B R O 



B 



O 



As some of ihc kimls alsD grow on lonjj fuot- 

 sfalks, whicli are apt lo l)cin.l ilowii as tlic fruit 

 gcu litavy, tluy sliould he supportid bv small 

 slakes, or other niean-;, a<, v. lion the fruit falls 

 over, the stalks are liable ti be bruised, and the 

 nourishment of the fruit retarded. 



This sort of fruit loses inueh of its flavour 

 when sulfer^d to grow til! fullv ripe, where nol 

 prevented : it should therefore alwavs be cut 

 by the time it has attained a grcenlsh-yeilou- 

 colour; and either left in the heart of the old 

 plant, or hiid on the wall |ilate, Ike. in ihc stove, 

 for a few days after it has been .-iparatcd from 

 the stem. 



The signs of the fruit havina attained per- 

 fection, in most of the kinds, arc, those of its 

 assuming a line golden colour wilh a delisiht- 

 fully fragrant snieil, .at which time it should 

 always be removed ; the method of performinsi; 

 xvhich is, by leaving several niches of the steni 

 with it, and all the crown of leaves at the top. It 

 is eaten in the most perlection soon after beinsr 

 cut; but, when requisite, mav be preserved in 

 good order for several weeks, bv putting the 

 stem into a bottle of pure water, renewed cverv 

 two or three days, and placing it in a wcll-aircd 

 room, at about (Jo degrees of heat. 



The culture in the other species may be ef- 

 fected either by sowin^ the seeds obtained from 

 abroad in the autumn or spring months, in 

 pots plunged in the hot-beds of "the stove, or 

 by means of suckers in the maniK-r of the pine- 

 apple. 



They should be kept constantly in the stove, 

 v\ here thev aftbrd much variety. 

 BROOM. See Genista. ' 

 RROOM, African. See Asp.alathus. 

 BROOM, Garden, a collection of the small 

 twigs or other parts of birch, broom, heath, 

 or other similar trees or plants, bound up tight 

 together, having a stem or handle intro- 

 duced in the middle. The best sort for this 

 use are those formed of birch, which should 

 neither be too stiff nor too large. Brooms are 

 constantly m use, especially during the spring, 

 sumnKT, and autunmal seasons, for keeping 

 walks, plats of short or mown grass, and other 

 parts of ornamented grounds, perfectly clean. 

 Those intended for sweeping up cut grass or 

 leaves should be more slender and less bulky 

 than such as are employed on gravel or other 

 walks. In all cases the materials should be 

 fresh, and very firmly tied up together. 



BROWALLIA, a genus comprising plants 

 of the tender annual stove-kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Didynam'ia 

 Anglospvrmia, and ranks in. the natural order 

 of Lurjdce^ 



Thech-iractersof which arc: that the calj'x i» 

 a oue-lcafcd, tubular, short, live-loothcd,per'ma- 

 neiit |ierianthium : the toothlets a little unequal : 

 the corolla is monopelalous, funnel-form: the 

 tube cylindric, twice ax long as the calyx : the 

 border tlal, equal, and tive-cleft : the divisions 

 rounded and emarginate ; the uppci somewhat 

 large, constituting the upjier lip; the four oilier* 

 equal: the staiiiiua consist of four lilanienis 

 in the throat of the corolla; the two upper 

 shortest ; the lower broader and higher, colour- 

 ed, refle.x, closing the throat of the corolla: the 

 antliers are simple, bent in, and converiMii*; 

 the inner ones twui, the outer openina at the to(> 

 with a little hole, and closing the throat of tli^- 

 corolla; the pistiilum an ovate retuse germ: the 

 style filiform, the length of the tube of the co- 

 rolla: the stigma is thick and four-lobcd: the 

 pericarpium i.s an ov.ite, obtuse, one-celled cap- 

 sule, covered, bursting into four parts at th.: 

 top: the partition tliin and parallel: the seeds 

 numerous and small : the receptacle nearly co- 

 lumnar and compressed. 



The species are, 1. B. dnnhsa, Spreading 

 Browalha; e. B. elalu, Uprigiit Browaliia. 



The first n-ually grows about two fett high, 

 and spreads out into lateral branches, with oval 

 entire leaves, ending in a point, and on short 

 petioles. Towards tlic eiwl of the branches the 

 flowers are produced singly upon Ion"' axillary 

 peduncles. The corolla is crooked and bejit 

 downward ; the top of the tube is spread open, 

 and the briui ha-; some rescmbhince to a labiate 

 flower. It is of a bright but palc-blue colour, 

 sometimes inclining "to a purple or red; and • 

 often there are flowers of three colours on the 

 same plant. 



The second species rises aboiu the same heidit 

 as the first, but has stronger stalks, and sends 

 out a greater number of branches ; it is there- 

 fore much more bushy. The flowers are pro- 

 duced on axillary peduncles, some sustaining 

 one, others three or more flowers, of a dark- 

 blue colour. But, according to Mr. Curtis, it 

 is a much taller plant than the above, and 

 justice cannot be done to the brilliancy of the 

 corolla by any colours we have. It is a na- 

 tive of Peru, and flowers from July to Sep- 

 tember. 



Culture. — These plants may be raised annually 

 by sowing the seeds on a moderate hot-bed, in 

 the spring season ; and when the plajits are ot" 

 sufiicient growth they may be removed into se- 

 parate pots, filled with good mould, and plunged 

 in the stove, water being occasionally given^ 

 They flower the most pan of the summer, and 

 aflbrd ripe seed. 

 They are yerj* ornamenul plant?, especially 



