February 24, 1863. ] JOURNAL OE HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



153 



Calceolarias ? The three eases noticed would seem to establish 

 this view. According to this state of things, this pelorisation 

 would seem to be a disposition of parts in a regular form ; for 

 the Calceolaria, having the flower bilabiate and slippered, is 

 irregular, and the bottle-shaped peloria is a regular form, with 

 the exception of its extreme beak. Yet, if properly considered, 

 the pelorisation is not a regular disposition of parts. Such an 

 arrangement of a Calceolaria would consist of a central pistil, 

 five stamens, a rotate corolla, with five lobes alternating with the 

 stamens, and a calyx with five teeth alternating with the corolla. 

 Then the Calceolaria would pass from the family of Scrophu- 

 lariacea? into that of Solanacea?, and the flower would realise its 

 regular type, its native beauty ; for it cannot be denied that 

 beauty results from symmetry, and symmetry Is a disposition 

 founded on regularity, or a harmonious relation of numbers, 

 parts, and form. It is a remarkable law of Nature that families 

 that are irregular may return by these monstrous forms to their 

 regular families ; while we never see a regular flower realise the 

 structure of an irregular one. 



The peloria of Van Oyen does not show the Calceolaria to 

 return to the type of the Solanacea;, but descends still lower, 

 and realises a still stranger form and one which is opposed to 

 nature — an anandrous form : consequently unfitted to perpetuate 

 itself. In this respect it is a monBter in the fullest sense of the 

 term, but one full of instruction. 



Another monstrosity, also sent me by M. Tan Oyen, consisted 

 in a growing-together of two corollas ; this occurred along with 

 normal regularity of the calyx. The corolla was bicalceiferous, 

 having three stamens all fertile, one of which was placed at the 

 junction of the two inferior lips : the ovary is normally con- 

 formable, and the calceiform lip was furnished with a lobe turn- 

 ing inwards. This form of abnormal development haB not yet 

 been recorded in morphological works. It is, I believe, a true 

 junction of flowers, complicated by the resorption of the totality 

 of the superior lip, by the non-development of the double calyx, 

 and the resorption of one of the four stamens which should have 

 been developed. This morphological form may, perhaps, some 

 day lead to the determination of the real cause of synanthous 

 developments. 



DATUKA WRIGHTII. 



I BEG to say a few words upon the treatment of this plant, as 

 I am sure it will fully repay any one for the little trouble its 

 cultivation requires. 



Eirst of all let me observe that it is generally, in fact in all 

 cases, except by Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, described as an 

 annual, and as requiring out-door culture. This is quite a mis- 

 take, as it is a shrub requiring a cool greenhouse or conservatory 

 to bring it to perfection. 



Two years ago I obtained a packet of seed from Messrs. E. G. 

 Henderson, St. John's "Wood, and sowed in March in a gentle 

 heat. As soon as the seedlings were large enough to handle I 

 put them into thumb-pots, and potted them on as tbey required 

 it in a rich loamy soil. By August I had them established in 

 eight-inch pots with a very nice show of bloom. After bloom- 

 ing, about the first week in October, I left off watering, and 

 allowed them to go to rest, placing them on dry shelves during 

 the winter. Early in the year, about the latter part of Eebruary, 

 I shook the mould off the tubers, trimmed them, and put them 

 into pots smaller than those in which they bloomed, so as to 

 allow of repotting if required. By May they required repotting, 

 and I gave them their last shift, some in eight-inch pots and Borne 

 in larger (those in the eight-inch pots bloomed most profusely) ; 

 and, as soon as they began to grow again, watered well and fre- 

 quently with liquid manure, of which they will imbibe a large 



quantity, not forgetting a frequent syringing, not on the blooms, 

 to keep down red spider. 



During July, August, and September I had a magnificent 

 show of bloom, some of them 7 inches long and 5£ inches across, 

 trumpet-shaped, and of a clear white shaded off to the edges, 

 which were of a delicate mauve. I am quite certain I had from 

 eighty to a hundred blooms on a plant during the season, generally 

 three or four open at one time, and giving-off a strong magnolia- 

 like perfume. 



Datura chlorantha recurvis has special mention in most cata- 

 logues, but I really must say I would not give it houseroom, for 

 the blooms cannot compare with those of Wrightii. — Geo. M. 

 BtlETOX, Sovthtown, Great Yarmouth. 



HARMONY OF COLOURS. 



The harmonies of colours are as follows : — The three primary 

 colours — yellow, red, blue ; the three secondary colours — orange, 

 purple, green, formed of combinations of the primaries, thus — 

 yellow and red, or orange ; red and blue, or purple ; blue and 

 yellow, or green. Each primary requires its complementary 

 secondary — that is, the eye when it sees a primary, as, for 

 instance, yellow, requires the secondary colour which contains 

 the other two primaries, red and blue — namely, purple. 



Hence, it follows, that in decoration it is absolutely necessary 

 that yellow should be balanced by purple, red by green, and blue 

 by orange. The accompanying figure shows the circle of colours, 

 the lines connecting the proper contrasting or complementary 

 colours. 



Yellow 



Orange 



Red 



Green 



Blue 



Purple 



It is also to be noted that cold colours, or those containing 

 blue, should be used in larger quantities than warm oolours, or 

 those containing no blue. — (Irish Farmer's Gazette.) 



WHAT DESTROYS CEOCUSESP 



I SEE in the "Journal" of the 10th instant, W. W. 

 Bennett complaining of his Crocus-borders being destroyed. 

 I am sorry to Bay he is not alone in that misfortune. I have a 

 walk upwards of a hundred yards long, with border on each side 

 planted with Crocuses, Snowdrops, and other bulbs. The former 

 have been destroyed to a great extent. On first noticing the evil I 

 attributed it to field mice, and had one Bide-walk thickly covered 

 with cuttings from Gooseberry bushes. The depredators soon 

 evacuated that side, but attacked the other side with double 

 force, which confirmed my opinion as to their being mice. I have 

 caught some in traps. I hardly think sparrows could make 

 such holes, as the ground is a very adhesive clay. 



But permit me to state what I have often found to be the 

 quickest remedy — that is, if Mr. Bennett is not, like myself, 

 troubled with too many predatory animals. I take a small 

 piece of butter, or any other greasy substance, miv it with a 

 little arsenic, spread thinly over a piece of bread, and lay it at 

 certain distances. I shall be glad to hear from any of your 

 correspondents any other remedy. — R. Holliday, Gardener to 

 J, Allison, Esq. 



WEEDS ON WALES. 



I FULLY expected this query of yours as to the effects of the 

 acid solution upon boots and shoes, as it was the one that im- 

 mediately suggested itself to my mind on my first experiment. 

 By taking the following precautions, however, I have never 

 found any of the bad effects suggested. 



I fix upon a fine evening after a dry day, and, beginning at 

 one end of the path, water away, stepping backwards slowly, 

 and avoiding splashing. The weeds being thirsty soon absorb 

 the solution, and what little remains on the stones and gravel 

 the night-dew washeB off, so that next morning all danger to 

 boots and shoes is over. I have now tried it many times (as I 



