180 General Notices. 



one or two varieties exist, even in seedmen's lists, as mistakes can scarcely 

 take place in such places. — [The Writer of the Calendar in the Gard. Chron. 

 1850., p. 86.) 



Remarks on Early Flowering Plants for the Greenhouse, By John 

 McArdell. — In general, the early flowering kinds of greenhouse plants are 

 not cultivated to a great extent. In the months of February, March, and April, 

 every open flower attracts more attention, and really appears more lovely, than 

 at any other period of the year. It is yet too early to expect anything in the 

 flower garden, therefore the greenhouse is the only place where the desired 

 pleasure can be obtained, and there, too frequently, we only have the sight of 

 the green leaves or bare stems. Tliis solely depends on the selection of plants 

 when furnishing the house, and therefore may easily be prevented. The follovi'- 

 ing is a brief notice of a few plants that bloom at this season, with remarks on 

 their management. No doubt there are others equally suitable, besides those I 

 am about to recommend, very suitable to decorate the greenhouse. And first, 

 the Epacris tribe, Avhich contains so many interesting varieties, are first 

 entitled to notice, since from January up to the beginning of May, one or 

 other of them will be in flower, and grow freely in peat and white sand, the 

 former well broken ; the young shoots should be stopped by pinching off" the 

 ends. Cosmelia rubra : The habit of this plant, and manner of flowering 

 very much resemble that of the Epacris, although the flowers are larger, and 

 of a deeper color ; it thrives well under the same treatment as Epacris. 

 Pultnia stricta — an old and much neglected plant, yet it certainly is a beau- 

 tiful thing when well managed ; its spikes of bright yellow and red pea- 

 shaped flowers, abundantly produced, make it a most lovely object ; it should 

 be cut back just after it has flowered. Chorozema Lawrenciana, C. varium, 

 C. varium nana, C. varimn rotundifolia, C. ovatum, and C. Henchmannii, are 

 the best of the tribe, and will all flower about this time ; they require shift- 

 ing. Hovea Celsi and Hovea pungens are also fine plants to bloom at this 

 time ; the latter is of a darker color than the former. Eutaxia myrtifolia : 

 this is a very handsome greenhouse plant. When the young wood has made 

 three or four joints, every shoot should be stopped ; by this treatment it may 

 be formed into a neat dwarf shrub ; it is a free bloomer. Pimelea: this genus, 

 with its beautiful heads of pink, white, and red flowers, are amongst the best 

 of greenliouse plants : tliey are not so easily groum as some plants. I have 

 seen Pimelea Hendersoni, and P. spectabilis grafted on P. dicussata and P. 

 drupace, and in this way they do much better than when grown upon their 

 own roots. Leschenaultia formosa is a delicate dwarf-growing plant, very 

 difficult to manage, but, when grown well, is a most lovely thing, covered 

 with bright red flowers. It should be potted in rough peat with a good mix- 

 ture of silver sand, and should always receive a good supply of air and 

 water, botli summer and winter. [Winter ?] Boronia anemonasfolia, B. 

 viminia, and B. surrulata, are splendid plants, [anemonsefolio ?] ; these will 

 not flower until April, and then they are fine objects, the color of their flow- 

 ers being a rich rosy red : they should be grown in peat-leaf mould, and silver 

 sand, Kennedya monophylla is a lovely climbing plant, bearing long trusses 

 of blue pea-shaped flowers : it grows well in peat and leaf mould, with a 



