46 THE FLORIST AND 



GARDEN MEMORANDA. 



In a visit which I lately paid to the greenhouse of Mr. Erastus Corning, Jr., 

 I saw some specimens of plants, which delighted me, and which even you 

 Philadelphians, accustomed to see Phalcenopsis amahilis, Nepenthes Raffle- 

 siana, Victoria regia, &c, must admire. One of which was the very old 

 Arbutus andrachne, loaded with more than two hundred racemes, or rather 

 panicles, of its beautiful, and withal deliciously fragrant flowers. Like Sir 

 William Hooker, who described Hoy a bella "as an Amethyst set in frosted 

 silver," I would call this plant a wreath of pearls studded with diamonds: 

 which would not be an exaggeration. The only fault this plant has is, that 

 it had the misfortune to have been introduced into European gardens more 

 than a century ago, and into America perhaps twenty or thirty years ; yet 

 it is very rarely to be met with, or because it has no credentials from Messrs. 

 Low or Henderson, Van Houtte or such persons. If it had been lately 

 brought from China by Mr, Fortune, like that Two colored humbug of a 

 colorless rose, then it would be fine ; we would ask one another, " have you 

 seen that new Chinese plant ? " "Yes, isn't itsupeib; One of the best 

 plants I have seen for many years." It is not only a fine winter flower 

 shrub, but is nearly hardy, and as easy of cultivation as a lilac. I send 

 you a panicle of its flowers, so that you may judge for yourself what this 

 plant must be ; it is seven feet high, with a head about four feet across like 

 a Chiswick Heath, and in fact somewhat similar in its flowers to an Erica. In 

 the same house I saw an Opuntia Brasiliensis, nine feet high, and strong in 

 proportion — it is truly a noble plant. Op. leucotricha, Dec, upwards of 

 five feet high, and four feet across ; this as you are aware, is clothed with 

 long hairy spines, something like Cereus senilis. But enough of Cacti, 

 some will say; then what will you say of another old plant, Polvgala cor- 

 data, having a stem thirty inches high and thirteen inches in circumference 

 even with the ground, bearing a compact head thirteen feet in circumference ! 

 do you know many like it ? And all this has been done without the least 

 peat ; or of that other equally old native of Van Diemen's land, Calotham- 

 nus villosus, four feet every way, and covered with buds. There were also 

 there, Yirburnum nitidum, (shining leafed Laurustinus) six or seven feet 

 high, with a head something like fifteen feet in circumference, and well 

 proportioned. But a description of all the good plants here would take up 

 too much room. I must mention that in the same establishment under the 

 management of Mr. M. Walsh, are several fine Epacridse, which had stood 

 all the summer fully exposed to the sun, and were not hilled. There is also 

 a splendid lot of Camellias, which were raised in Philadelphia, but which 

 have improved wonderfully since brought from there. 



From Mr. Coming's I went to the place of Mr. Joel Rathbone, which is 

 far handsomer than Mr. C's as a landscape, but which is not so rich in ex- 

 otics. I noticed there with pleasure, an Erica Braziliana, a Chiswick Heath 



