MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 297 



On the treatment of Lantana Solli and Lantana Mutabilis, as sum- 

 mer border plants. By F.H.S. — I wish to draw tke attention of the lovers 

 of Flora to those lovely plants Lantana Sellowi and Lantana Mutabilis. I 

 have seen them cultivated in hothouses and in most counties of England , 

 but with miserable success : such being the case, has stimulated me to send 

 you my method of their culture, which you will find to be very different 

 from what you have seen practised 



As early as possible in September you may take off a quantity of cut- 

 tings and insert them in sand and peat, under a bell glass: give them a 

 little bottom, and they will be perfectly rooted by the first week in October, 

 when they must be potted singly in small pots, using a mxture of equal 

 parts, of leaf soil, peats and loams As soon as the plants have attained 

 six inches in length, pinch off the leading shoots in order to keep them dwarf; 

 let them be kept in a cool greenhouse until the early part of, April, when a 

 bed must be prepared for their reception. I have found the following pre- 

 paration to answer well: — 



Whatever bed I choose upon, the whole of the soil is taken out of the 

 depth of eighteen inches, and filled with equal parts of well decayed leaves, 

 peat, and loam; "the latter being of a forcible texture."' After being 

 well mixed together, and allowed to settle for a few days, the plants aie 

 turned out alternately over the bed at two feet apart. The plants are trained 

 prostrate over the bed, similar to the habit of '\ erbena twediana. Nothing 

 can exceed in splendour a bed of these when in one mass of bloom. I had a 

 bed treated in this manner last year, which was the admiration of all who 

 saw it, and which was one mass of bloom from June to November. I find 

 it necessary every season to prepare a stock of young plants for turning 

 out the next spring, which are treated as already stated. I have found 

 several other valuable exotics do equally as well as those above named, 

 when treated in a similar manner, the particulars of which I intend sending 

 you at an early opportunity." — Gardner's Gazette. 



Seeds of Delphinium being poisonous.— The seeds of Delphinium sta- 

 phisagaria yield an alcaloid, called Delphinia, which exists in it in the 

 state of a malate of Delphinia, and which is possessed of great virulence. It 

 probably exists in the other species of the genus, not only in the seeds, but 

 probably also in the leaves, 



It is remarkable that insects do not prey upon leaves of any species of Del- 

 phinium, which may possibly be owing to the fine instinct with which they 

 are endowed, indicating to them the presence of a principle which would be 

 to them detrimental. The consequence of insects abstaining from these 

 plants is, that the leaves are not disfigured by their ravages, but remain 

 whole till they wither and fall off. This renders them desiable objects of 

 cultivation ; but they should be placed out of the reach of children, as the 

 poisonous properties they possess, might cause fatal accidents. Botanist. 



REFERENCE TO PLATE. 



1 . Fuchtia fulgent. This most splendid species has been introduced iuto 

 this country by Mr. Lee, Nurseryman, Hamersmilh, near London, and is 

 unquestionably fai the handsomest kind in the country. We could not give 

 the foliage in its proper size, each full grown leaf is about five inches long 

 and four broad, of a fine green above and purple beneath, having a noble 

 appearance, and in this respect alone is an object of attraction. The flowers 

 are produced at the ends of the shoots, we saw clusters of from eight to ten 

 flowers, but we have been informed, that as many as from fifty to eixtj hava 

 been grown in a cluster. It is a most desirable plant, and would be an orna- 

 ment to every greenhouse, conservatory, or (lower border, The plant is of 



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