M I R 



M I R 



Forked Mnrvel of I'tiu ; 3. M, longijiora, 

 Sweet-scented Marvel of Fern. 



The first has ;i thick tlcsh^' root : the stem 

 thick, upright, iiiucli branclicd, and divided 

 three feet or niore in height : the leaves arc broad, 

 obloniT, and opposite: flowers terniinatiiig, about 

 six, in clusters close together without any leaf- 

 lets between them, and not longer than the leaf. 

 It is perennial, and a native of both the Indies, 

 flowering from July to October. 



There are several varieties in the colour of the 

 flowers, as ptirple or red, white, yellow, variegat- 

 ed purple and white, and variegated purple and 

 yellow, but which resolve themselves into two 

 principal varieties; as with purple and white 

 flowers, which are variable ; some being plain 

 p(ir))le, others plain white, but most of them va- 

 riecraled with the two colours, and all found occa- 

 sionally on the same plant ; and with red and 

 yellow flowers, generally mixed, but sometimes 

 distinct on the same plant ; some plants having 

 only plain flowers, others only variegated, and 

 others again both plain and variegated: but the 

 plants which are raised from seeds of the purple 

 and white never produce red and yehow flowers, 

 or the contrary. 



All these varieties are highly ornamental du- 

 ring the months of July, August, and September, 

 and, when the season continues mild, often last 

 till near the end of October. The flowers open- 

 ing only towards the evening, while the weather 

 continues warm, but in moderate cool weather, 

 when the sun is obscured, they continue open 

 almost the whole day, and are produced so plen- 

 tifully at the ends of the branches, that when ex- 

 panded the plants seem entirely covered with them, 

 and from some being plain, others variegated, on 

 the same plant, have a fine ai)pcarance. 



The second species resembles tlie first sort 

 very much : the stalks have thick swollen joints : 

 the leaves are smaller: the flowers not much 

 more than half the size, and do not vary in their 

 colour from their natural purplish red : tlie fruit 

 is very rou<;h. It is a native of Mexico ; and com- 

 mon in the West Indies, where it is termed 

 the Four o'clock Flower, from the circumstance 

 of the flowers opening at that time of the day. 



In the third, the slalks fall on the ground, if 

 not supported ; they grow about three feet in 

 length, and divide into several branches; are 

 liairy and clammy: the flowers come out at the 

 ends of the branches, are white, have very long 

 ilender tubes, and a faint musky odour, as in 

 the other sorts ; are shut during the day, and ex- 

 pand as the sun declines: the seeds are larger 

 than those of the other species, and as rough as 

 those of the second sort. It is a native of 

 Mexico, flowering from June till September. 

 1 



CiillKre. — In all the sorts the propagation Is 

 eflected by sowing the seed in the spring season, 

 either on a warm border or m a hot -bed; 

 but the latter method produces the plants con- 

 siderably more early, and in the greatest per- 

 fection. 



When cultivated on warm south borders, in 

 the places where the plants are to remain, the 

 seed should be sown about the nnddle of April, 

 either in patches or in shallow drills, half an 

 inch deep, and six inches asunder : and when 

 the places can be covered with hand-glasses, or 

 a frame and lights, or the seed be sown in pots 

 under those jjrotections, or any other occasional 

 shelter during the night-time and in cold wea- 

 ther, it will greatly forward the germination of 

 the seed, as well as the growth of the young 

 plants afterwards. In the latter method, about 

 June, the plants will be fit to plant out into the 

 borders or into pots. Moist weather should be 

 cliosen for this purpose, and water and occa- 

 sional shade be given till well rooted : they theii- 

 readilv grow, and acquire a tolerable size ; but 

 they do not attain to a large size, or flower so 

 early by a month or six weeks as those forward- 

 ed in the hot-bed. 



In the latter method, a hot-bed should be 

 prepared in March, or early in April, under 

 frame and lights, and earthed over about six 

 inches deep , then sowing the seed in the 

 earth of the bed in shallow drills half an 

 inch deep, as directed above, or in pots of 

 rich earth the same depth, plunging them in the 

 earth of the bed. The latter is the better me- 

 thod. The plants soon rise; when they should 

 have fresh air daily, in common with the other 

 plants of the bed, and frequent refreshings of 

 water ; and when nearly two inches high, be 

 planted out into another fresh hot-bed to for- 

 ward them, placing them either in the earth of 

 the bed, four or five inches asunder, or singly 

 in small pots (thirty-twos), plunging them in 

 the bed ; water and shade should be immediately 

 given till fresh-rooted, continuing the care of 

 admitting fresh air every mild day; and about the 

 middle or latter end of May, when they have 

 acquired a good size and strength, they should 

 be inured by degrees to the full air, so as that 

 they may be removed into it fully about the be- 

 ginningof June, choosingmild cloudymoist wea- 

 ther, it~possible, for the business ; taking up such 

 as grow in the beds, with bails of earth about 

 their roots, and planting them in the borders ; but 

 those in pots may be turned out with the whole 

 ball entire, aud planted in that way. Some 

 should also be removed into large pots for moving 

 into particular situations. Water should be di- 

 rectly given, and occasional shade to such as 



