POL 



POL 



large enough to blow may be planted and ma- 

 naged as directed below, and the smaller roots 

 planted again in a nursery-bed, to have another 

 year's growth ; afterwards planting them out for 

 flowering. 



The roots of these plants are mostly sold at the 

 rate of about twelve or fifteen shillings per hun- 

 dred, care being taken always to procure as large 

 roots as possible, as on this depends the success 

 of having a complete blow. 



Tn order to blow them in a perfect manner, 

 they require artificial heat in this climate, and 

 should be planted in pots, and plunged in a 

 hot-bed, under a deep frame, furnished with 

 glass lights; or placed in a hot-house, where 

 they may be blowed to the greatest perfection, 

 with the least trouble. 



The principal season for planting them is as 

 above : but in order to continue a long succes- 

 sion of the bloom it is proper to make two or 

 three different plantings, at the interval of about 

 a month. 



Where dung hot-beds are employed, six 

 inches depth of earth, or old tan, should be 

 laid, in which to plunge the pots; but if bark or 

 tan be used, no earth is necessary, as the pots 

 may be plunged immediately into the. bark. 

 Having the hot-beds ready, and the roots pro- 

 vided, and some proper sized pots, twenty-fours, 

 one for each root, fill the pots with light rich 

 earth ; and, after having divested the roots of all 

 loose outer skins, and all off-sets, plant one in 

 each pot, in depth, so as the top of the root be 

 about an inch below the surface of the earth, 

 plunging all the pots in the hot-bed close toge- 

 ther, or so that the bed may contain the num- 

 ber required ; and as soon as they are all thus 

 placed, put on the lights of the frame. 



In the hot-house method, the pots of roots 

 as above should be plunged to their rims in 

 the bark-bed, or placed in the front part of the 

 house ; but the former is the better method. 



They afterwards require to have a portion of 

 fresh air daily admitted, by tilting the upper 

 ends of the lights, keeping them close down on 

 nights ; also moderate waterings, which how- 

 ever should be applied very sparingly, till the 

 roots begin to shoot, when repeat them mode- 

 derately as occasion may require, taking care 

 when the shoot begins to advance to admit 

 fresh air more freely, in proportion, to strength- 

 en the stems, according as they advance in 

 height ; and when they have risen near the 

 glasses, it is proper to deepen the frame, cither 

 by the addition of another at top, or by raising 

 it at bottom six or eight inches, in order to give 

 the stems sufficient room to shoot to their full 

 stature, repeating this once or twice, as the 



growth of the plants renders it necessary, still 

 assisting them with plenty of water, and a large 

 portion of fresh air daily, either by raising one 

 end of the lights as above ; or when the plants 

 are advanced some tolerable height, and in the 

 warm season, the lights may be taken away 

 entirely, occasionally, in fine mild davs, which 

 will strengthen and inure them gradually to the 

 full air : but always draw on the lights again to- 

 wards the evening, or at the approach of a 

 sharp air, cold blasts, or heavy rains ; but as the 

 summer approaches begin to expose them fully, 

 only giving occasional shelter in cold nights or 

 very wet weather, either by the glasses, or mats 

 supported on hoop arches, till they besrm to 

 flower, which will be about the middle or latter 

 end of June, or beginning of July; when the 

 plants in their pots may be removed where 

 wanted ; either to adorn any of the garden com- 

 partments, or any apartment of the house, a 

 tall straight stake being placed to each plant, 

 to fasten the stem to for support. 



The plants must still be duly supplied with 

 water all the time of their bloom, as every other 

 day, or oftener, in very hot dry weather. 



Sometimes roots when planted in May in the 

 full ground, will shoot tolerably strong, and 

 produce flowers in autumn. 



They are all highly ornamental, but especially 

 the single and double sorts, among other tender 

 potted plants. The dwarf and variegated sorts 

 also afford a fine variety. 



POLYANTHUS. See Primula. 



POLYANTHUS-NARCISSUS. See Nar- 

 cissus. 



POLYGALA, a genus containing plants of 

 the woody, under shrubby, and herbaceous per- 

 ennial kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Diadelphia 

 Octandria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 hoinentacece . 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 leaved, small perianth : leaflets ovate, acute : 

 two below the corolla, one above that, and two 

 in the middle, subovate, flat, very large, co- 

 loured, (the wings) permanent : the corolla sub- 

 papilionaceous : standard almost cylindrical, tu- 

 bular, short, with a small reflex mouth, bifid : 

 wings; keel concave, compressed, ventri- 

 cose towards the tip : appendix of the keel, in 

 most of the species two three-parted pencil- 

 shaped bodies, fastened to the keel towards the 

 tip : the stamina have diadelphous filaments 

 (eight connected) inclosed within the keel : an- 

 thers eight, simple : the pistillu-ni is an oblong 

 germ : style simple, erect : stigma terminating, 

 thickish, bilid : the pericarpium is an obcordate 

 capsule, compressed with an acute margin, two- 



