Jime 4, 1874, ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



441 



pleasing harmony — really repose — pervades the entire scene. — 



Edward Luckhubbt. 



STOVE PLANTS AND THEIK CULTURE.— No. 2. 



BouoAiNviLLEA 8PECTABILIS is of Very free scrambling habit, 

 with acuminate leaves and splendid rose-oolonred bracts iu 

 bunches like Hops, but, unfortunately, it is a shy bloomer. It 

 is from South America. It should bo planted out in sandy 

 turfy loam with a fourth of leaf soil, good drainage being 

 secured, aad the roots limited to a space that need not, for a 

 large plant, be more than from 'J to 12 square feet. The shoots 

 ought to be trained near the glass — not more than 1(1 inches 

 from it, nor nearer than 11 inches, and so far apart that the 

 leaves may not overshadow each other. The shoots, as they 

 show, must be rubbed off to prevent overcrowding, not allow- 

 ing them to grow several feet and then cutting them out. The 

 plant should be well supplied with water in spring when it 

 begins to grow, and throughout the summer up to August, 

 ■when watering should be left off, none being given as long as the 

 leaves keep from flagging ; even if the plant flag under hot sun 

 but recover at night, do not water. In winter keep dry, watering 

 only when the plant shows for flower, as it may do iu Decem- 

 ber, but usually iu spring. After the appearance of bloom 

 water freely, and after flowering cut-in the shoots to within 

 two or three eyes of their base, leaving a sufficient number of 

 well-ripened shoots for extension and for covering the trellis. 

 Growth to be encouraged by frequent sprinklings overhead and 

 top-dressings of loam and leaf soil, increasing the supply of 

 water in proportion to the growth. Cuttings of the young 

 shoots a little firm, in sand over sandy loam with a little peat, 

 well drained, set in a close frame, or covered with a bell-glass, 

 and placed iu a bottom heat of 80°. 



Clerodendron Balfoukunch. — Deciduous twiner, with 

 smooth, oblong-ovate, deep green leaves, and large dense 

 cymes of flowers, of which the calyx is of a creamy white, and 

 the corolla rosy crimson, having a very effective appearance. 

 It is a decided improvement on 0. Thomsonie, being larger in 

 all its parts. Hybrid, or garden variety, emanating from the 

 Edinburgh Botanic Garden. 



Clerodendron speciosum. — Deciduous twiner; smooth, 

 oblong-ovate, dark green leaves, and large dense clusters or 

 cymes of flowers ; the calyx pale reddish purple, and the coroUa 

 deep rose. It is a hybrid between C. Thomsonai Balfoui-ianum 

 and C. splendens. 



The time of flowering is in spring, April and May, on short 

 stubby shoots proceeding from well-ripened wood of the pre- 

 vious year; the object, therefore, of the cultivator should be 

 to secure strong shoots and to get them well ripened. Some- 

 times the plants flower more or less continuously throughout 

 the summer, but not when the wood is well ripened, and such 

 continued flowering most generally occurs on plants grown in 

 pots and trained to trellises at some distance from the glass. 

 Pruning should not be done until the flowering is past, and 

 should be confined to cutting the flowering shoots to the wood 

 eyes next below the cyme of flowers, leaving the other leaves 

 undisturbed, and encouraging young shoots from the bottom of 

 the rafter ; these should be trained up the roof, and not stopped 

 until they reach the Umit of extent. When the old shoots are 

 so numerous as to crowd each other and the young shoots, they 

 may be iu part or wholly cut away, having young to supply their 

 place. The watering should be liberal when the plants are 

 growing freely, as well as when in flower, continuing it through 

 the season of growth, along with moisture overhead ; but when 

 growth is complete gradually withhold water, and leave it off 

 altogether by October. The wood being thoroughly ripened 

 the leaves will fall, and the plants need no water during 

 the winter, or only a little to keep the wood plump. Iu spring, 

 when they begin growth, water should be given, loosening also 

 the surface soil, and applying a light top-dressing. Cuttings 

 of the firm stubby side shoots, taken off closely in spring or 

 early summer, inserted in sand over sandy peat, placed in a 

 close frame, or covered with a bell-glass, and set in bottom 

 heat. Soil two parts light fibrous loam, one part each sandy 

 peat and leaf soil, with a sixth of silver sand, and a similar 

 quantity of charcoal in pieces the size of a walnut, with good 

 drainage. 



Ipomiea Horsfallij;.- — Evergreen twiner, with deep green, 

 brownish-purple-tinted leaves, divided into five leaflets, and 

 the flowers borne in clusters of from ten to thirty or more. 

 They are of a bright rosy crimson, in form and size resembling 

 a Convolvulus, which it is, and, like aU flowers of this family. 



very beautiful, yet they soon close after being fully expanded ; 

 but those in each cluster being so numerous, and succeeding each 

 other so rapidly, the plant is seldom out of flower from October 

 or November to March inclusive. It is of rather strong growth, 

 and in a border succeeds admirably. East Indies. 



Pruning should be done in spring — April, or after flowering, 

 before new growth takes place, the flowering shoots being cut 

 back to within two or three eyes of their base ; but as the plant, 

 like most others, is disposed to start strongly from the highest 

 part of the old shoots or stems, these should be depressed so as 

 to ensure the breaking of the eyes at the base of the rafter, and 

 when they are somewhat advanced the stems and shoots may 

 be secured to the trelUs. If there is little but bare stem at the 

 base of the rafters, cut back the stems to some young wood 

 there, and this will give young shoots from that part, securing 

 thereby the covering of the trellis from the base upwards. The 

 shoots ought to be trained-in their full length, and fully ex- 

 posed to light and air. Top-dress the border with fresh soil 

 after pruning, and water moderately, increasing the amount 

 with the growth, giving it abundantly when the plant is in full 

 growth ; but when growth is complete, as it ought to be by 

 August, reduce the supply of water, applying it only to keep the 

 leaves fresh, and so on through the winter, as with moderate 

 moisture iu the soil it will flower during the winter months. 

 Avoid making the soil wet in winter, a sodden soil not being 

 suited to this plant, especially at that season. A moist atmo- 

 sphere, with sprinklings overhead morning and evening, is, 

 during growth, very beneficial. Equal parts light turfy loam 

 and sandy peat, a fourth part leaf soil, a sixth of silver sand, 

 and a similar proportion of nodules of charcoal, with good 

 drainage. Cuttings of the short side shoots in sand over sandy 

 peat in a close frame or covered with a bell-glass in brisk bottom 

 heat. 



I. Learii has deep red or crimson flowers, produced at the 

 end of summer (September), and is from Ceylon. It is suit- 

 able for roof-covering, and requires treatment similar to 

 I. HorsfaUiae, which is, however, superior to it. 



I. FiciFOLiA. — Fig-like leaves, the plant being a deciduous 

 twiner, having purple flowers late iu autumn, generally Oc- 

 tober, and oooasioually iu spring. It is only of moderate 

 growth, and may be grown in a pot. Buenos Ayres. — G. Abbey. 



MEKCUKY OF LINCOLNSHIRE— CHENOPODIUM 

 BONUS-HENRICUS. 



A FEW weeks ago (page 258), I noticed an article iu your 

 Journal by Mr. Wright on the vegetable extensively grown and 

 eaten about here, but I beheve unknown in the metropohs, 

 called Mercury, or, as it is vulgarly pronounced in these parts, 

 " Markwherry." I assure you it is a first-class vegetable, an 

 excellent tonic, and highly popular in this county. I have 

 several beds of it, and for many weeks, or even months, in the 

 early period of spring and summer, it is enjoyed at almost 

 every day's dinner. I deem it next, if not equal, to the fa- 

 vourite Asparagus. 



As to cooking, it requires boiling about half an hour in water 

 in which a quantity of salt is placed to preserve its greenness. 

 Serve it at table either with melted-butter sauce, or let it be 

 eaten with the gravy from meat on the plate. . !/• 



I hope you will enjoy it, although I am afraid somewhat of 

 its freshness and flavour will have departed by the time con- 

 sumed between its being cut and your partaking of it. If it is 

 faded by the journey, place it in fresh water a few hours to- 

 restore its life. — George Eoothby, Lontli. 



[The bundle of Mercury arrived very fresh, and we pronounce 

 it a most excellent culinary vegetable. The leaves were cooked 

 as Spinach, and were quite equal to it ; and the stalks were 

 cooked like Asparagus, and though not e(iual to that in flavour, 

 were in our opinion as good as Sea-kale. This Mercury has 

 the great merit of being hardy, and without any special care 

 producing a continued harvest throughout the spring and early 

 summer. — Eds.] 



Compact Plants of Cytisus. — I should like to know the 

 routine of culture adopted in producing the compact flori- 

 ferous plants of Cytisus, or Genista, I saw selling in Covent 

 Garden at Is. each. There must be some quick and easy way 

 of getting such plants at the price named, which I and many 

 another countryman are strangers to. You might reply in 

 the correspondence column. I am sure the information would 

 i be generally useful. One might travel a hunded miles in the 



