502 



On the Propagation of Zamias. 



few weeks in a dry place, I filled the inside, after having cut 

 out all the rotten parts, with white sand, and placed it under 

 a bell-glass, upon the bark bed, in a shaded situation. It 

 stood in this state about three months, during which time I 

 observed that the sand prevented any further decay. At the 

 end of this time on lifting up the bell-glass one day, I found 

 that almost every scale was pushing small leaves and roots ! 

 Upon this I carefully separated each of the growing scales, 

 and placed them singly in small pots, in pure white sand, in 

 which they are at present thriving. 



Thus I have obtained a great number of plants of this rare 

 and valuable plant, which is the more gratifying, as it is a 

 species which I believe has not been propagated in Europe, 

 and certainly never by artificial means, in any part of the 

 world ; in consequence of which it has always borne a very 

 high price, and sometimes could not even be procured. 



The circumstance which led me to try this experiment was 

 a similar accident with the bulb of a Veltheimia, the heart of 

 which was in like manner rotten, and nothing of it remained 

 but a few of the outside scales. After having kept it about 

 three weeks in a dry place, I filled the inside with white sand, 

 and in six weeks time I found the surviving scales began to 

 push forth leaves ; they soon became young plants, and some 

 of them were lately in flower. 



The chief thing which I have found necessary to be ob- 

 served, is to keep the plants after the inside has been filled with 

 sand, in a very dry and warm situation ; if this be attended 

 to, I have no hesitation in assuring you that success will 

 attend a trial of the practice. 



