100 ON THE HARDINESS OF SOME LOBELIAS. 



scraped from bricks or walls, incorporated with loam ; then it was 

 roundly asserted that good, soft, or sandy loam, mixed up with frag- 

 ments of broken bricks, formed the most healthy bed for the roots. Other 

 writers, and practical gardeners, got rid altogether of lime rubbish, and 

 retained but little loam ; they advised, and many now use, the best or 

 richest " peat," as heat mould is called, with rotten manure, and give 

 water freely, in the growing season, with liquid manure. 



Be the soil what it may, certain it is, that it should be pressed 

 firmly around the roots with the hands, till the ball be solid and 

 compact ; and little or no water ought to be given between October 

 and April, during which period frost of two or three degrees will 

 little affect the plants ; good drainage is also premised. 



But we are sure that the herbage of Cacti (if so it may be called) is 

 greatly affected by the soil. In some collections one observes the 

 tint of almost every plant to be a dull, brownish green, and the tex- 

 ture flaccid ; in others, it is of a full deep verdure, with every appear- 

 ance of vigorous health. Conversing on this subject with a very suc- 

 cessful grower, one who had pre-eminently beautiful specimens of 

 Ejri'phijllum trvncatum grafted upon Pereskia aculeata, we were told 

 that " loam spoiled all the Cacti, and turned the plants brown." Our 

 experience for years tended to confirm this observation, but time has 

 not been given to confirm the truth of another remark, which we thus 

 communicate that our readers may experimentize for themselves. Our 

 friend said, " take equal quantities of very old black manure, and of 

 the strongest lime rubbish from old walls, the older the better ; mix 

 them thoroughly, and add about one-sixth of unctuous loam. In 

 this compost your plants will recover colour, be always green, and 

 bloom abundantly." At all events our informant's plants make good 

 his words ; and we shall attain our present object if this paper excite 

 the notice of observant and candid horticulturists. 



April, 1840.. 



ARTICLE III. 



ON THE HARDINESS OF SOME LOBELIAS. 



BY SCOTUS. 



As a knowledge of the power of plants to resist cold may be useful to 

 some of your readers, I beg to mention, that a gentleman sent me 



