36 Treatment of Brugmdnsia suaviolens. 



Art. IX. On the Treatment of Brugmdnsia. suaveolens. By E. S. 

 With a Note on the same by J. D. 



Sir, 

 Having succeeded in bringing the Brugmansm suaveolens 

 [Datura arborea of Donn's Hort. Cant.) to a very large size, 

 and in blooming it, I take the liberty of sending you an 

 account of my method of treating it, as I have seen others 

 planted without producing a single flower. I was first 

 induced to turn them out from reading your Magazine ; but 

 finding it difficult to keep the plants afterwards so as to attain 

 a large size, on which its beauty very much depends, I was 

 anxious to adopt some method to surmount the difficulty. 

 Being in possession of a plant about three years old when I 

 read of planting out, I, according to the directions given, 

 placed it in the open ground to flower, and found it to fully 

 answer my expectation ; but, in taking it up again, I was 

 sorry to see many of the shoots (which had become very 

 succulent) die away in the winter. I therefore planted it the 

 next time in a pot about 15 in. in diameter; having first 

 knocked out the bottom, and laid a few sticks across to keep 

 the mould in the pot. I then placed it in a border of a house 

 then at work (inside), with about 3 in. of the pot under- 

 ground, giving at all times plenty of water, and frequently 

 smoking to destroy the fly ; by this means it flowered well in 

 the house : and when the open air was sufficiently warm I took 

 it up and planted it in the open ground, quite burying the 

 pot, and shading it till it began to grow. It then began to 

 show flowers, and continued in flower all the summer, with- 

 out producing such rampant shoots as when planted out of 

 the pot. I then took it up, and placed it in a large pan, giving 

 at all times plenty of water, till the time of planting it again 

 in the border of the house. The greatest number of flowers 

 in full bloom at one time was eighteen. If you think these 

 remarks worth your notice, perhaps some of your readers 

 who may have had more experience with the Brugmansz'a 

 will be kind enouoh to give further information, while others 

 may profit by this. Hoping you will excuse this humble 

 attempt, I remain, with wishing prosperity to your valuable 

 work, 



September 21. 1821. E. S. 



P. S. — I have been trying the same means with other 

 species of plants, and may perhaps, at some other time, send 

 you accounts of my success, should you feel a wish to see 

 them. — E. S. 



