General Notices. 47 



As 4-625 : 6*625 : : 80 : 115*2433, or 115/. 4s. \0\d. sterling; a price 

 which, taking the mean annual produce at 30 lbs. each ton, and allowing 

 222 tons to the acre, gives a total produce of 2*97322 tons, worth at the 

 par of value, 342*643/., or 342/. \2s. \Q\d.: a return from ground not 

 otherwise worth 6d. per acre, which does not yield in amount to that of 

 sugar, without a twentieth of its expense and hazards. I remain, Sir, yours, 

 &c. — William Hamilton. Oxford Place, Plymouth, October 20. 1831. 



Cdctees. — Our collections are now, by the zeal of the botanists in the 

 New World, beginning to be well stocked with the species of this curious 

 and highly interesting family. At one time, the hotter parts of that vast 

 continent were alone supposed to afford them : but from the latitude of 

 Mendoza (33° S.), and at a considerable elevation above the level of the 

 sea, Dr. Gillies has supplied the Glasgow and other botanic gardens with 

 no less than twenty-two species ; all gathered within the distance of a 

 morning's ride from that city ; while in North America, Messrs. Douglas, 

 and Drummond met with cactuses between the parallels of 40° and 50°, in 

 the Rocky Mountains : whereas, Professor Schouw has scarcely ex- 

 tended the region of the tribe beyond the tropics. (Dr. Hooker, in Cur- 

 tis'* Botanical Magazine for October, 1831, tab. 3107.) 



Brugmdnsia suaveolens. — Sir, Having seen in your late Magazine an 

 account of the Datura arborea, now called Brugmansia suaveolens, I am 

 desirous of giving you some further account of that most magnificent 

 plant. I planted one three years ago, within a pit in a lofty conservatory, 

 which grew most rapidly, and bloomed the second year : it increased in 

 growth, and in the third year it kept in bloom till winter ; and my gar- 

 dener picked up the flowers that fell from it, amounting to eleven hundred 

 and seventeen. It has still several buds on it, ready to bloom when spring 

 advances. This beautiful plant is fit only for a pit in the conservatory; 

 being of too luxuriant and rapid a growth for a garden pot, in which it will 

 never blossom to advantage. It is easily propagated by cuttings ; and, when* 

 visited by night, the sweet perfume which its blossoms emit is highly grateful. 

 — R. C.H. ' Slourhead, Feb. 1831. 



Georginas, their sportive Variation in Colour from Seeds. — In the spring 

 of 1831, Mr. Lord, florist and seedsman, Bury St. Edmunds, sowed seeds 

 of Douglas's augusta, which, as it will be remembered, is of a shaded 

 rosy colour. From these seeds plants arose, which, on blooming in 

 September and October last, displayed respectively the following colours : 

 striped red, dark crimson, dark lilac, rose, light crimson, shaded crimson, 

 light scarlet, purple, maroon (?), bright crimson, salmon-coloured, dark red, 

 one of a very dark colour something like pulla, and one of the same colour 

 as mutabilis. From scarlet turban Mr. Lord has raised several different 

 shades of scarlet, crimson, and lilac ; and one plant with blossoms of a red 

 colour. From coccinea superba he has raised a crimson, purple, red, scar- 

 let, orange scarlet, light lilac, and a dark crimson. Mr. Barrett of Hard- 

 wicke, close by (raiser of those superb georginas, Barrett's Susanna, and 

 Barrett's King), has informed me that he has seen several georginas, raised 

 from one head of seed, and that of these seedlings part had white flowers, 

 the remainder yellow flowers. The grower would not inform him from 

 which particular variety they were raised. — Henry Turner. Botanic Gar~ 

 den, Bury St. Edmunds, October 1. 1831. 



Sportiveness of the Species ofSalpiglossis. — Dr. Graham observes (Edin- 

 burgh Neiu Philosophical Journal for Oct. 1831, p. 377.) : — " I mentioned, 

 in May, the confusion into which the species, or supposed species, of Cal- 

 ceolaria were falling, by the multiplication of mules in cultivation. Another 

 South American genus [Salpigldssis] has run wild from another cause. 

 Salpiglossis seems to require no admixture of pollen to produce great 

 variety of form : it sports into many shapes and colours from mere insta- 

 bility of character. I now entertain no doubt that we have but one species 



