92 BRIEF REMARKS. 



plants. This Heath may be planted in the ordinary flower-borders, 

 using as a substitute for peat or heath-mould one half finely sifted, pure 

 unfermented leaf-mould (dive.>ted of its earthy matter), tlie remainder 

 equal portions of fine river or white sand and sandy-loam, well mixed. 

 This compost should be well pressed previous to the plants being firmly 

 planted in it. It is sold at a very trifling price, and deserves to be 

 grown near every dwelling-house. 



Campanula pyramidalis. — The time for potting off" plants for 

 blooming this season is now arrived, and I beg to call the attention of 

 the readers of this JMagazine to its culture. It has long been a great 

 favourite of mine, and I iiave annually, for the last twenty years, had 

 splendid floral specimens as inmates in my sitting and dining rooms, as 

 well as the greenliouse, and others placed in vases, which are suitably 

 disposed of as ornaments to an elevated stone terrace. I grow the 

 species with blue flowers as well as the white variety, and by placing 

 the former in the shade in my rooms, just before the blossoms expand, 

 they become a very delicate, handsome French white. Thus 1 have 

 the three contrasts. I pot off suckers, or seedlings, each spring, and 

 grow them vigorously during the year, placing them in a cool pit- 

 frame during winter. At the latter part of February I pot off a suf- 

 ficient number into their blooming pots, which are eigiiteen inches 

 across the mouth and twenty-four deep, giving a free drainage, and in 

 a compost of one-year old rotten dung and old turfy-loam, in equal 

 parts, witli about one-half of the proportion of either of tlie others of 

 turfy-peat. When there are any ofl^sets to the plant, previous to re- 

 potting I take off what are unnecessary to be kept, in most cases only 

 retaining the central steiu and but three at most of any side ones. 

 After being thus potted off, I place them in a pit-frame that is heated 

 on the hot-water system, with three-inch piping. In this situation I 

 keep them till the main stem is pushed two feet or even a yard high, 

 and having a little warmth, and the pit being rather deep, the main 

 stem soon runs up to that height. I then remove them into the green- 

 house, which is what is usually termed a lourm one, being adjoining 

 my drawing-room, from which is an entrance. I have it always well 

 furnished with flowers, to eftect which it is heated by hot- water 

 piping. I have grown splendid specimens, from seven to nine feet 

 high, with numerous side-shoots, forming a pyramidal pillar of beauty, 

 and most amply repaying for the attention given. I water with liquid 

 manure every third time after the centre stem begins to push. 



The Ranunculus. — This has been my favourite pet flower for many 

 years, and I have been much gratified to notice the increasing interest 

 which is taking place to promote its more general cultivation. What 

 has operated against its universal culture has been the failures of some 

 to manage it successfully. Now my means are very simple ones, almost 

 as easy as growing a common vegetable for the kitchen, and I have 

 succeeded well for the last dozen years. My object, however, in this 

 communication is to invite the attention of all growers to keep a record 

 of the treatment of their present beds, extending from their formation, 

 as to the nature of the compost, time and manner of planting, successive 

 treatment, the time of blooming, size of the flowers, the names of each, 



