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JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ August 18, 1870. 



" Botanical Cabinet." the true plant being figured in the " Botanical 

 Magazine " under the name of Pleurothallis suaveolens. The varie- 

 gated Curculigo recurva from Mr. Bull was a plant well worthy of 

 notice. With regard to Lilium Wilsoni, it had at one time been sup- 

 posed to he the same as Lilium Thunbergianum, but the two had been 

 found to be perfectly distinct. The golden Catalpa syringasfolia had 

 been awarded a first-class certificate. Many other plants had exhibited 

 a similar character this year, and this might be rendered permanent by 

 grafting. The Dodder on the Clover was next referred to in connection 

 with a curious parasite on a Heath, and one of the species of Cuscuta, it 

 was stated, attacked the Vine. With regard to the Onions shown, he 

 had been informed that what had been supposed to be the early variety 

 of the Tripoli was that of which the seed had been procured from 

 Naples, whilst the later variety was raised from seed ripened in colder 

 parts. Mr. Berkeley then referred to some abnormal specimens of 

 Gourds he had lately had submitted to him, which were covered with 

 warts, which had the rudiments of leaves, but in which he could dis- 

 cover no rudiments of flowers ; and in those varieties of Gourds 

 called Bush Squashes he had noticed this season a tendency to develope 

 an infinity of blossoms without fruit. 



NEGLECTED PLANTS. 



Canabina campandlata. — This fine old greenhouse her- 

 baceous perennial, which was introduced as far back as 1696, 

 is now very rarely met with indeed. Last spring I saw a large 

 specimen of it, covered with its numerous orange-coloured, 

 bell-shaped flowers, and growing in a small conservatory, ap- 

 parently receiving no extra care, and yet doing as well as the 

 most ardent cultivator could desire to see it. As it blooms 

 early in the winter and spring, it dies down in May, and the 

 plant is then put out of doors in some shady place to rest. In 

 August young growth appears breaking-up from the root, like 

 that which comeB from a Dahlia, and the young shoots, if 

 taken off, can be struck in a similar manner to the cuttings of 

 the Dahlia. As it will not stand the slightest frost, it must be 

 removed to a greenhouse ere frost sets in ; and here the plant 

 will make its growth, and flower before Christmas. Like the 

 Dahlia, it will do with generous treatment : a good fibry loam, 

 enriched with some manure, and helped with some sand, would 

 suit it well. It is one of those neglected plants that richly 

 desorve a much more extended cultivation, and the example 

 referred to above I saw at Bedbridge, near Southampton, the 

 residence of Mr. William Stride. The fine condition of the 

 plant was highly creditable to the gardener, Mr. Davis. 



Zephyeanthes rosea. — It Beems scarcely possible to believe 

 that this beautiful half-hardy bulb should have to be classed 

 with the neglected plants, but so rarely is it now seen that the 

 conclusion is inevitable. It cannot be because it is difficult to 

 cultivate, for Mr. Baines, gardener to H. L. Micholls, Esq., 

 formerly of Manchester, at whose new residence — Southgate 

 Park, near London — I recently saw it in bloom, says it is 

 difficult to kill it ; and, as it was here developed, I can conceive 

 nothing more suitable for conservatory decoration at this season 

 of the year. It remains in bloom quite two months ; and when 

 in bloom, it should be kept shaded to prolong the duration of 

 the flowers; previously to that, it should have plenty of light 

 and air. The ordinary treatment of the hardy kinds of Amaryl- 

 lidaceous plants would appear to suit it well. 



Anomatheca cruenta. — This is another somewhat neglected 

 plant, though more frequently met with than either of the pre- 

 ceding. I also saw this at Southgate Park, growing in the same 

 pot with the Zephyranthes, as well as in the pots of other 

 Amaryllids. Mr. Baines stated he encouraged it to grow in 

 this fashion as much as possible, by saving the seed, and 

 sprinkling it over the surface of the pots. The seed grows 

 readily, and in this somewhat irregular way a good many pretty 

 dull crimson flowers are thus secured to cut from. It is also 

 capable of being cultivated out of doors, and will bloom in 

 borders, or planted in some soil made up of sandy peat. It is 

 a bulbous-rooted plant, with an Ixia-like appearance of growth, 

 and it can be increased by offsets as well as by seed. — B. D. — 

 (The Gardener.) 



WEEDS. 



Evert weed allowed to arrive at maturity with any crop is a 

 diminution of the yield ; it impoverishes the soil as much as a 

 cultivated plant. Wheat, Barley, and Oats do not exhaust the 

 soil more than Couch, Bent, or Bib-graas. Land in which 

 these are plentiful will produce good crops of one or other of 

 the former. The same holds good of the more Bucculent weeds, 

 as Groundsel, Chickweed, and Charlock. Docks, Thistles, and 



Dandelions take quite as much nutriment from the soil as 

 Mangold Wurtzel, Turnips, and other root crops. It is an 

 acknowledged fact that land rank with natural vegetation is 

 capable of the highest cultivation ; it will produce in perfection 

 some one of the many plants necessary for the comfort of man. 

 Land by nature sterile forms but a very insignificant portion 

 of the earth's surface ; except, perhaps, the sands in the interior 

 of Africa and other quarters of the globe, there is but little of its 

 surface not teeming with vegetable life, on which man directly 

 and indirectly is dependent for his sustenance. He must, 

 therefore, look well to the proper cultivation of the ground. 

 He must select, not only the plants most suitable to the soil, 

 but those which will afford him the greatest return. All soils 

 have constituents suited to the growth of plants of more or less 

 value to man. The natural vegetation may be Couch, Bent, 

 and other coarse Grasses, but, as already stated, such ground 

 will grow most, if not all, of the cereals. By breaking up the 

 natural vegetation, and freeing the ground of that which is of 

 little worth, it is made suitable for the growth of plants of 

 considerably greater value. 



Uncultivated soils are in course of time enriched by the 

 plants growing on them decaying year by year, increasing 

 the depth of the soil and adding to its fertility. Uncultivated 

 plants return to the soil quite as much, if not more, than is 

 taken from it, but cultivated plants impoverish the soil, because 

 their produce, for instance in grain and straw, is taken away, 

 and there is no annual deposit of vegetable matter except by 

 weeds. Every crop is exhausting, and the soil soon becomes 

 worn out, for no one crop can for any long period be profitably 

 grown on the same soil. Hence the desirability of a change of 

 soil — a rotation of crops. We must not only afford a change 

 of soil, but we must return to the soil what the crop takes 

 from it. This is effected by manuring. 



Whilst vegetable matter, which we have in the decayed 

 natural vegetation, is necessary for the fertility of the soil, the 

 removal of such matter does not cause sterility if due regard 

 be paid to the application of manures. Weeds, then, are of no 

 value in cultivated soils ; they appropriate that which ought to 

 go to nourish the crop, and diminish production without re- 

 turning an adequate equivalent. The great advance made in 

 the art of culture is one of the boasts of our generation. Various 

 implements for breaking up the soil, giving increased depth of 

 soil, exposing it to the influence of the atmosphere, and pro- 

 ducing a better tilth for the reception of the seed, have done 

 much in enabling us to obtain better crops ; they have also 

 assisted in freeing the ground of weeds. Sowing in drills has 

 likewise afforded greater facilities for the cutting-up of weeds ; 

 and, as regards root cropB, this is so well carried out that many 

 fields would compare advantageously with some gardens. Fields 

 of Wheat, however, may be seen red with Poppies, and Oats 

 and Barley a mass of yellow from the quantityof Charloek,to 

 say nothing of the Thistles, Docks, and Plantains* jat arepro- 

 minent in every meadow and pasture ; and what of the Ground- 

 sel, Chickweed, and other annual or biennial weeds which un- 

 disturbed attain maturity with every cereal crop ? The weeds, 

 along with a portion of their seeds, muBt be harvested with the 

 crop, and some must remain among the grain however well it 

 may be cleaned, and a still greater portion will find its way 

 with the straw to the manure heap, and ultimately to the soil 

 again. In this way weeds are propagated. — G. Abbey. 

 (To be continued.) 



FLORAL ICE HOUSES IN NEW YORK. 

 The present has been one of the most trying seasons known 

 in this latitude for a great number of years, the thermometer 

 having frequently risen above 100° in the shade, and seldom 

 fallen below 85° day or night for the last four weeks (I write 

 on July 27th), and being frequently up to 92° by eight o'clock 

 in the morning. Think of that, ye floral devotees. How long 

 would your pets exist in such a temperature ? A bud in the 

 morning is a full-blown flower by midday, and rapidly forming 

 a seed vessel by night. This unusually heated term has caused 

 a great amount of loss to those who deal extensively in cut flowers 

 in this city, from the rapid depreciation in value of their stock 

 in trade ; but one, at least, of our spirited business men has 

 been equal to the occasion. Mr. Walter Beid, one of our most 

 enterprising city florists, has had a miniature ice house con- 

 structed in the rear of his store, and so arranged that he can 

 raise or lower the temperature at will. There he can keep 

 1 Bose buds, Tuberoses, Gardenias, <fcc, fresh for a week if 



