134 BRIEF REMARKS. 



lift them, and divide them into pieces, and plant them in a shady border 

 with decayed leaf-mould and sand in equal parts. — Cottage Gardener. 



Propagation of Bourbon, Noisette, and China Roses, also 

 of many of their Hybrids. — Make cuttings of the last year's shoots, 

 about six inches long, cutting horizontally across close under a 

 bud, or, which is better, exactly where the last year's shoot pushed 

 from. A bed should be prepared on the north side of a wall, or similar 

 shady place, throwing out the soil a foot deep, and filling in four inches 

 deep with sifted coal-ashes; upon which place a layer of three inches 

 of good loam and leaf-mould, and fill up the remainder with a good 

 moist sand. This being made firm the cutiings must be inserted, and 

 then a liberal watering to settle the sand around the cuttings. No 

 other attention will be necessary, unless the weather be dry, when a 

 sprinkling over the tops with water, by means of a syringe or fine water- 

 spout, should be given early in the morning for the first fortnight. 

 AVith such treatment I last year raised more than five hundred plants 

 from the refuse of my Rose-prunings. — An Amateur Grower. 



Acacias. — The genus Acacia, as now restricted, still contains about 

 four hundred described species, which are extensively diffused within 

 the tropics of the old and new world ; they are also found in some 

 extra-tropical countries, especially in Australia, which country alone 

 contains more than one-half of the known species. Tliis genus, in its 

 normal or typical form, has conjugate and variously pinnated leaves, 

 which character is common to all the species in their nascent or seedling 

 state, and is permanent with about one-half in all stages of their existence ; 

 the other species soon lose their true leaves, their place being supplied 

 by the petioles, which take various forms, assuming the appearance and 

 performing the functions of leaves. In a few instances the true leaves 

 may be seen borne on the apex of a broad leaf-like petiole ; but the 

 latter is readily known by its not having an upper and an under surface 

 (as in true leaves), the two sides being vertical and uniform. With 

 the exception of two or three species, the leafless group are all natives 

 of Australia. They are found upon all the coasts, and equally diffused 

 in the interior ; and by their numbers they form a leading feature of 

 the vegetation, some of the species, by their glaucous and hoary aspect, 

 giving a peculiar character to the landscape, generally indicative of an 

 arid country. As the seeds of Acacias, like those of most of the Legu- 

 minosae, are not easily destroyed by long voyages; many of the species 

 have from time to time been introduced into this country, more 

 especially from the extra-tropical parts of Australia; as they are, also, 

 of easy cultivation, and many of them of robust growth, and very showy 

 when in flower, they have become favourites in the greenhouse, and for 

 planting in large conservatories. 



Best Soil for Roses. — A strong loam, half a yard deep, having a 

 dry substrata, exactly suits the Rose. In any other the plants soon 

 perish. They r delight in a cool soil, but a stagnant wet bottom is fatal 

 to them ; therefore drain well in such places. 



Peat Charcoal. — This is valuable as an element of manure, for 

 which some of its properties eminently fit it. It appears to possess the 

 property of absorbing gases to a very considerable degree, a power to 



