September 14, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OP HOKTICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



203 



snit, and are, after having been rested on the cool-and-dry 

 system, pushed into fruit early in January, and so they go on 

 quite satisfied with a plan which, as Mr. Begbie said, " is 

 neither Meudonian norHamiltonian, and mayonly be Bictonian, 

 but as it gives an abundance of fruit of first quality, moreover 

 said to be greatly superior to fruits grown on the ' express ' 

 method, I shall go on my system until I find a better, keeping 

 the roots warm, and the heads cool." 



We can testify that never were grown healthier, smaller- 

 crowned Pines, and we have copied from Mr. Begbie's journal 

 the Fines and the weight cut last July. 



lbs. i 11)3. 



July 1st, five cnt, weighed . , 191 July 18th, ten cat, weighed . . 28 



3rd, four cut, weighed . 15 

 11th, seven cut, weighed 22 

 loth, six cut, weighed.. 19 



26th, eleven cut, weighed 44i 

 Slat, two cut, weighed . . 9^ 



AMAUANTHUS SALICIFOLIUS. 



Oi" the genus Amaranthns there are species which have been | character 

 long cultivated in 

 gardens for their 

 flowers — such as 

 Love-lies-bleeding 

 and the Prince's 

 Feather (A. cauda- 

 tus and A. hypo- 

 chondriacus), 

 which are still to 

 be found in some 

 old-fashioned gar- 

 dens, and especi- 

 ally in cottage gar- 

 dens ; and one not 

 cultivated for its 

 flowers but for its 

 lovely rosy-purple 

 leaves, translucent 

 in the sun, is to 

 be met with in al- 

 most every modern 

 flower garden. 

 This is Amaran- 

 thus melancholi- 

 cus ruber, not at 

 all a melancholy- 

 looking plant, 

 which the others 

 are. It was one of 

 the introductions 

 from Japan of our 

 friend, the late 

 Mr. John Gould 

 Veitch; and to-day 

 we produce a re- 

 presentation of, in 

 its way, a not less 

 beautiful member 

 of the same family, 

 Amaranthns sali- 

 cifolius, from Ma- 

 nilla, which re- 

 ceived, and de- 

 servedly so, the 

 highest encomi- 

 ums from all lead- 

 ing horticulturists 

 at the meeting of 

 the Koyal Horti- 

 cultural Society at 

 Kensington on the 

 ethinet. Whether 

 it is a distinct 

 species or not we 

 cannot at present 

 say, but that it is 

 not only entirely 



different from anything we know and singularly beautiful, 

 that we can unhesitatingly aflton. Its habit and general 



have been well represented by our engraver. It 



is impossible to 

 conceive anything 

 more graceful than 

 the appearance of 

 the plants shown 

 last week at Ken- 

 sington, for they 

 looked like so 

 many fountains 

 weeping their 

 waters, and it is 

 equally impossible 

 to give an adequate 

 idea of the beauty 

 of the colours of 

 the foliage. The 

 plants were about 

 3 feet high, arS 

 we described them 

 as having long, 

 narrow, graceful, 

 weeping leaves, 

 most of them pur- 

 plish rose with 

 an orange tinge, 

 others bronzed- 

 metallic green. 

 The plants exh!- 

 bited were lifted 

 from the open 

 ground. Messrf^ 

 Veitch add, that it 

 is grown from seed 

 sown in February, 

 and is treated as a 

 half-hardy annual^ 

 being gradually 

 hardened-ofi and 

 planted out in the 

 borders in June. 

 We have only to 

 add, in the words 

 in which we con- 

 cluded our notice 

 last week — it is 

 quite certain that 

 this Amaranthua 

 will prove a great 

 acquisition ; and 

 further that it will 

 be so both for in- 

 door and out-door 

 decoration. We 

 need scarcely re- 

 mark that a first- 

 class certificate 

 Amaranthug salicifolius. Vf&S unanimously 



voted for it by the Floral Committee of the Boyal Horticul- 

 tural Society. 



WORK FOE THE 'WEEK. 



KTTCHEN QAKDEN. 



The weather stUl offers a favourable opportunity for carry- 

 ing on the war of extermination against the weeds ; the ground 

 also is in good condition for earthing Celery, the perfection of 

 which depends a good deal on the care bestowed on this opera- 

 tion and its timely performance. Plant the principal crop of 



spring Cabbage on ground well manured, as previously directed. 

 The East Ham is a good variety for standing over the winter ; 

 it is not so apt to run in spring as most other sorts. Prick 

 out into beds, a few inches apart, a large quantity of Cabbage 

 plants which have expanded their first two rough leaves. The 

 July sowing of Endive may now be pricked out on a warm 



