General Notices. 133 



about ten days, and finally grew vigorously. Those in disinfected manure 

 alone, after lingering for about two months, eventually died, or rather rotted 

 off above the pot. The following perennials were also tried as above stated, 

 viz., Ferbena sororia, Ferbena teucrioides, hybrid petunia, and Statice tata- 

 rica. The manure had, as nearly as possible, the same effects as on the 

 annuals, with this difference, that its action was much slower, and not so 

 likely to kill the plants. With respect to shrubs, hardly any effect on their 

 growth was observed, except when they were planted in manure alone, when 

 in most cases they were killed, particularly species of the Plnus ; probably 

 trees and hard-wooded shrubs require one or even two years before the effects 

 of the manure are conspicuous. Nemophila insignis, Impatiens glandulifera, 

 and sweet peas were also potted in the same soil as before, but they were top- 

 dressed with half an inch of disinfected manure. They were also potted with 

 half an inch of manure at the bottom of the pots ; in all cases the growth was in 

 favour of those with the manure on the surface. The perennials, Ferbena soro- 

 ria, Ferbena teucrioides, and hybrid petunia, with half an inch of disinfected ma- 

 nure at the top of the pot, grew remarkably well, without any symptoms of in- 

 jury ; with half an inch of the manure at the bottom of the pot, they also grew 

 very well, but it was evident that those top-dressed were more vigorous and ro- 

 bust than either those with the manure at the bottom, or those in the soil without 

 any disinfected manure. The following were tried with the manure in a liquid 

 state, viz., Impatiens tricornis, glandulifera, and Candida, all very strong-growing 

 plants, and well adapted for trying the strength of the substance. Various 

 other plants have also been watered with the liquid, and in all cases with 

 much benefit, more particularly those kinds which naturally grow with great 

 vigour. After various trials, it was found that only 1 part in 60, or about one 

 pint of disinfected manure to eight gallons of water, should be employed, and 

 then the plants should only be watered with it once a week, or, if very slow- 

 growing sorts, once in two weeks. The manure is very powerful ; and taking 

 the small portion required and the price (about Is. 8d. per bushel) into 

 consideration, it has merit, and deserves trying in the open ground on a 

 much larger scale. The principal objection to its general introduction is, that 

 it may be used too strong, and so destroy vegetation for the first season, or 

 make plants sickly. If used in a dry state, it seems, in any quantity, almost 

 sudden death to some plants, acting in the same way as dry salt ; it therefore 

 should only be used in a liquid state. It may be mixed with the water, and 

 used in ten minutes afterwards, just as well as if it had been mixed ten hours ; 

 it then seems to lose the deleterious effects so destructive to vegetation. (Pro- 

 ceedings of Hort. Soc. for 1840, p. 188.) 



Strong Bottom-heat for Cacti, and plenty of light, have been found very bene- 

 ficial in the growth of these plants, but the experiments are discontinued for 

 the present season, as frame moisture without bright light would prove inju- 

 rious to them. (Ibid., p. 187.) 



Cultivation of the Nelumbium speciosum. — This season our plants have been 

 treated as follows : — They were kept dry during the winter in a cool part of the 

 plant stove at about 50° Fah. In February the roots were divided, and potted 

 separately in turfy loam; the pots were set in pans of water, the temperature of 

 the house being 65° to 80°. As they began to grow they were set in the water, 

 just deep enough to allow their leaves to float. In April they were removed to a 

 small stove devoted to the cultivation of Orchidacese and other select stove 

 plants, where the temperature varied from 65° to 90°, temperature of the water 

 in the cisterns being about 75°. In May the strongest specimen was planted out 

 in a water-tight box, 3^ ft. long, ]§ ft. wide, and 16 in. deep, filled with loamy 

 soil, having a little gravel on the top to give it solidity, and allowing room for 

 about 2 in. of water over the surface of the soil. The box was plunged into the 

 bark bed, which raised the temperature of the soil and water in the box to 80°. 

 This bottom-heat was maintained during the summer* the temperature of the 

 house varying from 65° to 95°. 



The plant continued to grow rapidly, sending up leaves 3 ft. out of the 



K 3 



