296 Notes and Gleanings. 



Mr. Tilton : Dear Sir, — Having a liking for the "curious and rare '" as well 

 as for the '-common beautiful," I was tempted last March, after reading an arti- 

 cle in one of my volumes of the Journal on the treatment of Musa Caveiidishii, 

 or Dwarf Banana, to invest in one, and try my luck with it, although utterly 

 without that prime necessity in growing " things tropical," a stove, or its next- 

 door neighbor, a greenhouse. I acted upon my resolve directly, and the next day 

 was the possessor of the most infinitesimal specimen of tropical verdure I had 

 ever seen. I immediately repotted the little treasure in a very rich compost, 

 using old cow-manure in considerable quantity. To my delight, new leaves 

 commenced forming ; one followed another in quick succession, the stem grow- 

 ing proportionately larger with each leaf. Discovering the roots growing through 

 the bottom of the pot one day, when admiring my special pet, I again gave it 

 a shift ; this time into a tub twenty-five inches in diameter by twenty inches in 

 depth, using guano as a stimulator, mixing it with the soil, besides using it in 

 solution once a week. The plant seemed to have received quite a check from 

 the shift, as it grew little or none till the roots reached the sides of the tub ; then 

 it started, forming leaves of large size with wonderful rapidity, many being 

 perfected in five days : and at this time my dubious little specimen of March 

 is nearly three feet high, with an unexpanded leaf in the centre, which, when 

 full grown, will carry its height above three feet. From the time of its receipt, 

 I have kept it in a glass enclosure, facing the east and south ; the sash having 

 doors on one side, which have been open since June, allowing the air free circu- 

 lation. I have shaded it by muslin curtains, and, even now, the thermometer 

 reaches the high figure of 120° Fahr. This high temperature, no doubt, has in- 

 fluenced in a measure this rapid growth. My success with this plant has been 

 and is very gratifying. Each new leaf with its beaded edge, its delicate bloom, 

 and satin smoothness, has given me pleasure untold ; and, having enjoyed it for 

 so long a time, I am loath to give it up : but I am like the man with the elephant, 

 " I don't know what to do with it." If it continues to grow at its present rate, 

 the ceilings will have to be raised to :^.ccommodate it. If I can give it room, do 

 you think it may be wintered successfully in the house ? And is this family so 

 easily grown, so tough, and willing to adapt itself to circumstances ? or am I one 

 of the fortunate few recognized by Flora as her lover and votary, receiving this 

 favor from her hands as a special reward for my attachment ? 



Troy, N.Y., July 23, 1869. J^obt. Waggoner. 



[Mtesa Cavendishii may be wintered in the house ; the only care necessary 

 will be to water sparingly when kept at the temperature of an ordinary sitting- 

 room. If kept too wet, at a low temperature, there will be danger of its rot- 

 ting. — Ed.'\ 



The Currant Worm. — A piece of plate, valued at twenty-five dollars, is 

 offered by the Worcester County (Mass.) Horticultural Society, for a safe, certain, 

 and economical method, better than any now known, of destroying the currant- 

 worm, or preventing its ravages. 



