42 jVotes made during a Visit to 



upwards of six hundred seedlings, from one to six feet high, 

 none of which have yet flowered. We never saw heahhier 

 or stronger seedling plants, and from the great success which 

 he has had in raising seedlings, there must be many valuable 

 sorts among those which are yet to bloom. Of the character 

 of Bitmeyi sufficient has already been said (Vol. VII., p. 

 258,) to render any remarks here unnecessary. Mr. Smith 

 has raised hybrids between C. japonica var. and C. maliflora 

 Lindl. (^Sasdnqua L.) The plants have very dark and small 

 foliage. Tn speaking of the growth of seedlings, and the 

 kinds best adapted for that purpose, Mr. Smith stated that 

 he had used the old warratah in almost every instance; 

 and that all his fine varieties, including Binneyi, were raised 

 from it. He adopts the practice which we have before re- 

 commended, and which was tried by Mr. Knight, of fertiliz- 

 ing with the pollen of two or more kinds mixed together; 

 and it is generally his practice to take the pollen from eight 

 or ten fine sorts, and mix it thoroughly together with a 

 camel's hair pencil, and then apply it to the stigmas of the 

 seedling plants. This doctrine has been denounced by Dr. 

 Lindley, in his Theory of Horticulture, but whether founded 

 in truth or not, the results of Mr. Smith's practice are before 

 us, and certainly speak strongly in its favor. 



Mr. Smith has several strong plants of C. var. Binneyt, 

 nearly all of which are budded finely, and will bloom well the 

 coming season: he has had several very favorable offers for 

 the whole stock of it; and as he does not wish to be at the 

 trouble of propagating young plants, and at the same time is 

 desirous that amateurs may possess it, we presume he will 

 soon dispose of it to some of the enterprising nurserymen in 

 the city. Each of his other seedlings afl:brd rich flowers. 



But the plants which Mr. Smith feels most attached to are 

 the Cacti, of which he has undoubtedly the most rare and 

 unique collection in the country. Until we saw them, we 

 had no conception of the great interest which attaches to a 

 choice collection of this singular and splendid family. Among 

 the number, he possessed many new echinocactuses, beautiful 

 from their form, and the disposition of their spines; several 

 of the Cereus senilis, or Old man's cactus, and a great num- 

 ber of seedlings. Mr. Smith's acquaintance in the West 

 Indies and South America has enabled him to procure a great 

 portion of the fine species which abound in those places. 



