MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 69 



On sowin« Seeds. — All seeds, except annuals, from the plants which are 

 natives of California and North America, succeed best when sown in autumn as 

 soon as they are ripe ; and those from Chili and Mexico when sown in spring. 

 The seeds of the shrubs and trees of North India and Europe in autumn, and 

 annuals and perennials in spring. In order to succeed in raising plants, sow in 

 diy soil, and give no water till the seeds vegetate ; seeds are often destroyed bv 

 giving water when just sown, especially with old ones, they immediately rot ; 

 better shade from sun than give water. Having had consideiable practice in 

 these matters, I give the result of the facts of a twenty years' practice as fore- 

 man in one of the first London nurseries. 



St. John's Wood Road, December 27, 1841. 



The Marchioness of Exeter Camellia is the finest variety in cultivation. 

 The flowers are between five and six inches in diameter, and very regularly 

 double. The colour is a bright deep rose. Raised from seed of Middlemist's, 

 by James Priaulx, Esq., of Guernsey. — (Gard. C/iron.) 



[We had a specimen of it sent us by that gentleman nearly as soon as it first 

 bloomed, a figure of which we gave in May Number, 1838, vol. vi. of the Floricul- 

 tural Cabinet. Since that time we have seen plants in bloom, and can add our 

 testimony relative to its superior merits. It deserves a place in every collection. 

 It can be had cheap now. — Conductor.] 



On budding Roses. — I have tried the two last seasons to succeed in budding 

 roses ; the first I wholly failed, and I find I was wrong in allowing the portion 

 of wood to remain with the bud. I was advised by a celebrated amateur rose- 

 grower to prepare my buds as follows: — IIa?e a very sharp small pointed knife, 

 take the shoot from which the bud is to be selected, and having fixed upon one, 

 with the point of the knife cut through the bark to the wood in the exact form 

 and size it is required around the bud, then applying the thumb against the side 

 of the bud and push it upwards, it will come out quite clean, and be better prepared 

 to take than by any'other mode adopted. I am aware it will take up a little more 

 time in preparing a bud thus, than by the accustomed methods, but it will more 

 than repay by its success. 



Herts, January 12, 1842. Rosa. 



Properties of the Carnation.- — The flower should be not less than two and 

 a half inches across. The guard or lower petals broad, thick, and smooth on the 

 outside, free from notch or serrature, and lap over each other sufficiently to'form 

 a circular roseate flower ; each row of petals should be smaller than the row im- 

 mediately under it; there should not be less than three rows of petals, laid 

 regularly, and the centre should form a good bold centre or crown. The petals 

 should be stiff, and slightly cupped. The ground should be pure snow-white, 

 without specks of colour ; the stripes of colour should be clear and distinct, not 

 running into each other nor confused, but dense, smooth at the edges, and well 

 defined. 



The colours should be bright and clear, whatever they may be ; if there are 

 two colours, the daiker one cannot be too dark, or form too strong a contrast. 

 With scarlet the perfection would be a black ; with pink there cannot be too 

 deep a crimson ; with lilac, or light purple, the second colour cannot be too 

 dark a purple. If the colours run into the white and tinge it, or the white is not 

 pure upon it, the fault is very great, and the pouncy spots or specks are highly 

 objectionable. The pod of the bluom should be long and large, to enable the 

 flower to bloom without bursting it ; but this is rate ; they generally require to 

 be tied about halfway, and the upper part of the calyx opened down to the tie 

 at each division ; yet there are some which scarcely require any assistance, and 

 this is a very estimable quality. 



Disijualtjica/iors. — If there be any petal dead or mutilated. If there be any 

 one petal in which there is no colour. If there be any one petal in which there 



