B It O 



B R O 



As some of the kinds also grow on long foot- 

 stalks, which are apt to head down as the fruit 

 gets heavy, they should he supported by small 

 stakes, or other means, as, v. lien the fruit falls 

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

 nourishment of the fruit retarded. 



This sort of fruit loses much of its flavour 

 when suffered to grow till fully ripe, where not 

 prevented: it should therefore always be cut 

 bv the time it has attained a greenish-yellow 

 colour; and either left in the heart of the old 

 plant, or laid on the wall plate, kc. in the stove, 

 for a few days after it has been separated from 

 the stem. 



The signs of the fruit having attained per- 

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

 assuming a line golden colour with a delight- 

 fully fragrant smell, at which time it should 

 always be removed ; the method of performing 

 which is, by leaving several inches of the stem 

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

 is eaten in the most perfection soon after being 

 cut; but, when requisite, may be preserved in 

 good order for several weeks, by putting the 

 stem into a bottle of pure water, renewed every 

 two or three days, and placing it in a well-aired 

 room, at about 6*0 degrees of heat. 



The culture in the other species may be ef- 

 fected either by sowing 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 manner of the pine- 

 apple. 



They should be kept constantly in the stove, 

 where they afford much variety. 



BROOM. See Genista. 



RROOM, African. See Aspalathus. 



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 in use, especially during the spring, 

 summer, and autumnal seasons, for keeping 

 walks, plats of short or mown grass, and other 

 parts of ornamented grounds, perfectly clean. 

 Those intended for sweepinc; 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. 



BROWALLTA, a genus comprising plants 

 of the tender annual stove-kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Didynamia 

 Angiospermia, and ranks in the natural order 

 of Luridce^ 



The characters of which are : that the calyx is 

 a one-leafed, tubular, short, live-toothed, perma- 

 nent perianthium : the toothlets a little unequal : 

 the corolla is monopetalous, funnel-form: the 

 tube cylindric, twice as long as the calyx : the 

 border flat, equal, and five-cleft : the divisions 

 rounded and emarginate ; the upper somewhat 

 large, constituting the upper lip; the four others 

 equal: the stamina consist of four filaments 

 in the throat of the corolla; the two upper 

 shortest ; the lower broader and higher, colour- 

 ed, reflex, closing the throat of the corolla: the 

 anthers are simple, bent in, and converging; 

 the inner ones twin, the outer opening at the top 

 with a little hole, and closing the throat of the 

 corolla: the pistillum an ovate recuse germ : the 

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

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

 pericarpium is an ovate, obtuse, one-celled cap- 

 sule, covered, bursting into four parts at this 

 top: the partition thin and parallel: the seeds 

 numerous and small: the receptacle nearly co- 

 lumnar and compressed. 



The species are, 1. jB. demissa, Spreading 

 Brow-all ia; 2. B. elata, Upright Browallia. 



The first usually grows about two feet high, 

 and spreads out into lateral branches, with oval 

 entire leaves, ending in a point, and on short 

 petioles. Towards the end of the branches the 

 flowers are produced singly upon long axillary 

 peduncles. The corolla is crooked and bent 

 downward ; the top of the tube is spread open, 

 and the brim has some resemblance to a labiate 

 flower. It is of a bright but pale-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 about the same height 

 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 nar 

 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 plants are of 

 sufficient 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 part of the summer, and 

 afford ripe seed. 

 They are very ornamental plants^ especially 



