A L O 



A L O 



with their edges the same way. The flowers 

 are produced in short loose spikes, are of a red 

 colour, and appear at different times of the 

 year. 



The tenth species, or Partridge-breast Aloe, is 

 a low plant, seldom rising above eight inches in 

 height. The leaves are triangular, and turn back 

 at their cNtremities ; they are fleshy and entire, 

 their edges being very slightly serrated, being 

 curiously veined and spotted, somewhat like the 

 feathers on a partridge's breast. The flowers 

 grow in very loose spikes, upon stalks about one 

 Foot high; thev are of a line red colom-, tipped 

 with green. The corolla is flesh-coloured, with 

 a sexlid mouth, the three inner divisions alter- 

 nate, spreading ; the stamens bending down, and 

 the stigma simple. 



A variety of this has been raised, from seeds 

 received from the Cape of Good Hope, by pro- 

 fessor Martyn, in which the leaves were broader, 

 and spreading much more than those of the for- 

 mer; but which were not so beautifully spotted, 

 the flower-stalks growing much taller. 



The eleventh species grows near a foot high, 

 and is furnished with triangular leaves from the 

 ground upwards ; which are of a dark green co- 

 lour, and placed in form of a triangle : the flow- 

 ers grow thinly on very slender peduncles, they 

 are of a herbaceous colour, and their upper part 

 turns backward. 



The twelfth grows somewhat like the last, 

 being beset with leaves from the bottom; but 

 which are rounder, and end in sharp points-: the 

 flowers grow upon taller stemsj which branch 

 out and produce long close spikes. 



A variety of this has been raised from seeds, 

 which is much larger, the leaves thicker, and 

 the stem taller. 



The thirteenth species, or Cushion Aloe, has 

 very short, thick, succulent leaves, which are 

 compressed on their upper side lik* a cushion ; 

 hence its name. It grows very close to the 

 ground, and puts out suckers on every side : the 

 flowers come out on slender stalks, and are of 

 a herbaceous colour. It nuich resembles the 

 second species, but is very different in the spike, 

 and figure of the flowers. 



In the fourteenth species the stem is round, 

 leafy at the top, three or four feet high, the 

 thickness of the arm. The leaves subverticil- 

 late, broad at the base, gradually dra^vn to a 

 point, channelled, acute, with remote teeth, 

 spreading, two feet long. The flowers are in 

 very close spikes, spreading horizontally, a foot 

 in breadth. It has a single bracte under each 

 flower, ovate, acute, broad, membranaceous, 

 white with three green streaks, a lUlie shorter 



than the corolla, which is bcU-shaped, almost 

 six-petalled ; the three inner segments not con- 

 nected, broader, ovate, blunt, white with three 

 green lines ; the three outer connected with the 

 others at the base, narrower and less concave, 

 hut like them. The flower is full of a purple 

 honey juice. 



Cidliire. — The propagation of these plants is 

 effected in different methods according to their 

 nature. As many of the roots afibrd plentiful 

 supplies of suckers or oflsets from their roots, 

 they may be easily raised in that way. And in 

 those which do not possess this property, it may 

 be often accomplished by taking ott' some of the 

 under leaves >X'hcre ripe seeds can be procured 

 thev may also be raised in that method. 



But in order to the successful cultivation of 

 the aloe in this climate, it is necessary that it 

 have a proper soil prepared for it. This should 

 be constituted of about one-half of iresh, good, 

 light mould, which has a considerable proportion 

 of decayed vegetable matter in it, and one-fourth 

 part of sea sand, or the scrapings of turnpike roads 

 after they are become dry and of a sandy nature, 

 with an equal quantity of effete lime, such as the 

 siftingsof lime rubbish. These substances should 

 be intimately incorporated and blended together 

 by frequent turning over with the spade : and to 

 render them perfectly mellow, and suitable for 

 the purpose, they should be suffered to remain 

 in tins state of mixture for eight or twelve 

 months before they are made use of. 



With this earthy compost some very small 

 pots are to be filled in a pretty close manner. 

 The suckers, offsets, or root-leaves, are then to 

 be planted out separately in these pots of earth, 

 which should be lightly pressed round them. The 

 most proper season for performing the work is 

 about the middle of July, w hen the old plants are 

 shifted. The suckers or other parts, which are 

 to be made use of as sets, should be taken off 

 from the old plants with great care; and when 

 they appear in any degree moist on the part 

 where they were separated, it will be necessary 

 to put them by in some dry place out of the 

 ground for a few days before they are planted 

 out, in. order that they may be rendered so dry 

 as to prevent, their rotting; and in cases where 

 leaves-are emplovcd, till the succulent parts that 

 are wounded in. their n moval be healed over. 

 After being pl.inted out in the pots, they should 

 be slightly~watered, and then set m some shady 

 situation for about a fortnight; after which the 

 more tender sorts may be removed into a very 

 moderate hot-bed, being plunged up to the rims. 

 By this means thev strike new root more readily. 

 But here it will likewise be necessary to shatii'. 



