430 Notices qfCdrica Papaya 



better), and pot them, as is commonly done with the shoots from 

 the roots. These strike well when put in a good strong heat, 

 and, by one or two shiftings, make nice little bulbs before autumn. 

 These I dry completely, and allow to remain in the pots during 

 the winter ; placing them in a dry situation, not far distant from 

 a flue, so that they may have the benefit of it in damp weather, 

 or when sharp frosts occur. The mould in the pots should be 

 of a light sandy nature : a mixture of leaf-mould and sand, with 

 very little loam, is the safest compound to presei've them in. 

 When the roots are started in the spring, they make excellent 

 plants ; and, in most cases, four roots out of six so treated 

 start, and thus secure the rarest sorts from being lost, as is often 

 the case with cuttings the second season. 

 Milton Rectory, May 14. 1838. 



Art. IX. Notices of some Plants of the Cdrica Papaya ivhich have 

 fruited at Ripley Castle. By G. M. Elliott, Gardener there. 



Ca'rica Papaya has been made by Dr. Lindley the type of a 

 natural order, called Papaydcece. In the description of its cha- 

 racters. Dr. Lindley has omitted to remark that the male flowers 

 only are produced on axillary racemes ; the female being pro- 

 duced on solitary, short, axillary peduncles. The only exception 

 I know of is in the case of a male plant, now growing in our 

 stove, on which three female flowers were produced at the ex- 

 tremity of male racemes ; and these, being carefully impregnated, 

 are now swelling, and will in due time become mature fruit. 



To cultivate the papaw, it is necessary to have both sexes, and 

 carefully to impregnate the female when in flower. The flowers 

 of both sexes are produced nearly at every leaf, so that it is not 

 necessary to impregnate every flower ; as by doing so you 

 would injure the plant, by causing it to overbear itself; and the 

 fruit would not be so fine. The papaw grows vigorously in a 

 mixture of equal parts of strong turfy loam and recent horse- 

 droppings chopped up together, but not sifted, giving plenty of 

 water. We keep our plants on an end flue in a pine stove, 

 where they grow from 1 ft. to 6 in. yearly. I have never tried 

 them in a lower temperature; nor do I think they would thrive 

 in a green-house, with the exception of a short time during 

 summer. I have not seen them infested with any insect, ex- 

 cept the brown scale, which we got rid of by rubbing them 

 off with the hand or a brush. 



The reason I would aslgn for the singular developement of 

 female flowers by the male plant above mentioned is, that, in 

 1836, I inarched a female plant into the stem of the male, 

 where it remained for about two months; when I gradually 



