211 



NICOTIANA. 



dance of offsets every year, from 

 which the English market is sup- 

 plied. In England the bulbs are 

 generally planted in spring, in pots 

 of very sandy loam, and placed in 

 some window or other situation 

 where the they will have plenty of 

 light. They flower in September 

 and October; and as soon as they 

 have flowered, the bulbs are gene- 

 rally 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 

 planted in a well-drained sunny 

 border in the open ground, and 

 allowed to mature their new bulbs 

 every year by the agency of their 

 leaves, there is no doubt but they 

 would live as long as any of the 

 kinds of Narcissi, and flower as 

 freely. The bulbs might be pro- 

 tected in winter by a layer of dead 

 leaves, or litter from a cow-house ; 

 and the bed, which should be of 

 light sandy soil, should be occasion- 

 ally manui-ed in spring by a layer 

 of old cow-dung, 



Ne^rium. — Apocynece. — The 

 Oleander, or Rose Laurel. — There 

 are three distinct species of Nerium, 

 besides several varieties. The first 

 of these is the common Oleander, a 

 native of Italy, but wliich is gene- 

 rally kept in a greenhouse in Eng- 

 land ; the second, which is called 

 N. flavcscens, has yellow flowers ; 

 and the third, N. odoruni, which 

 is a native of India, is a stove plant. 

 The greenhouse species and their 

 varieties (to which may be added 

 N. spUndens, supposed to be a 

 hybrid between N. Oleander and 

 N. oddriim) all require a soil com- 

 posed of one half loam, one quarter 

 peat, and one quarter vegetable 

 mould, or rotten dung ; or, if this 

 soil cannot be obtained, equal parts 

 of peat, loam, and sand. They 

 should be regularly watered every 



day ; but as no water should ever 

 be allowed to remain in a stagnant 

 state about their roots, the pots in 

 which they are growTi 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 excremen- 

 titious matter, which poisons the 

 soil in which they grow. This re- 

 potting should take place in spring ; 

 and, after it has been performed, 

 the plants shoxild be watered and 

 set in the shade for a day or two. 

 As soon as they begin to grow they 

 should have plenty of light and air, 

 and they should be regularly watered 

 twice a day, observing never to let 

 any water remain in the saucer, if 

 ■ he pot should have one, though it 

 is much better without. Thus 

 treated, the Oleander v^'ill grow 

 rapidly, and throw out such large 

 bunches of flowers as to form a truly 

 splendid object. The stove species 

 is generally grown in rather a moist 

 heat ; but it may be removed to the 

 greenhouse, or even to the open air, 

 during the hottest months of sum- 

 mer, if care be taken to water its 

 roots twice a day, and syringe it 

 every evening overhead. 



New Zeala^^d Tea. — Leptosper- 

 mum scoparium. — 



iS'"iCA'2TDRA. — Solanacece. — The 

 Alkekengi, or Kite-flower. A strong 

 and vigorous annual, growing five or 

 six feet high, and throwing out nu- 

 merous branches. The flowers are 

 blue, and the fruit is in an inflated 

 capsule, like that of the Bladder- 

 nut or Winter- Cherry. It is a na- 

 tive of Peru, and its seeds should 

 be sovm in March or April, in a 

 shrubbery or border, where the 

 plants may have plenty of room, 

 the seeds being pat into the ground 

 singly, and at least three feet apart. 



Xicotia'na. — Solanacece. — The 



