318 , BRIEF REMARKS. 
into a brick red; the three inferior’ divisions smaller and straighter, 
the two lateral ones yellow dotted with red; that of the middle red. 
Tue Oxauis ror WinrerR FLowrertnc.—Few plants repay the 
care bestowed on them better than Oxalises. During the cold season 
of the year, they decorate the rooms, the windows, and the vestibules, 
with their charming flowers. The small Oxalis tricolor is especially 
attractive and interesting in the evenings and mornings, by its pretty 
twisted corollas, striped with red and white, and at noon by its elegant 
open limb. This flower presents the phenomenon of reproducing its 
buds every night, to expand and fade with the rays of the morning 
sun. On the other hand, Oxalis Bowei has its large rosy-purple 
flowers; Ovxalis variabilis, faithful to its name, gives us ‘grandifiora 
and the variety Simsii, so distinct by their fine milky-white flowers. 
Oxalis speciosa shines in the midst of its companions by its bright 
purple corollas: and besides these varied tints, Oxalis Emersonii, with 
its fine saffron-yellow flowers, is equally effective. In the garden of 
the learned Chevalier M. Michel Tenore, of Naples, there is the finest 
and most extensive collection to be found on the Continent. They are 
not grown, certainly, to large and heavy specimens, being not much 
more than six inches high; but they are very neat, and grown so 
thickly that they form a sort of leafy carpet, interspersed with brilliant 
flowers. With regard to the culture:—At the commencement of 
September, the tufts or roots begin to start. They should then be 
separated in order to multiply them, putting three or four pieces or 
little tufts in a middle-sized pot; unless it is preferred to have them in 
a box, or anything like a large flat vase, so as the better to imitate 
a flowery turf. The soil should be composed of peat, leaf-mould well 
decomposed, and sand, giving a third part of each. It should be made 
light and porous, so as to allow a free admission of air. In this mixture 
the roots are placed, about half an inch under the surface. They should 
be moderately watered, and removed to a warm and sheltered part of 
the garden. About the end of the month, the leaves will have begun 
to spring up. At the beginning of October, they are removed to the 
sill of the window which it is required to decorate. Here the essential 
conditions of their growth, and certain and continuing flowering, are 
the sun or light, air, and now and then a little tepid water. From 
October to March and April these pretty flowers are in all their per- 
fection. In the spring they should be removed to a cool place, where 
the late frosts will not injure or reach them. Even then they had 
better be kept rather dry than have a great deal of water. ‘Thus the 
routine necessary to have these flowers all the winter is very simple. 
— Ghent Annales. 
SALvIA PATENS.—It is not generally known, that the root of this 
plant can be treated in all respects as the Dahlia during winter, and 
be propagated in spring the same way. I grow it, as well as the pretty 
white variety, extensively in beds during summer, and the garden being 
protected from strong winds, it flourishes without the flowers being 
injured.—A. DB. 
