356 THE FLORIST AND 



increase in beauty with age. They require watering overhead frequently, and 

 occasionally sulphur applied during summer to keep down red spider. Another 

 pest that frequently gets on them is, the "thrip" which must be destroyed 

 by dipping the foliage occasionally into pretty strong tobacco water, and 

 sulphur. Every care should be taken to keep the foliage healthy during 

 summer, as their rapid progress into sizable plants and capability of pro- 

 ducing flowers in abundance during winter entirely depends on this. Plants 

 eat up by insects, yellow, unhealthy foliage, and inattention in watering, 

 are the main obstacles against their sure success. 



This is the only Violet we care to grow in the greenhouse, as other sorts 

 do better in frames, or pits. In fact the Neapolitan is the only other kind 

 worth growing, and that on account of its fine size and color, for the 

 flower of the " Tree" variety, is every way equal to that of the best double 

 Russian Violet, with the additional good quality of everblooming. For it 

 may be had in flower even in summer, if a cool moist place is given it : 

 but those grown especially for winter, should not be allowed to bloom, 

 but should have the buds pinched off as they appear, to strengthen them 

 for winter duty. Edgar Sanders, 



Albany, N. Y., Nov. 30. Gardener to J. F. Rathbone, Esq. 



PLEROMA ELEGANS. 



Sir : — Your correspondent's observations on the two Melastomads, 

 (Pleroma Benthamiana and Lasiandra Splendens,) has induced me to make 

 a few remarks upon the still more beautiful though still less known, Pleroma 

 elegans, the cultivation of which is quite as simple and easy as any of the 

 family. I am not aware of its having been flowered in this country up to 

 the present time, so that to those of your readers who are fortunate enough 

 to possess plants of it, the following remarks may be useful. This plant 

 was sent out by the Messrs. Yeitch, of Exeter, as a stove plant. But 

 treated as such none were successful enough, either to grow a good specimen, 

 or to flower it to perfection ; however, its rapid distribution, soon put it 

 into the hands of most gardeners, whose skill was soon turned to growing it 

 as an intermediate or greenhouse plant, under which treatment many most 

 excellent specimens were grown and exhibited, proving it to be one of the 

 most attractive and useful plants of late introduction. Its natural habit is 

 more bushy than either of the above, its leaves are of a dark shining green, 

 the flowers are from two inches to two and a half in diameter, produced in 



