Cultivation of Lohdia. 5t 



varieties in a flower border in Scotland, and is supposed to be a hy- 

 brid between syphilitica, and either iulgens, or cardinalis. It has 

 never flowered in this vicinity till last season; and its rich, purple- 

 tinted blossoms form a fine contrast with the bright scarlet ones of 

 the other varieties. The syphilitica is a native of Virginia, with 

 flowers of a vivid sky blue; and when all five varieties are grown 

 strong in pots, and plunged in the border in separate masses, they form 

 one of the most magnificent objects to be seen among the whole 

 rantre of herbaceous perennials. 



The manner in which we treated them to flowei- in pots, was as 

 follows: — During February (about the middle of the month) we 

 took young plants, that had been potted off in small pots (JNo. 2, 

 about four inches in diameter) the preceding autumn, and had been 

 protected in a cool part of the green-house, and placed them where 

 they received the influence of the sun and light, in a warmer situa- 

 tion. After they had remained there a few days, we removed them 

 to a hot-bed, where the temperature was kept to about seventy-five 

 degrees during the day, and sixty-five degrees through the night; 

 the pots were plunged in the back part of the bed up to the rims, 

 and the plants were constantly watered. Air was given in consid- 

 erable quantity to prevent their drawing up weakly, which would 

 have materially injured them. In this situation they grew very rap- 

 idly, and formed strong plants ; as soon as the pots were filled with 

 the roots, which was in about six weeks (the first of April) after 

 they had been placed in the hot-bed, they were repotted into pots 

 of the third size, about five and a half inches in diameter, and again 

 plunged in the soil of the bed, somewhat nearer the glass than 

 before, that they might receive the full influence of the air that was 

 admitted. They were now watered more freely, with water warmed 

 to the temperature of the bed. In four or five weeks (about the 

 10th of May), they were again shifted into pots of the fourth size, 

 about seven and a half inches in diameter, and replaced in the hot- 

 bed. The plants were now very strong, with large, broad, deep 

 green, vigorous looking leaves, and with roots thrown out above the 

 soil, all round the base of the stem, eager to get nourishment and 

 food. The flower stalks also began to appear, and soon reached 

 nearly to the glass. As soon as they were thoroughly rooted after 

 the last shifting, they were taken from their situation, and removed 

 to the warmest part of the green-house. If there is no green-house, 

 they should be placed under a south wall during the day, and shel- 

 tered during the night. The flower stems advancing rapidly, and 

 the pots becoming full of roots, they were shifted for the last time 

 into large pots, of about ten inches diameter (sixth size), in which 

 they were intended to flower. They now required large quantities 

 of w^ater, and when they began to open their blossoms, pans were 

 placed under each pot and kept constantly filled. They were also 

 removed to a rather shady and cool situation, where they displayed 



