212 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Answer to " A Constant Reader," page 163. — The shoots of Azalea 

 indica, when removed to the greenhouse, are from three to six in.hes long-, 

 and some considerably longer; but as the flowers are produced on the end of 

 the annual shoots, it is immaterial how long they are, providing the plants are 

 large enough. — I find the (Jhent Azaleas to grow best in heath mould, with a 

 small portion of tree leaf soil and sandy loam, planted either with the other 

 hardy kinds or iu a bed by themselves. In forming the bed, care should be 

 taken to have it on a dry bottom, as I find they will not do in a bed that 

 holds too much wet about their roots in winter, when in their dormant state ; 

 but in summer they will require a plentiful supply of water, more particularly 

 when in flower, if the weather proves dry. Shoots growing from the stocks I 

 remove as they appear. John Menzies. 



Hupe House, Halifax, Sept. Uth, 1833. 



Answer respecting the Ct'LTiVATiON of the Tigridia pavonia. — I 

 beg to state that 1 have cultivated these beautiful and showy flowers for several 

 seasons with uniform success by the following means : — I take up the roots in 

 October, and tie them in bunches of six or seven together. I then hang 

 them in a dry room free from frost, till Alarch, when I select the largest roots, 

 and put them in 48 or 32 pots, in a rich compost, four or five iu each pot. I 

 stand the pots in a slight hot-bed or a grapery that is forcing, till the plants 

 are four or five inches high, when they are removed into a greenhouse or 

 cold frame to harden. About the end of May, I turn them out into a bed of 

 rich soil iu an open situation, and I have never failed iu obtaining a good 

 bloom. Edward Edwards. 



Staines, Sept. 5lh, 1833. 



REMARKS. 



On Iris's Observations, page 10(5. — The mean and contemptible obser- 

 vatious of Iris, page \66 of the Flvriciiltiiml Cnbincl, and the "abundant 

 supply" of unnecessary acid matter" which they contain, proves in itself the 

 liecessity of better prepared, and ceitainly less exciting, compositions; the 

 more particularly so, as it is presented as a sample calculated to produce 

 well-grown literary plants. 



The eminent endowments, both natural and acquired, of this wonderful 

 luminary, may very probably render it unnecessary for me to inform him that 

 1 am one of those who "are in general more conversant with the spade than 

 the pen." I do not, therefore, feel ashamed to confiss that my obtuse under- 

 standing leaves me somewhat at a loss to comprehend the following quotation, 

 which I beg leave to make from his admirable paragraph : — "If gardeners 

 were literary men, wliich without disparagement it must he confessed iu gene- 

 ral they are not, I should raise my voice against Snowdrop's proposal of 

 applying the pruning-knife." 



To an illiterate gardener this indeed appears strange logic, but to literary 

 men it will of course be qui e intelligible, and " tliey ought to be thankful to 

 him for the suggestion"; and being now under his sole protection, they may 

 write as much nonsense as they please. Should Snowdhop, or any one else, 

 attempt " to lop oft" the straggling shoots of their literary plants," even if 

 " it would save a deal of rigmarole,' — this wurllif/ would imm-diately raise 

 his voice against so unreasonable a proposal; and why! A\hy ! — They are 

 literary men, to be sure — a very satisfactory reason. 



The rude, arrogant, and uncharitable spirit iu which the paragraph iu 

 question has been written, reflects but little ciedit on its author. It is a fact 

 "iufliciently notorious, and I state it without fear of contradiction, that gar- 

 deners have never yet been very guilty of intruding any communications on 

 the public, much less useless ones; and therefore so unqualified a reprimand 

 is, to say the least of it, uncalled for. K. Marnock. 



Bretlon Hall, Sept. l-itli, 1833. 



On Innovator's Article on the Pink. — I observe an article on the Pink, 

 by Innovator, inserted at page 146 ol the Magazine. Having carefully read 

 the paper, I cannot help stating my surprise at its contents, and am led to 

 conclude that bis statements are ouly the result of theory, and not of practice. 



