P R I 



visable to pinch off tlic smallest and weakest, 

 in order to render the blossoms of that which 

 remains larger and more vigorous. And when 

 the flowers (pips) become turgid and begin to ex- 

 pand, the plants should be selected from the 

 rest, removing them to a calm shady corner, 

 suspending small hand-glasses over them. 



In this culture the stages for the pots to stand 

 on whilst in bloom slmuld have a northern 

 aspect, and should consist of four or five rows 

 of shelves, rising one above another, the roof 

 bein>T covered with frames of glass ; the tallest 

 blowing plants being placed behind, and the 

 shortest in front. The plants must be regu- 

 larly watered two or three times every week 

 during the blooming season. 



AlTthcse plants are highly ornamental ; the 

 former in beds and border's, and the latter sorts 

 among curious potted How ering plants. 



PRINCE'S FEATHER. See Amaranthus. 

 PRINCE'S WOOD. See Cordia and Ha- 

 muli a. 



PRINOS, a genus containing plants of the 

 deciduous and evergreen shrubby sorts. 



It belongs to ilie class and order He.randria 

 Monoaynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 J)u)nos(B. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianth, half-six-eleft, flat, very small, 

 permanent : the corolla one-petalled, wheel- 

 shafied : tube none : border six-parted, flat : 

 se'-ments ovate: the stamina have six awl- 

 shaped filaments, erect, shorter than the corolla : 

 anthers oblong, blunt: the pistillum is an ovate 

 germ, ending in a style shorter than the stamens, 

 and an obtuse stigma: the pericarpium is a 

 roundish berry, six-celled, much larger than 

 the calyx : the seeds solitary, bony, obtuse, con- 

 vex on one side, angular on the other. 



The species cultivated are : I. P. verticillata, 

 Deciduous Winter Berry ; 2. P. glabra, Ever- 

 green Winter Berry. 



The first rises with a shrubby stalk to the 

 height of eight or ten feet, sending out many 

 ■branches from the sides the whole length : the 

 leaves are lanceolate, about three inches long, 

 and one inch broad in the middle, terminating 

 in an acute point, of a deep green, veined on 

 the under side, alternate on the branches upon 

 slender footstaifcs: the flowers come out from 

 the side of the branches, single or two or three 

 at each joint : the berries are the size of those 

 of HoUv, turning purple when ripe. It flowers 

 in July. 



The second species has leaves alternate, peti- 

 ©led, oblong, of a firm texture, smooth, acute: 

 there are conmionly two serratures towards the 

 tip : the peduncles axillary, small, commonly 



PRO 



three-flowered. It is of lower growth than the 

 preceding ; the leaves are shorter and serrate at 

 their points only. It is a native of Canada, 

 flowering in July and August. 



Culture. — In these plants it is effected by 

 seeds, sown soon after they are ripe, or early in 

 the spring, upon a bed of light earth, covering 

 them about half an inch with the same sort of 

 earth : but the seeds which are put into the 

 ground in the autumn will many of them come 

 up the following spring, while those which are 

 kept longer out'of the ground, often remain a 

 whole year before the plants appear, as in Holly, 

 Hawthorn, and some others. The seeds may 

 be forwarded in their growth by means of a hot- 

 bed. When the planls have sufficient strength 

 they should be planted out, some in nursery- 

 rows and others in pots. They delight in a 

 moist soil and a shady situation. In hot land 

 they make little progress, and rarely produce 

 any fruit. 



They are ornamental, and afford variety in the 

 pleasure-grounds and among potted plants. 

 PRIVET. See LiGUSTRUM. 

 PRIVET, MOCK. See Phil LYRCA. 

 PROTEA, a genus containing plants of the 

 ornamental shrubby exotic kind. 



It belongs to the' class and order Tetrandria 

 Monogijnia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 j4ilgregat(B. 



"the characters are : that the calyx is a com- 

 mon perianth, usually imbricate : scales perma- 

 nent, various in form and proportion : perianth 

 proper none : the corolla universal uniform : 

 jiroper one, two or four petalled, with the pe- 

 tals different in figure : the stamina have four 

 filaments, inserted into the petals below the 

 tip: anthers linear : the pistillum is a superior 

 germ, awl-shaped or roundish : style filih>rni : 

 stigma simple : there is no pericarpium: calyx 

 unchanged. 



The species cultivated are : 1 .P. conifera. Cone- 

 bearing Protea ; 2. P. argeniea, Silvery Protea. 

 There are several other species that may be 

 cultivated for variety. 



The first has a stem erect, three feet high, 

 with branches in whorls and subdivided: the 

 leaves terminated by a concave smooth gland : 

 the cone tomentose' ovate, the size of a pea ; 

 the branches are in whorls and again subdivided, 

 the leaves elliptic, the cone of flowers tomen- 

 tose, and the floral leaves concolour. 



The second species has a strong upright stalk, 

 covered with a purplish bark, dividing into se- 

 veral branches which grow erect: the leaves 

 broad, shining, silvery, making a fine a]ipear- 

 anee, when the plant is intermixed with other 

 exotics. It flowers in August. 

 2 M ^2 



