VOL 



VOL 



vercci with a quantity of stable dung, or long 

 litter, to prevent the roots from being injured 

 by the weather. And unless the plants are 

 wislied to produce a second crop, they must not 

 be pruned for good sooner than October ; and at 

 the same time, that operation should not be de- 

 ferred longer than the first of November, lest, 

 when tiiey begin to vegetate, they should bleed. 

 IJe coneludesoy observing, that grape vines will 

 bear forcing, and last for many years, when 

 under judicious management." 



Besides these modes of cultivating vines, they 

 are capable of being grown with advantages un- 

 der hand-glasses, so as to produce a few bunches 

 on each plant. 



The second species requires artificial heat in 

 this climate, and may be increased from seeds, 

 obtained from abroad, wdiich should be sown in 

 small pots, and be plunged into a hot-bed of 

 tanner's bark. When the plants come up and 

 are fit to remove, they siiould be each planted 

 out into a separate small pot filled with light 

 earth, and plunged into a fresh hot-bed, shading 

 them from the sun till they have taken new root ; 

 when they must be treated in the same way as 

 other tender exotic plants, always continuing them 

 in the stove, otherwise they will not succeed well. 



The third should be planted against a wall, 

 and treated in the same way as the common 

 vine, being raised by cuttings or layers in the 

 same manner. 



The fourth sort is preserved in some gardeiis 

 for variety ; but it rarely produces flowers in this 

 climate, and has not much beauty. It is increased 

 by laying down the young branches in the spring, 

 which mostly put out roots in one year fit to re- 

 move, when they may be taken off and planted 

 out where thcv are to remain. These require 

 support ; and as their young branches are ten- 

 der, and liable to be killed by frost, they should 

 be planted against a wall, or pale, exposed to the 

 south. The young shoots should be shortened 

 down to two or three buds in the spring, which 

 will cause the shoots of the follov^ing summer 

 to be much stronger. 



VOLKAMERIA, a genus furnishing plants 

 of the exotic tree kind. 



It belongs Lo the class and order Didjjnamia 

 Anglospermla, and ranks in the natural order of 

 PersonatcB,- 



The characters are: that the calyx is a one- 

 leated perianth, turbinate, five-cleft, nearly 

 equal, acute: the corolla monopetalous, ringent: 

 tube cylindiic, twice as long as the calyx : bor- 

 der five-parted, nearly equal, flat : segments 

 reflcxed to one side, gaping chiefly on the upper 

 side : the stamina have four filiform filaments, 

 very long, on the gaping side of the corolla: 

 anthers simple : the pistillum is a four-cornered 

 germ: style filiform, length of the stamens: 

 stigma bifid : one of the segments acute, the 

 other indistinct : the pericarpium is a berry 

 (drupe) roundish two-celled, four-grooved : the 

 seed, nut solitary, two-celled, grooved. 



The species cultivated are: 1. V. aculeata. 

 Prickly Volkameria : 2. K inermis, Ovate- 

 leaved Smooth Volkameria. 



The first is a shrub five or six feet high, 

 branched, upright, the whole loaded with white 

 flowers, which have no scent : the stamens most 

 commonly five, but sometimes six, purple: the 

 fruit brown. It is a native of the VVesc Indies. 



The second species has the leaves opposite, 

 annual, petioled, bluntish : the pedu- :les irom 

 the upper axils, opposite, solitary, a little shorter 

 than the leaf, three-cleft, three-uowcret!, more 

 seldom simple and one-flowered : it .ises higher 

 than the first sort : the stem and branches are 

 stronger, and grow more erect : the bark is very 

 white : the leaves frequently grow round the 

 branches in clusters or whorls : flowers on long 

 axillary peduncles, supporting several flowers 

 which generally stand erect. It is a native of 

 the East Indies. 



Culture. — These plants are increased by cut- 

 tino-s, which should be planted in pots filled 

 with light good mould, in the summer season, 

 plunging them in a moderate hot-bed, covering 

 them close with hand glasses : when they are 

 well rooted, they should be removed into sepa- 

 rate small pots, replunging them in the hot-bed 

 till they are fresh rooted ; then gradually inure 

 them to the open air in warm weather, conti- 

 nuino- them in warm sheltered situations in the 

 open air, till the approach of frosts, when they 

 must be taken into the house where there is a 

 moderate heat. They will not succeed in a com- 

 mon green-house. 



They afford ornainent among other more hardy 

 stove plants. 



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