NICA'iNDRA. 



192 



NIGELLA . 



iV. odbnim) all require a soil com- 

 posed of one-half loam, one quarter 

 peat, and one quarter vegetable mould, 

 or rotten dung ; or, if this soil cannot 

 be obtained, equal parts of peat, loam, 

 and sand. They should be regularly 

 watered every day ; but as no water 

 should ever be allowed to remain in 

 a stagnate state about their roots, the 

 pots in which they are grown should 

 have no saucers. They should also 

 be repotted at least once every year, 

 and the soil shaken out from the 

 roots, as they are plants which throw 

 out a good deal of excrementitious 

 matter, which poisons the soil in 

 which they grow. This repotting 

 should take place in spring; and, 

 after it has been performed, the plants 

 should be watered and set in the 

 shade for a day or two. As soon as 

 they begin to grow, they should have 

 plenty of light and air, and they 

 should be regularly watered twice 

 a-day, observing never to let any 

 water remain in the saucer, if the pot 

 should have one, though it is much 

 better without. Thus treated, the 

 Oleander will grow rapidly, and throw 

 out such large bunches of flowers as 

 to form truly splendid objects. The 

 stove species is generally grown in 

 rather a moist heat ; but it may be 

 removed to the greenhouse, or even 

 the open air, during the hottest months 

 of summer, if care be taken to water 

 its roots twice a-day, and syringe it 

 every evening over head. 



New Jersey Tea. — See CeaW- 

 thus. 



New Zealand Tea. — Leptosper- 

 mum scoparium. 



Nica'ndra. — Solanacece. — The 

 Alkekengi, or Kite-flower. A strong 

 and vigorous annual, growing five or 

 six feet high, and throwing out numer- 

 ous branches. The flowers are blue, 

 and the fruit is in an inflated capsule, 

 like that of the bladder nut, or winter 

 cherry. It is a native of Peru, and 



its seeds should be sown in March or 

 April, in a shrubbery or border, where 

 the plants may have plenty of room, 

 the seeds being put into the ground 

 singly, and at least three feet apart. 



Nicotia x na. — Solanacece. — The 

 Tobacco. All the different kinds of 

 Tobacco have showy flowers ; but the 

 handsomest species are N. tabacum, 

 the Virginian or common Tobacco, N. 

 noctijibra, N. rnultivdlvis, and A r . 

 longiflbra. All these are annuals, 

 and their seeds should be raised on a 

 slight hot-bed or warm border; and 

 the plants, when in their second pair 

 of leaves, should be transplanted to a 

 bed of light rich soil, where theyshould 

 be planted three feet apart every way. 

 While the plants are young, the joint3 

 of the leaves should be frequently ex- 

 amined, in search of a caterpillar which 

 is frequently found there, and which, 

 if not removed, will eat off the points 

 of the shoots, and consequently de- 

 stroy the beauty of the plant. N. 

 rustica, the common, or English 

 Tobacco, the leaves of which are 

 generally used for making tobacco- 

 water, &c, should never be grown in 

 a garden, as the flowers are of a dirty 

 greenish yellow, and the whole plant 

 is covered with clammy hairs, ex- 

 tremely disagreeable to the touch. 



Nierembergia. — Solanacece. — 

 There are four species of Nierembergia, 

 all natives of South America, viz. JV. 

 gracilis, 2V. arisiata, 2V. filicaulis, 

 and N. calycina, all of which are 

 pretty little greenhouse plants, with 

 whitish flowers, but not at all showy. 

 I have been thus particular in enume- 

 rating the kinds, because from Pro- 

 fessor Don and Dr. Graham having 

 at first supposed that some of the 

 kinds of Petunia belonged to Nierem- 

 bergia, great confusion has arisen. 

 The Nierembergias should be grown 

 in peat and sand, and kept regularly 

 watered. 



Nigelxa. — Ranunculacea. — 



