new and rare plants. 133 



summer I had a great desire to strike cuttings of pink, carnation, 

 Mule Pink, Viola tricolor, GEnotherta Mediterranean Heath, Gum 

 Cistus, Ala tern us, Pyracantha, and other flowers and shruhs, but 

 having no glass, and it not being convenient to purchase one, 1 pre- 

 pared a bed 15 feet long and three feet wide, with soil which I con- 

 sidered best for each peculiar sort, T prepared the cuttings in the usual 

 way, just the same as I should for hand-glasses, and covered them with 

 wooden shutters which I had by me. 3 feet square and three quar- 

 ters of an inch thick, placed on a brick at each corner, which raised 

 the shutters between 2 and 3 inches above the cuttings, I watered the 

 cuttings as soon as they were planted, kept them constantly shaded 

 by the shutters when the sun shone, kept them off on rainy days, 

 and always at night, watered them every evening in dry weather, 

 the consequence was that I never before had such good luck with hand- 

 glasses or any other method. I am pursuing the same plan now, 

 and any person is welcome to see how successful I continue to be in 

 the adoption of this plan. It is probable that it may not be new to 

 some persons, but to those circumstanced as I am, it may be accep- 

 tible, as, 1 believe this simple manner of striking cuttings of shrubs 

 and flowers is not generally known. W. P. 



At the Medico-Botanical Society on Tuesday, Dr. Morries, made 

 some observations on opium, digitales, conium, and hyoscyamus, and 

 exhibited specimens of oils obtained from the latter plants. The 

 empyrenmatic oil of hyoscyamus is of a light yellow, highly volatile, 

 and possesses a most powerful penetrating virose odour, which is 

 readily perceptible at some distance, even when the bottle is closed. 

 It is nearly as rapidly fatal as prussic acid, eight or nine drops will 

 destroy life in one hour and a half. 



PART II. 

 LIST OF NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 



Noticed since our last. 



1. Camellia Japonica, var. Donckelaeri, Donckelaer's. — 

 This new and singular flowery variety has bloomed in the collection 

 of Mr. Lowe, nurseryman, Clapton, near London. The flower is 

 semidouble, the petals expanding prettily. The colour is a fine deep 

 rosy-red, blotched, in a very striking manner, with white. It is a 

 very desirable variety. Class, Monadelphia; Order, Monogynia. 

 Natural Order, TernstromiacciE. Camellia in compliment to G. J. 

 Camel, a Jesuit. 



