PTE 



488 



PUT 



ferns. Division and seed. Sandy loam short period, we believe, in charge of 



the Hamilton collection, at the Wood- 

 lands, near Philadelphia. His "Flora 

 Septentrionalis, or a systematic arrange- 

 ment and description of the plants of 

 North America," is a standard work, 

 and evinces his thorough acquaintance 

 with the subject. But little is known 

 of Pursh's personal history. 



PURSLANE. Portulaca. 



P. oleracea. Green, or Garden Purs- 

 lane. 



P. saliva. Golden Purslane. 



Soil and Situation. — A light rich soil 

 is the one in which they thrive most, 

 and they must have a warm situation, 

 as a south border. Sow in February 

 and early in March, in a moderate hot- 

 Cuttings. ' bed, to remain where sown ; and at the 

 close of March, and once monthly, 

 during April, May, and the summer 

 months until the end of August, in the 

 open ground. 



Sow in drills six inches apart, very 

 thin, and abouthalf an inch deep. The 

 plants soon make their appearance. 

 They must be kept clear of weeds, and 

 thinned to six or eight inches asunder. 

 In dry weather water is required mode- 

 rately two or three times a week. 



In general, they are ready forgather- 

 ing from in six weeks after sowing, the 

 young shoots being made use of from 

 two to five inches in length, and the 

 plants branch out again. 



The hot-bed crops require the air to 

 be admitted as freely as possible, the 

 temperature ranging between 50" and 

 75°. 



To obtain Seed. — As a small quantity 

 will suffice for the largest family, a few 

 of the earliest border-raised plants must 

 be left ungathered from ; the strongest 

 and largest leaved being selected; they 

 blossom in June and July. They must 

 be cut immediately the seed is ripe, laid 

 on a cloth, and when perfectly dry, 

 thrashed. The refuse is best separated 



and peat 



PTEROCARPUS. Eight species. P. 

 scandens is a stove climber, and the 

 others stove evergreen trees. Young 

 cuttings. Rich light loam. 



PTEROCEPHALUS. Four species. 

 P. dumitorum is a green-house ever- 

 green shrub, the others are hardy an- 

 nuals; the first is increased by cuttings, 

 and all by seed. Light loam. 



PTERODISCUS speciosus. Stove tu- 

 ber. Division. Rich sandy loam. Pro- 

 bably half-hardy. 



PTERONEURON. Two species. 

 One herbaceous, the other annual ; 

 both hardy. Seed. Light loam. 



PTERONIA. Nine species. Green 

 house evergreen shrubs. 

 Loam and peat. 



PTEROSPERMUM. Six species. 

 Stove evergreen trees. Cuttings. Sandy 

 loam and peat. 



PTEROSTYLIS. Twelve species. 

 Green-house orchids. Division. Sandy 

 loam and peat. 



PTILOSTEPHIUM. Two species. 

 Hardy annuals. Seed, in a hot-bed; 

 and seedlings planted in light open 

 border. 



PUCCOON. Sanguinaria. 



PUDDLING. See Mudding. 



PUERARIA. Two species. Green- 

 house evergreen climbers. Cuttings. 

 Sandy loam and peat. 



PULMONARIA. Eight species. 

 Hardy herbaceous. Division. Light 

 loam. 



PULTEN.^A. Fifty species. Green- 

 house evergreen shrubs. Half-ripe cut- 

 tings. Sandy loam and peat. 



PUMPKIN. Cucurbita pepo. See 

 Gourd. 



PUNICA. Pomegranate. Two spe- 

 cies, and several varieties. Half-hardy 

 deciduous shrubs. All are increased 

 by cuttings and layers, and the less 

 common by grafting on the more com 



mon. Light rich loam. The fruit of by means of a very fine sieve 



the common pomegranate. P. grana^um, 

 ripens well against a south wall. 



PUNNET. See Basket. 



PURSBIA tridentata. Hardy ever- 

 green shrub. Cuttings. Light well 

 drained loam. 



PUR.SH, FREDERICK, was a native 

 of Germany, and is distinguished as an 

 early classifier of our native vegetal)les 



PURSLANE-TREE. Portulacaria. 



PUSCHKINIA sciUoides. Half-hardy 

 bulb. Offsets. Sandy loam. 



PUTTY is a compound of boiled lin- 

 seed oil and whiting, but as it may be 

 bought in London at half-a-guinea per 

 cwt., it is scarcely worth the gardener-s 

 while to make it. One hundred weight 

 is enough for puttying about three hun- 



He immigrated to the United States dred square feet of glass 



somewhere about 1800, and was for a , Old putty may be softened by apply- 



