]86 EXPERIirENT ON HEATING EAKTH. 



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Fictts stipttlaris. Selaginella throve, and increased in a shady 

 corner, as did several masses of stove and greenhouse 

 Ferns. One of the golden sorts became very luxuriant 

 and handsome. A Bletia, one of Botteri's Orizaba plants, 

 was taken up in the autumn and found to have formed a 

 good tuber, double the size of the old one, from which it took its 

 rise. Imatophyllum miniatum grew strongly, and flowered well, 

 but was one of the earliest to check in the autumn. I now regret 

 that I took it up. It had rooted very plentifully, and damped oflf 

 during the winter in doors from the injury done to the roots in 

 removal. Vallota purpurea did well, from the first, soon threw 

 up a strong scape, and flowered in faultless beauty. Blandfordia 

 grew well, but did not flower* A mass of Eiwomis flowered from 

 every bulb, and was rather ornamental, in its odd way. Double 

 Zinnias grew larger, and flowered far better than any 1 saw about 

 London, A cross bred Geranium of the race of ecJiinatum was 

 full of flower, and extremely pretty, ^chmea fulgens made two 

 fine suckers. They are now in blossom with dark healthy 

 foliage in my stove. Pitcairnia latifolia throve in a remarkable 

 manner, completely beating a fellow plant to it, which was kept 

 under glass. This was also taken up, and is now flowering finely. 

 If we could retard the flower spike of mature plants, of this 

 kind, they might be made to bloom also. G^usmannia made a 

 good sucker. Of Crhmms and Cape Amaryllids some grew fast, 

 and others sluggishly. Those who are conversant with these 

 plants will understand this. I have little doubt that all have 

 nevertheless rooted strongly. I have omitted the mention of 

 some few plants the notice of which would not have been profitable 

 either one way or the other. 



As I did not, in this instance, propose to attempt any kind of 

 housing for the winter, things took their course ; one or two, 

 which I wished to make sure of, were taken up, and the rest left to 

 their fiite. The first Dahlia frost destroyed, more or less, the 

 tenderer sorts, and the sharper weather in November cut them to 

 the ground ; one or two bulbs and dwarf growing things having 

 been protected in anticipation. At this time there was no de- 

 straction of vitality from the collar downwards, the heat having 

 entirely kept the soil from freezing. The whole bed was then 

 covered, six or seven inches deep, with dry leaves, for the winter. 



At the latter end of February in the present year, I had the 

 covering removed, and made a short examination of the bed. I 



