ALLIUM. 



7 



ALOE. 



stove-climbers may be planted in the 

 hothouse, and trained through a hole 

 in the back wall into the conservatory, 

 in the cool air of which the flowers will 

 be more brilliant, and more agreeably 

 seen, than in the damp hot air neces- 

 sary for the roots. This plan was 

 suggested, and has been acted upon 

 by the Hon. and Rev. William 

 Herbert at Spofforth, and by Mr. 

 Beaton, the very intelligent gar- 

 dener of T. Harris, Esq., at Kings- 

 bury. There is no doubt, indeed, 

 that the idea might be carried farther; 

 and by plunging the pots in a hotbed, 

 or pit heated by hot water, that the 

 Allamanda, the splendid Ipomaea 

 Horsfallii, the stove Passion flowers, 

 particularly the Passiflora Kermisinii, 

 and P. Loudoni, the Petraeas, and 

 many others, might be trained over 

 trellis-work, and verandas, in the open 

 air, so as to cover them with their 

 flowers. See Bottom Heat. 



Allium. — Asphodelece. — The 

 garlic and onion tribe, of which there 

 are above ahundred and fifty species in 

 cultivation, natives of Europe and 

 America, some few of which are con- 

 sidered ornamental, and one, A. odd* 

 rum, is sweet-scented. Among the 

 ornamental species are A. Mbly, with 

 yellow flowers ; A . descendens, with 

 dark purple flowers; A. incarnation, 

 with red flowers ; and A. Cowani, 

 A. ChamcBmoly, and A. neapolita- 

 num, with white flowers. All the 

 species thrive in any common soil, 

 and are increased abundantly by off- 

 sets from the bulbs. In a garden 

 devoted exclusively to bulbs, the Al- 

 liums form a large and important 

 group, from the great variety of their 

 foliage, height, and time of flowering, 

 and the different colours of the flowers ; 

 but they differ from almost all other 

 ornamental plants, as they do not admit 

 of being gathered, and put into nose- 

 gays, on account of their unpleasant 

 smell. 



Allspice-tree. See Calycanthus. 



Almond. See Amygdalus. 



Aloe. — Hemerocallidacece. — The 

 name of aloe is so frequently applied 

 in conversation to the American aloe, 

 or agave, that many persons are not 

 aware that the true aloe is not only 

 quite a different genus, but belongs to 

 a different natural order ; the Ameri- 

 can aloe being one of the pine-apple 

 tribe, and the true aloe one of the 

 day-lily tribe. The qualities of the 

 two tribes are also essentially different; 

 the American aloe abounds in starchy 

 nourishing matter, while every part 

 of the true aloe is purgative. The 

 true aloe also flowers every year, and 

 the flowers are tube-shaped, and pro- 

 duced on a spike ; while each plant of 

 the American aloe flowers but once, 

 sending up an enormous flower stem, 

 with candelabra-like branches and 

 cup-shaped flowers. The true aloes 

 are succulent plants, natives of the 

 Cape of Good Hope ; and they grow 

 best in this country in green-houses, 

 or rooms, the pots being well drained, 

 and the soil composed of a sandy loam, 

 mixed with a little lime rubbish or 

 gravel. To this, when the plants are 

 wanted to attain a large size, may be 

 added a little leaf mould. When 

 grown in rooms, the poor soil is, how- 

 ever, preferable, as it keeps the plants 

 of a smaller and more manageable size, 

 and makes them less easily affected 

 by changes of the temperature, and of 

 heat and dryness. The colours of the 

 flowers will also be richer when the 

 plants are grown in poor soil. The 

 drug called aloes is made principally 

 from the pulp of the fleshy leaf of the 

 Aloe Soccotrina, the flowers of which 

 are red, tipped with green ; but it is 

 also made from several other species. 

 A. vulgaris, sometimes called A. bar- 

 badensis, has orange-yellow flowers; 

 and the Partridge- breast Aloe, A. var- 

 iegata, has variegated leaves. All the 

 kinds should be frequently watered 



