10 MISCELLANY OF NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



Ipom.ea Leauii. — An old subscriber to the Fi.oricui.turai. Cabinet would 

 be grateful for directions for blooming the Ipomaea Learii. She has had a plant 

 in a warm greenhouse for several years iu a large pot ; it thrives and throws out 

 long branches, but scarcely ever flowers. 



Quite late in the autumn sometimes two or three blossoms expand, but never 

 more. What soil suits it? Does it require more heat than a greenhouse? 

 Should it be cut in every winter, or should the branches be allowed full growth ? 

 Would it do better with more or less space for the roots. 

 Bromley. 



[Very far the most superior plant we ever saw in blooom was at Mr. Knight's 

 nursery, King's Road, Chelsea. In July, 1840 we saw this splendid plant in 

 most profuse bloom, having about 500 expanded blooms. It was growing in a 

 low plant stove, which was kept somewhat hotter than a greenhouse. It was 

 grown in a bed at the corner of the stove, in a rich turfy loam and peat, having 

 several inches of broken pots, &c. forming a drainage. The branches were 

 trained at several inches apart, to a wire trellis which extended over the two 

 sides of a double roofed house. The plant was in vigorous growth. The shoots 

 are pruned in each winter, and regularly thinned, so as each wire has but one 

 to support. — Conductor.] 



On Acacia armata, and on the use of Guano kor Florists' Flowers. — 

 I should feel much obliged if you, or some of your esteemed correspondents, 

 would give me some information on the propagation and cultivation of Acacia 

 armata ; and likewise if Guano may be profitably applied to florists' plants, 

 and how ? 



Lynn. T. S. 



[All kinds of Acacias require to be grown in a compost of equal portions of 

 rich sandy loam, peat, and leaf-mould, and have a free drainage. They must 

 be placed in the greenhouse, in a light and airy situation. They bear cutting 

 in; and in order to have the plant bushy, such attention will effect the desired 

 purpose. This treatment is specially necessary with some of the tall slender- 

 growing species. Most of them, especially A. armata, produce seeds ; and if 

 soaked before sowing, and afterwards placed in a hot-bed frame, &c, there, too, 

 kept moist, not wet, they will come up, as it is termed, in ten days or a fortnight. 

 A piece of coloured glass placed over the pot, it is said, materially promotes the 

 seeds vegetating, &c. Cuttings obtained from young shoots, when the lower 

 portion is become somewhat firm, cut clean off at their origin, then dressing off 

 the leaves about half the length by means of scissors or a sharp knife, and insert- 

 ing them firmly in white sand, watering, and, after drying a little, covering 

 them with a bell glass, and place in a hot-bed frame, with subsequent due atten- 

 tion ; they readily strike root. If some of our florist friends have applied the 

 guano, we shall be obliged if they will favour us with the results, in Older to 

 meet our correspondent's request.] 



On Rhodanthe Manglesh. — On visiting one of the London nurseries lately 

 I was astonished to see numerous pots of Rhodanthe Manglesii in vigorous and 

 profuse bloom. I remember too, last September, seeing fine bushy groups of 

 them growing in the open border, I asked for information, how they were thus 

 grown, but I could not ascertain. I should be glad of any information how to 

 grow it thus fine, as the specimens 1 saw were six times larger than any I ever 

 grew. An Amateur. 



[Sow at twice; first in February, and raise in moist heat, in loam and peat 

 finely sifted over the seeds, and never allowed to be dry, but not to be kept wet; 

 pot off singly as soon as can be safely done into small, well-drained pots, but 

 not to have sitted soil : after this, encourage them in a gentle heat and gra- 

 dually inure them to the greenhouse, keeping them near to the glass. Re-pot 

 when requiring it, in manner and soil as before named ; pinch off all first 

 flowers to cause shoots , such treated plants will bloom fine till autumn. Kept in 

 the greenhouse, or turned out at the end of May entire, into the open bed, in u 



