EOT 



[145] 



BOX 



the roots are not stimulated sufficiently 

 to imbibe food as fast as it is required 

 by the branches and foliage ; and, as a 

 consequenee, the leaves or fruit will fall 

 or wither. On the other hand, if the 

 temperature of the soil be too great in 

 proportion to that of the atmosphere, the 

 roots absorb food faster than it can be 

 elaborated by the leaves, and, as a con- 

 sequence, over luxuriant shoots and an 

 extra development of leaves are caused, 

 instead of blossoms and a healthy pro- 

 gress in all the parts. 



Every plant obviously will have a 

 particular bottom heat most congenial to 

 it. Plants growing in open plains will 

 require a higher bottom heat than those 

 growing in the shade of the South Ameri- 

 can forests, though the temperature of the 

 air out of the shade may be the same in 

 each country. That gardener will suc- 

 ceed in exotic plant-culture best, who, 

 among his other knowledge, has ascer- 

 tained the relative temperature of the 

 air and soil in which any given plant 

 grows naturally. At present, such in- 

 formation from actual observation is not 

 obtainable, but it is not so difficult to 

 ascertain the maximum and minimum 

 temperature of the air of a country ; and 

 these being obtained, the gardener may 

 adopt this as a safe rule : Let the bot- 

 tom heat for plants of that country be 

 always 5 higher than the average tem- 

 perature of each month ; that is, if the 

 lowest temperature of the month is 40 

 and the highest 70, the average is 55, 

 and if we add 5 to that, we shall have 

 60 as the bottom heat for that month. 

 If the average maximum temperature of 

 the air only be known, let the bottom 

 heat be less by 10 than the maximwtn 

 temperature of the air. 



BOTTOMING. A term usually applied 

 to the drainage of pots, although equally 

 applicable to any kind of horticultural 

 drainage. (See DRAINING.) It is also 

 applied to moiving grass on lawns ; and 

 signifies that the mower should take 

 extra pains in mowing ; cutting down 

 almost to the surface of the turf, in order 

 to facilitate future mowings by the pro- 

 duction of an entirely fresh herbage, free 

 from moss and the residue of former ; 

 mowings. 



BOURBON PALM. Latdnia. 

 10 



BOURGEON or BURGEON. See Bud. 



BOUSSINGAU'LTIA. (Named after the 

 celebrated chemist Boussingault. Nat. 

 ord., Basellads [Basellaceasj. Linn., 6- 

 Hexatidria, \-monogynia). Half-hardy 

 tuberous rooted plant. Seeds ; division 

 of its tuberous roots ; peat and rich 

 loam. K nnmer temp., 60 to 70 ; win- 

 ter, 45 to 55. 



B.baselloi'des (Basella-like). White. July. 

 South America. 1835. 



BOUVA'RDIA. (Named after Dr. Bou- 

 vard, Curator of the Botanic Garden at 

 Paris. Nat. ord., Cinchonads [Cinchon- 

 aceasl Linn., 4-Tetrandria, 1-mono- 

 gynia). Greenhouse evergreen under- 

 shrubs, except where otherwise specified. 

 Seed at times in heat. Cuttings of 

 young shoots in heat, in March or April. 

 Shut up during the day, and air given at 

 night. Also by roots, cut into pieces, 

 and inserted in sandy soil, and placed in 

 a brisk sweet heat in spring. Light fibry 

 soil. Summer temp., 50 to 70 ; win- 

 ter, 35 to 45. 



B. angustifo'lia (narrow-leaved). 2. Red. 

 September. Mexico. 1838. 



Cavanillc'sii (Cavanilles's). 1. Scarlet. 



May. Mexico. 1846. 



fla'va (yellow). U. Yellow. September. 

 Mexico. 1844. 



longiflo'ra (long flowered). 2. White. 



Mexico. 1827. 



spUndcns (shining). Scarlet. September. 



Mexico. 1834. 



strigillo'sa (small-bristled). 3. Yellow. 



March. 1845. 



tripJn/'lla (three-leaved). 2. Scarlet. July. 



Mexico, 1794. 



gla'bra (smooth). 2. Scarlet. July. 



2. Scarlet. 



Mexico. 1794. 



July 



pule' seem (downy). 

 v. Mexico. 1794. 



(shining). 2. Scarlet. 

 April. Mexico. 1838. 



versi' color (various coloured). 2. Red. Au- 

 gust. South America. 1814. 



BOWER. See Arbour. 



Box (Buxus sempcrvirens), is noticedby 

 the gardener chiefly as a plant suitable 

 for edgings. For this purpose it is neat; 

 but it is an exhauster of the soil more 

 than any other that can be so employed, 

 and is a favourite lurking place for the 

 snail. For plants that may be substi- 

 tuted, see EDGING. The best months 

 for planting Box are September and 

 February. Small rooted slips are em- 

 gloved, and arc planted against the per- 

 pendicular side of a small trench along 



