694 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



flowers. Another excellent quality of the blossoms of this plant is that 

 ■when cut and placed in water and kept in a cool place, they will look fresh 

 and retain all their beauty for nearly a fortnight. This is a very desirable 

 quality for those who are fond of cut flowers in their rooms. 



This beautiful wliite flower, the Chinese Primrose or Primula Sinensis, 

 fi. pleno of botanists, is perhaps of all plants the most profuse flowerer, 

 for it commences to flower in October and continues till July, during the 

 whole of which long period it can be kept as you now perceive it, provided 

 each flower as it arrives at perfection, that is becomes full blown, is cut 

 ofl". Now this is a most excellent quality in any plant, for thus we have 

 a plant always covered with blossoms, yet at the same time giving us an 

 abundance of cut flowers for the rooms. And I might here mention that 

 all plants do better and give a much greater supply of flowers by frequent 

 gathei'ing the blossoms as soon as they are perfected — so that we are en- 

 abled to enjoy them not only in their growing state as plants but at the 

 same time as cut flowers. The reason of which is that with most flowers 

 as soon as the blossoms are fully expanded they commence producing seed, 

 to perfect which the whole strength of the plant seems to be expended, and 

 the flowering ceases, whereas, by constantly cutting the blossoms off as 

 Boon as they are in perfection, the plants may be made to flower almost 

 indefinitely. Besides this double variety of the Primula, there are several 

 others with single flowers, two of which are now on the table, they are 

 also very abundant flowerers, but as they shed their blossoms very soon 

 they are not of much use as cut flowers, although very ornamental and 

 showy as plants, and deserve a place in every conservatory. 



The Heliotrope is so universally known that it needs but little comment 

 from me. No collection can be said to be complete without it, not so much 

 from any peculiar beauty in its blossoms, but from the early associations 

 attached to it as a sweet smelling flower — for as children we are taught to 

 call it the cherry-pie plant, from a supposed resemblance to the smell of 

 the cherry when baked. This 1 suppose is the reason why it is such a 

 universal favorite with both young and old. It is also one of those ever- 

 flowering plants that seem to thrive and blossom the more they are 

 gathered. 



We next come to the Violet. This beautifully pei'fumed little flower is 

 perhaps, of all flowers, the most associated with us from our earliest in- 

 fancy. With what delight as children have we not gathered bunches of 

 it from the fields and roadsides of the country, and being one of the first 

 flowers of spring, we welcome it as the harbinger of many joys to come. 

 It is, however, one of the most difficult plants for flowering in city conser- 

 vatories, as it requires to be kept much cooler than other plants, with an 

 abundance of fresh air and light; without these contingencies, instead of 

 flowering it grows all to leaf. But where it meets Avith the necessary 

 amount of sun a)id air, it is one of the most abundant flowering plants we 

 possess, producing a continuous supply of its fragrant blossoms froni Octo- 

 ber till the middle of May. 



Azalea indica. — This is perhaps one of the most profuse flowering plants 

 we have to do with, and during the time it is in blossom it makes a greater 

 display than any other plan<^ Among them is to be found every shade of 



