134 Culture of Yxice and Gladioli. 



Art. VII. A Note on the Cidture of Yxice and Gladioli. 

 By Mr. T. Rutger. 



Sir, 

 Feeling dissatisfied with what I had seen of the flowering 

 of these bulbs in the nurseries round London, as well as with 

 those under my own care, I was resolved to try the effect of a 

 different soil from that generally recommended [which is, we be- 

 lieve, heath mould, with an admixture of a small proportion of 

 loam], and not cramming so many of them together in a pot as 

 is usually done. The soil used was, one half rich loam, with one 

 fourth of rotten dung, and one fourth leaf mould, both well 

 decomposed and mixed up together with the loam : the pots 

 were well drained, and a layer of the sittings of the dung and 

 leaf mould was put over the drainings. Of the smaller sorts of 

 bulbs I put only two or three into a 48-sized pot ; of the larger, 

 only one in a pot of the same size ; and of the largest, only one 

 in a 32-sized pot. During their growth, and particularly when 

 near flowering, the bulbs were liberally supplied with water. 

 Under this mode of treatment, my desires were fully realised, 

 and my bulbs produced fine flowers, far superior to any others 

 that I have ever seen grown in pots. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. 

 Shortgrove, Essex, Feb. 1834. T. Rutger. 



Art. VIII. The Result of Experiments tried with Coal Cinders as 

 Drainage for Pots. By Mr. Henry Turner, Curator of the Botanic 

 Garden, Bury St. Edmunds. 



Sir, 



Having seen an account in this Magazine (I. 224.) of a quan- 

 tity of Chinese chrysanthemums being destroyed by having coal 

 cinders placed in their pots for drainage, I resolved to try the 

 effects of these cinders on other plants ; and I am induced to 

 send the result for your publication (if you think it worth a 

 place), from observing that cinders are recommended for pot 

 draining, in a communication to a contemporary gardening pe- 

 riodical. 



Early in May, 1833, I potted the following twenty species 

 of plants, using cinders instead of potsherds. The plants, being 

 duly marked, were placed among others in the collection; and 

 they, consequently, received the same attention that the other 

 plants did, which were drained in the usual manner. In the 

 beginning of October, I examined the plants drained with coal 

 cinders, and found them in the following state: — 



