute 

 many of the evils complained of during such a trying summer 

 as the past. 



As soon as the fruit is gathered the borders should be 

 thoroughly examined to see whether they require water ; never 

 mind injuring a few roots, it is better to do this than allow 

 the whole to suffer, and, moreover, the Vine will bear its roots 

 being cut, and in many cases this is beneficial to it, inducing it 

 to emit feeders more at home. 



It is quite a mistake to suppose that the roots of Vines, or 

 indeed plants in general, should be kept dry during their so- 

 called resting period ; they are never really at rest. I believe 

 the nearest approach to rest in the roots of Vines is just at the 

 time the buds are bursting into leaf ; there is no visible sign of 

 growth in them till some of the leaves have grown to their full 

 size. The exact time when root-action commences can be told 

 to a nicety by noticing the colour of the leaves, which is of a 

 very light green at first and remains so for some time, when 

 suddenly on the forwardest and healthiest plants patches 

 appear which are almost blue, and gradually mingle with the 

 lighter colour, and all is changed in a few days to the beauti- 

 ful lively green so natural to the healthy Vine. When this 

 bluish colouring matter first appears is just when the plant 

 has begun to make use of its roots. Although a large plant 

 may have made suflicient leaves to cover a quarter of an acre, 

 it has had nothing to do it with besides what was stored-up in 

 itself till such time as the leaves began to assume a darker 

 colour, and then it would begin to draw fresh suppUes from 

 mother earth. 



Bearing this in mind, it is reasonable to suppose that the 

 roots have much to do in the autumn, and practically this is 

 found to be the case ; the roots are quite fresh and seemingly 

 active long after the leaves have put on their autumnal colours, 

 and I believe that as long as a leaf has any hold on the stem 

 the roots are busy. 



All this I consider of the greatest importance to the culti- 

 vator. There are seasons when he cannot water his plants, 

 notably when the ripe fruit is hanging on them, and mthout 

 doubt they frequently suffer at this time, for the evaporation 

 going on is something enormous in warm dry weather ; but 

 this can be remedied to a certain extent by giving abundance 

 of water just before colouring, and again, it necessary, after 

 the fruit is gathered. As far as my experience goes, with a 

 well-made border it is always necessary to water in autumn 

 or winter. 



Another lesson to be derived from the facts I have mentioned 

 concerning root-action commencing in the Vine after the 

 formation of the first leaves, is not to apply too high a tempe- 

 rature tUl it can be seen that the roots are actually at work. 

 Not that I would start with a very low temperature. I com- 

 mence with 50° to 55°, and do not exceed this for ordinary 

 Grape-growing — I am not writing about forcing — till the flowers 

 are set. Muscats are no exception ; mine are often below 50° 

 when in flower. Flowers formed in a comparatively low tem- 

 perature and with continual ventilation have shorter and 

 stronger flower stalks (bear this in mind, my friends who are 

 troubled with shanking) ; the flowers are more perfect in every 

 way, the quantity of pollen produced is something marvellous 

 compared with that produced in a higher tempcratare. A 

 greatly-respected octogenarian In company with one of our 



