NERIUM. 
- p sed to be natives of the island. 
Whether this story be true or not, 
it is quite certain that for nearly | 
two hundred years these bulbs have 
been cultivated in Guernsey with 
the greatest success, growing freely 
in the open air, and producing 
abundance of offsets every year, 
from which the English market is 
supplied. In England the bulbs 
are generally planted in spring, in 
pots of very sandy loam, and placed 
in some window or other situatien 
where they will have plenty of light ; 
they flower in September and Oc- | 
tober; and as soon as they have 
flowered the bulbs are generally | 
thrown away, as they are said never | 
to flower well the second year. 
This is, however, entirely the fault 
of the grower, as, if they were plant- 
ed in a well-drained sunny border 
in the open ground, and allowed to 
mature their new bulbs every year | 
by the agency of the leaves, there | 
is no doubt but they would live as 
long as any of the kinds of Nar- 
cissi, and flower as freely. The 
bulbs might be protected in winter 
by a layer of dead leaves, or litter 
from a cowhouse; and the bed, 
which should be of light sandy soil, 
should be occasionally manured in 
spring by a layer of old cowdung. 
Ne‘rium. — Apocy'nee. — The 
Oleander, or Rose Laurel. There 
are three distinct species of Ne- 
riem, besides several varieties. The 
first of these is the common Olean- 
der, a native of Italy, but which is 
generally kept in a greenhouse in 
England ; the second, which is 
called N. flavéscens, has’ yellow 
flowers; and the third, N. edérum, 
which is a native of India, is a 
stove plant. The greenhouse spe- 
cies, and their varieties (to which 
may be added N. spléndens, sup- 
posed to be a hybrid between N. 
Oleander and N. oddrum), all re- 
quire a soil composed of one-half 
loam, one quarter peat, and one 
297 
NICANDRA. 
quarter vegetable mould, or rotten 
'dung; or, if this soil cannot be ob- 
|tained, equal parts of peat, loamy 
| andsand. They shouldbe regularly — 
watered every day; but as no wa- 
ter should ever be allowed to re- 
main in a stagnant state about their 
roots, the: pots in which they are 
grown should have no_ saucers. 
They should also be repotted at 
least once every year, and the soil = 
shaken out from the roots, as they ; 
,are plants which throw out a good 
‘deal of excrementitious matter, - 
which poisons the soil in which 
‘they grow. ‘This repotting shoulc 
take plaee in spring ; and, after it 
has performed, the plants 
'should be watered and set in the 
‘shade for a day or two. As soon i 
as they begin to grow they should — 
have plenty of light and air, es 
they should be regularly tered 
twice a day, observing nevelles let 
| any water remain in the saucer, if : 
'the pot should have one, though if 57 
|is much better without. Thus treat-_ F 
|ed, the Oleander will grow rapidly, a 
and throw out such large bunches 
‘of flowers as to form truly splendid 
Dg a The stove species is gen- 
erally grown in rather a moist heat 
[but it may be removed to the green- 
house, or even the open air, durins 
the hottest months of summer, if 
care be taken to water its roots 
twice a day, and syringe it ever, 
evening overhead. 
New Zeartanp Tra.—Leptospér 
mum Scopérium. 
Nica'npra. — Solandcee. — Thx 
Alkekengi, or Kite-flower. A 
strong and vigorous annual, grow- 
ing five or six feet high, and throw- 
ing out numerous branches. The 
flowers are blue, and the fruit is ix 
an inflated capsule, like that of the 
bladder-nut or winter cherry. ie 
is a native of Peru, and its seeds —_ 
should be sown in March or April, 
in a shrubbery or border, where tis ” 
plants may have plenty of room, 
