304 ON THK CULTURE OF SALPIGLOSSISES. 



I have at present (Sept. 6tli, 1850) a plant in bloom, on which tliere 

 are upwards of seventy-six blossoms, which in the heat of tlie day all 

 expand at once, and from its beautiful pink colour is very showy in the 

 front part of the border. I raised some plants under glass, and kept 

 them in the same place when in bloom. Tliis year I raised them in 

 th3 same manuer, but turned them out into the open border in May, 

 where I have found tliem quite as hardy as most other annuals. 



[Some time back we grew tiie Rhodanthe and Leptosiphon densiflorus 

 in pots for spring ornament, whicli succeeded admirably : we recom- 

 mend the plan to our readers. The method practised was to sow the seed 

 in autumn, and keep the plants in a dry cool frame or cool greenhouse 

 tin-ough winter ; and in April, May, June, and July they bloomed 

 profusely in tiie greenhouse, and were highly ornamental. Since then 

 the plan has been adopted in two of the London nurseries with very 

 great success. This summer we saw numerous pots of plants, near two 

 feet high, quite a mass of bloom, AYith our correspondent, we strongly 

 recommend the culture of the Rhodanthe both in pots and open borders, 

 and equally so the Leptosiphon, which, when sown in autumn and 

 l)loomed in pots in the greenhouse or conservatory, or a room window, 

 is so superior in the size and beauty of their blossoms to wliat is usual 

 in the open bed as scarcely to be known to be the same plant. — Con- 

 ductor.] 



ON THE CULTURE OF SALPIGLOSSISES. 



Br SIR. WILLIAM TAYLOR, OF ROSS. 



Fob the information of such of your readers as may be desirous of 

 cultivating this singuldrly beautiful family of plants, I send you an 

 account of a method I have practised with perfect success. 



Early in March I sow the seed, covering it about one-eighth of an 

 inch, in wide-mouthed and hollow pots, well drained, in a compost of 

 light yellow loam and heath mould in equal parts, adding about one- 

 sixth of fine white sand, and place them on a shelf close to the glass 

 in the stove (a cucumber bed might do, but on account of the damp 

 there, I prefer the stove), watering with a fine syringe, so as to keep 

 the .soil just moist. As soon as they have four leaves each, I pot them 

 into sixties, one in each, in the same compost, only adding a little fine 

 vegetable mould, taking care to drain M'eil A^ ith broken pots about the 

 size of peas. I place them again on the shelf before mentioned, shading 

 them until tliey can bear the light without flagging. 



As the plants advance in growth they are potted into larger pots four 

 times. I llower them in pots about six inches wide, and eight deep. 

 To cause them to flower strong, I remove them after the third potting 

 into a cold frame, facing the south, and on all fine days expose them, 

 by drawing off the lights, to the full air and sun. This makes them 

 grow stiif and bushy. When the greenhouse plants are removed into 

 their sunmier situation, I give the Salpiglossises their last potting, and 

 take them into the greenliouse, giving every day plenty of air, and I 

 find they flower much finer for the previous exposure. 



J 



