232 The Red Camoviile. 



one to the stigma of the other. This may be done in various 

 ways : either by bringing- the flower in contact, or by transfer- 

 ring the pollen on the point of a fine camel-hair pencil ; for vari- 

 ous reasons we prefer the former way, when cai-efully done. Af- 

 ter the operation is performed, which may be done two or three 

 times, to make sure, it is important that no contact with any 

 other flower be permitted, either by flies, bees, or otherwise ; to 

 prevent that, we advise a covering of very thin gauze, or other 

 similar material, until the petals have faded, then to be discon- 

 tinued. The plant must all the while be in such a situation as 

 that light, air, etc., ^^n\\ have free access, and due attention to 

 watering, so as to keep it in full health. 



In trying to gain a flower to the garden, it in general holds 

 good that seedlings from crossed flowers assume more of the 

 blossom of the male plant, and in general character and hardi- 

 ness the features of the mother, or seed-plant, prevail ; that is 

 worth recollecting, when endeavours to produce the inflorescence 

 of an exotic to stand our climate is the object of crossing. The 

 above rule will also apply in the case of plants of bad habit, as 

 many fine flowers often turn out. By attention and persever- 

 ance, the flowers of a plant of bad habit may be transferred to one of 

 the same family of fine habit, by impregnating the one of fine habit 

 with pollen from the one of bad habit. The exact flower, in form 

 and color, may not be produced, but a near approach may, and 

 often does turn out, and very frequently something much superior 



THE RED CAMOMILE (PYRETHRUM ROSEUM) FOR THE 

 DESTRUCTION OF INSECTS. 



For some years a vague report has reached us of a Caucasian, 

 plant having astonishing and eminently useful properties — that of 

 destroying fleas and bugs ; it was also known that this marvel- 

 lous plant belonged to the genus Pyrethrum, but the specific char- 

 acter was uncertain. This plant has been recently introduced into 

 Brussels, in the rich collections of the botanical garden. We 

 hope that in some years the red camomile shall have freed our peo- 

 ple from one of the most abominable ))lagues which afflict sensi- 



