MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 213 



the frost sets in the pots are plunged in dry coal-ashes, in a frame, giving abun- 

 dance of air at every favourable opportunity. 



•' As soon as the severity of the winter is past, and the plants begin to make 

 a fresh growth, holes are dug out in the borders to the depth of 18 inches, and 

 filled up with two-thirds of old or decomposed turfs, which have been used in 

 the frames for the growth of Melons, &c. To this is added one-third of burnt 

 clay, or whatever may be at hand, such as vegetable refuse, the scourings of 

 ditches — after undergoing the process of burning. The plants are turned out of 

 the pots with the ball entire and are placed in the compost, which is firmly 

 pressed against the ball with the foot, to prevent rapid growth, a firm compact 

 stem being essential to support the noble spike of bloom which the double 

 flowering plants of the scarlet Brompton Stocks produce. 



" Complaints have been frequently made that the German varieties of the 

 Stock cannot be kept true to their kinds from seed saved in this country ; but 

 with the selected sorts which I have gTown, I have never found the least diffi- 

 culty, both in regard to the distinctness of the sorts, and the number of plants 

 producing double flowers; these, in fact, were equal to those in every respect 

 which were raised from imported seed. Every one acquainted with the culture 

 of the Stock must have observed the length of time it requires to mature its 

 seed ; hence, we seldom can obtain good seed from spring sown 10-week Stocks. 

 Besides, if several varieties are grown closely together, at the advanced period 

 of the season in which they bloom, most of the winged insects will have under- 

 gone their various transformations ; and their nectar-sipping propensities will 

 explain the cause of the complaint already alluded to. 



" It will, however, be expected that I should state the method I adopt to 

 obtain good seed to produce double flowering plants ; and here I would remark, 

 that the greatest difficulty is with the scarlet Brompton. It is well known that 

 abloom of the single Stock has only four petals, but where proper attention has 

 been previously paid to the saving of the seed, a disposition to double flowering 

 of the single ones will frequently take place ; the plants are, therefore, carefully 

 examined, and those flowers that have five or six petals are only allowed to pro- 

 duce seed pods ; but as it frequently happens that a sufficient number cannot 

 be obtained to produce a sufficient quantity of seed, those plants are selected 

 which grow beside double flowering ones. The first seven or eight blooms are 

 picked off from the bottom of the spike; the next seven are left to produce 

 seed-pods ; and to prevent exhaustion the upper part of the spike, after the pods 

 are well formed, is broken off. The lateral shoots continue to produce blossom, 

 but none are allowed to produce seed-pods. All that is. required in saving seed 

 from the 1 0-week, &c, is not to permit more than seven or eight, pods to mature 

 their seed on one plant ; after the seed is ripe, it is best preserved in the seed- 

 vessels until it is required to be sown." — Gardener? Chronicle. 



LONDON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, REGENT-STREET. 



June 3. 



Of new plants a very pretty variety of the handsome greenhouse plant Hindsia 

 violacea was produced by Messrs. Henderson, of Pine Apple-place. There was 

 no material difference between this and the species just mentioned, except in 

 the flowers, which instead of being of a fine porcelain blue were white, a colour 

 into which blue is very liable to change. It was said to be very fragrant, and 

 will no doubt form a very interesting variety. From the same collection was 

 also a yellow variety of Gompholobium polymorohum, a pretty twining New 

 Holland plant. A certificate was awarded for the Hindsia. — Messrs. Veitch 

 and Son, of Exeter, sent Calceolaria floribunda, a Peruvian species, having 

 small yellow flowers, and a cut specimen of a Eucalyptus, bearing little tufts of 

 white blossoms. The latter was said to have been taken from a tree 14 feet in 

 height, and was stated to have stood the winter, such as it is in Devonshire, 

 without injury, for six years in an exposed situation, in their nursery at Exeter. 

 All the kinds that have been tried having proved too tender to stand the severity 

 of the weather without protection in the Society's garden at Chiswick, and some 

 Eucalypti being much moie hardy than others, it is worth ascertaining in dif- 



