AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



'245 



MAR 



growing for handsome border plants. M. pro- 

 boscidea is indigenous to southern Illinois and 

 southward, but is most common on the banks 

 of the Mississippi. It is grown in the garden 

 for the young seed pods, which are used to 

 some extent for pickling. They require to be 

 placed three feet apart each way ; at that dis- 

 tance, in rich soil, the plants will completely 

 cover the ground. Seed should be sown 

 where it is to grow, in April and May. 



Maru'ta Cotula. May-weed. A common field 

 weed. 



Marvel of Peru. See Mirabilia. 



Masdeva'llia. Named after J. Masdevall, a 

 Spanish botanist. Nat. Ord. Orchidacece. 



An extensive genus of epiphytal Orchids 

 from South America. The flowers are re- 

 markable for their singularity, and also for 

 their beauty. They require to be grown in a 

 lower temperature than most Orchids, and 

 are increased by division. First introduced 

 in 1835. 



Mask Flower. See Alonsoa. 



Massa'ngea. A small genus of Bromeliacece, 

 now included by Bentham and Hooker under 

 Caraguata. They are grown principally for the 

 elegance of their leaves. 



Masso'nia. Named after F. Masson, a botan- 

 ical traveler in South Africa. Nat. Ord. 

 Liliacece. 



A genus of small Cape bulbs. The leaves 

 are commonly two in number, lying flat on 

 the ground. The flowers are in an umbel- 

 like head, nearly sessile, between the leaves. 

 The flowers are sword-shaped, usually white, 

 and of little beauty. They may be wintered 

 in a frame or kept in sand in the green-house, 

 and are increased by offsets. Introduced in 

 1791. 



Mato'nia. Named after Dr. Maton, once Presi- 

 dent of the Linnsean Society, London. Nat. 

 Ord. PolypodiacecB. 



M. pectinata, the only species, is a rare and 

 handsome stove-house Fern, with large fan- 

 shaped fronds, one and a half to two feet 

 wide, very hard and leathery. It was intro- 

 duced from Borneo in 1839, and is increased 

 by spores or division. 



Matrica'ria. So called from its former use in 

 medicine. Nat. Ord. Composites. 



A genus of about seventy species of annual, 

 rarely perennial, branched herbs ; natives of 

 Europe, Africa and western Asia. Few of the 

 species are worthy of cultivation ; the annual 

 sorts are easily raised from seed, the peren- 

 nial by division or by cuttings. M. inodora 

 Jlore-pieno a double form of a common British 

 weed, is a very free-flowering and desirable 

 border plant. It is also known in cultivation 

 as Anthemia Chamomillajlore-pleno. 



Ma'tthiola. Stock-Gilliflower. Named after 

 P. Mathioli, an Italian botanist. Nat. Ord. 

 Cruciferce. 



In this genus we have the well-known Stock 

 in all its multifarious varieties. These, for 

 the purposes of culture, are classed in two 

 divisions : the biennial kinds, as the Bromp- 

 ton, Queen, etc., and the annual or Ten-Week 

 Stocks. The former require to be sown the 

 season previous to that in which they are 

 wanted to flower. They do best when sown 

 in May or June in the open air, allowing them 



MAT 



to grow up strong, and when about two inches 

 high they should be potted singly in small 

 pots. This is for the purpose of protecting 

 them through the winter, as in very severe 

 weather, or a long continuance of wet, they 

 perish ; but being potted and put in a frame 

 they are perfectly safe as they become harder 

 and better ripened, and in the succeeding 

 spring may be placed where they are to bloom. 

 The seeds of Ten-Week Stocks should be 

 sown in a hot- bed or green-house in February 

 or March. As soon as the plants have com- 

 pleted their second leaves, prick out into 

 shallow boxes, and in three or four weeks 

 they will bo ready to pot in thumb pots, and 

 the plants will be sufficiently large for trans- 

 planting by the end of the following April. 

 Much attention is paid to the saving of this 

 seed on the Continent, and as many as twelve 

 distinct colors may now be selected ; a great 

 many more are advertised, but they are in- 

 distinct, and we think it preferable to have a 

 few decided and brilliant colors than a multi- 

 tude of indefinite shades, several of which 

 are nearly duplicates of each other. The 

 colors run through all the shades of crimson, 

 lilac, rose, white, etc. There are no true 

 scarlets, though some catalogues continue 

 yearly to offer such colors. One of the first 

 requisites to insure good double Stocks is to 

 put the ground intended for them in the very 

 best possible condition. It is a great mistake, 

 and but too common, to suppose that the soil 

 for flowers need not be rich ; for we are of 

 opinion, from observation, that, to a great 

 extent, the double state is only brought about 

 by excess of vigor, and if this condition is 

 lost by planting in impoverished ground, it is 

 only reasonable to suppose that the flowers 

 will degenerate to their normal condition. 

 Another common error deserves notice, re- 

 specting the choice of plants to bear seed. It- 

 is very generally supposed that, to insure 

 seed which will produce double flowers in the 

 following season, it is necessary that the 

 seed-bearing plants stand in close proximity 

 to others which have their flowers double, 

 because it is supposed the single flowers are 

 impregnated with the pollen of the double 

 ones; but to prove the fallacy of this suppo- 

 sition it is only necessary carefully to ex- 

 amine the latter, and they will be found alto- 

 gether devoid of the organs bearing pollen. 

 The great secret in the production of seed 

 likely to bring double flowers is, we believe, 

 to impart extraordinary vigor to the single 

 plants which are to bear it, and every 

 means available should be-resorted to for this 

 end. There is no good reason why as good 

 seed should not be grown in some portions of 

 the United States as in any part of the world. 

 In fact, the finest Stocks we have ever seen 

 were grown from seed saved in the western 



Eart of the State of New York, and that from 

 tocks that had been grown a number of 

 years in order to fairly test the question as to 

 whether Stocks as well as other seeds cannot 

 be produced as well here as in Germany ; and 

 the question is settled, that one of our large 

 dealers grows and saves his own seed, and 

 that which gives the greatest satisfaction to 

 his customers. To save seed let the largest 

 pods from the strongest plants be selected, 

 and the seed placed in good ground, and there 

 will be no lack of double flowers. The In- 



