46 THE FLORIST AND 



cultivation should remain so long neglected. A house of Pineapples would 

 require less care and no more cost than a greenhouse; in their utility there 

 is no comparison. Young plants would require to be imported, as there are 

 none kept for sale in any nursery here. Their importation would be attended 

 with no risk, as they will keep for months. The best sorts are Black Jamai- 

 ca, Enville, Cayenne and Queen. w. 



ON THE BIGNONIA YENUSTA. 



BY JAMES SIMPSON, OF RUFFORD-HOUSE, NEAR NEWPORT. 



Bignonia venusta. — This very beautiful flowering hot-house climber well 

 merits a place in every stove ; scarcely any flower can equal its beauty and 

 comeliness when in bloom ; and those of the readers hereof who have not 

 seen it growing, but have beheld its clusters of flowers in the shops of the 

 central avenue of Covent-garden during autumn, winter, and spring, can 

 confirm this testimony of its merits. 



It is easy of cultivation, and if allowed to extend its roots in a bark pit, 

 or in a border that derives warmth from some source, it grows vigorously, 

 and will bloom in profusion, its charming, long, tube-shaped blossoms, borne 

 in pendant clusters of from six to a dozen in each, are strikingly handsome. 

 I have a plant growing in the corner of a bark pit, in a wooden case, with 

 holes at the sides, out of which the roots push, and the branches are trained 

 to a wire framework which is upon the front wall of the pit, the entire length 

 of the house, and from October to April it blooms beautifully. I find it 

 blooms better when trained crossways of the house than when up the rafters. 

 I cut in the shoots after they have done blooming, so as to leave each about 

 six inches long, give the plant rest by withholding an over supply of water, 

 and remove the bark from the side of the case, about two-thirds its [depth, 

 sliding down another piece of wood in front of the case, which leaves a 

 space of an inch, and keeps the roots from being heated by the bark ; but 

 early in August I remove it, water freely, and push the bark to the case ; 

 the plant soon pushes, and giving it manure water every fourth watering of 

 the soil causes it to grow vigorously and bloom in profusion. The flowers 

 are of a handsome yellow-buff color. 



It is easily increased by cuttings of the young shoots when about five 

 inches long, inserting them in equal parts of silver sand and loam, and 

 plunging the pot where it will have a gentle heat. 



I have seen plants flourish admirably when grown in a bed of soil in the 

 stove, where the roots had a small degree of warmth. Also grown in a 



