Domestic Notices. 1 53 



Forced Beans. — These have been produced, at the above place, for sev- 

 eral weeks, from plants in pots, placed on the front curb of the stove. 

 The beans were planted m the latter part of Decenibei*. The vines have 

 been destroyed, and a new crop is now up in the same pots. — lb. 



Primula prfB^nitens var. alba Jimbriata. — A seedling of this primrose, 

 with a beautiful fringed edge, has lately flowered in the garden of 

 Wm. G. Buckner, Esq., Bloomingdale, N. Y., under the care of Mi\ T. 

 Dunlap. In our last, our correspondent, A. J. D. (p. 99) speaks of plants 

 of the purple and white, with fiinged edges, in the collection of J. W. 

 Knevels, Newburgh, N. Y. Were it not for this, Mr. Dunlap might claim 

 the merit of first having originated this beautiful variety. — lb. 



Ranunculuses in Pots. — We have lately seen growing, and finely in 

 bloom, in the green-house of Mr. Sweetser, Cambridgejjort, several pots 

 of ranunculuses. They were planted in pots, about ten inches deep 

 (which were made for hyacuith bulbs), ten or twelve in each. In one 

 pot, we comited twelve strong buds, besides several blossoms. We 

 have no hesitation in saying, that, if the roots are j)lanted m deep pots or 

 boxes, they can be forced with the same facility as the hyacuith or nar- 

 cissus. It is generally reconnnended to grow them in shallow boxes, 

 from the supposition, we presume, that, as the roots are small, they need 

 but little earth to grow in. This is a great error ; they require much 

 nourishment, and will not flom-ish unless they have it. Some of the 

 flowers were exceedingly large. Any person who is desirous of growing 

 them, can easily do so by adopting tlie method above named. — lb. 



Zinc Labels for marking Plants. — We have been somewhat surprised to 

 notice that this kind of labels,which are superior to any other, for retaming 

 the names of plants, is so little used by nurserymen and gardeners. 

 Upwards of a year since, we first tried the experiment of markmg with 

 them ; and labeled several pots of chrysanthemums, which have been ex- 

 posed to the weather at all times, summer and winter ; the writing is at 

 this time in no way defaced, and the names may be as quickly and as 

 easily ascertauied, as they could when first written. We have no doubt 

 but they will remain as intelligible for many years. Common wood 

 labels, which are in general use, would have rotted off", by tliis time, or 

 become so decayed upon the part beneath the soil, that they would be in 

 danger of being broken off", and thus wholly lost. When it is considered 

 how little the former cost, and the certamty of their i-etaining the names 

 for an indefinite space of time, we hope that cultivators will bring them 

 into general use. Nothing is so important to the nurseryman, both to 

 msure credit for his establishment, and reputation to himself, as the 

 sending abroad trees, shrubs, or plants, which are truly marked. But as 

 is too frequently the case, this is little attended to, or if done, it is with a 

 label which either will not retain the name, for any time, or with one on 

 which it can never be intelligibly wrote. English cultivators have 

 adopted various modes of marking plants, but, in oiu- opinion, none of 

 them are at all to be compared with that of writing ujion zinc. These la- 

 bels can be as easily made fast to a tree, by w inding one end loosely round 

 a branch, as they can be put into a pot ; and they will not need rencAving 

 for many years. We have satisfied ourselves, of their superiority to any 

 others, and we hope, for the correctness of names of plants, which is 

 very important, that they will now be generally adopted. — lb. 



White corollad var. of Tihododendron. — Your correspondent, A. J. D., in 

 your last number (p. 99), speaks of " large plants of the crimson and 

 ivhite corollad i?liodod6ndron arboreum," which will be in flower this 

 spring, in the collection belonging to J. W. Knevels, Esq., at Newburgh, 

 N. Y. I was not aware that specimens of plants of the white variety of 

 the true arboreum, strong enough to flower, were in any collection in this 

 country ; as it flowered for the fii-st time in England, in 1833. Does not 



VOL. II. — NO. IV. 20 



