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THE TI,OKXST AND POMOLOGIST. 



water, and where the atmosphere is more than usually moist ; and in the second place, the 

 lid never closes again either by day or night after it has once opened. And again, the water 

 which usually half fills the pitchers is not rain or dew which has been collected, but is 

 secreted by the plant itself from the inner glandular surface of the pitcher. It is said 

 to be eighty years since the first species, Nepenthes distillatoria, was introduced from the 

 southern part of China — it was followed by one or two other nearly allied kinds ; but about 

 fifteen years ago IS". Hookeriana, and the still more remarkable N. Raffiesiana, with its large 

 pitchers mottled with brown, were introduced. Then came another Indian species having 

 a white rim to its pitchers, which was consequently called N. albo-niarginata : this is still 

 very rare in our gardens. Within the last year or two Mr. Veitch has imported several 

 still finer and more remarkable forms, the best of which are !N\ lanata and 1ST. sanguinea. 

 But, curious and extraordinary as these plants are, they will not bear a comparison with 

 those which still blush unseen in their native localities. All Pitcher-plants are inhabitants 

 of the East, and they seem to be more plentiful in the island of Borneo than elsewhere. 

 We may not hope soon to see them in our hothouses, for there are great difficulties preventing 

 the traveller from wandering far from certain ports. A great part of the island is covered 

 with a dense impenetrable jungle, and, of course, there are no roads worth the name; but 

 the greatest difficulty is, that the natives in the more remote part of the island have an 

 unpleasant habit of massacring any strangers whom they may happen to meet with. Still 

 we know from dried specimens what magnificent kinds are growing there. Mr. Low, the 

 son of the celebrated nurseryman of that name, and Mr. Henshaw, botanical collector 

 for Mr. Eollisson, have both of them sent home dried pitchers of ten or a dozen species, 

 some of which are capable of holding two quarts of water. Mr. Low has recently 

 returned to England and has, we understand, brought with him some of the most striking 

 plants of the island. 



So recently as 1829, Juoudon admitted that N. distillatoria was a rare plant and extremely 

 difficidt to grow, and that it was as great a puzzle to botanists as to cultivators ; but horti- 

 culture has mado rapid strides since 1829, and the difficulties which surrounded, the culti- 

 vation of the Nepenthes, as well as many other plants, have vanished. The soil which they 

 like best is light fibrous peat, broken into rough pieces, with handfuls of broken pieces of 

 charcoal thrown in here and there, so as to keep the soil perfectly open. These bits of 

 charcoal should not be mixed indiscriminately through the soil but be placed in little clusters, 

 for the black wiry roots like to get clear of the soil sometimes, and revel in such a position. 

 Good drainage is an indispensable requisite, for the plants require plenty of water ; but it 

 must by no means be allowed to stagnate in the soil, or it will soon become sour. But the 

 best soil will be useless unless other points are carefully attended to ; and one of these points 

 upon which experience teaches me to lay more stress than any other is, that the plant never 

 succeeds if the pot in which it is grown be exposed to the air. If you have several plants 

 and are obliged to grow them on a shelf, put a few pieces of board round them and fill in 

 between the pots with clinkers, broken pots, or any similar substance ; cover over with a 

 little rough soil, and plant the surface with one of the common Lycopods ; this will give 

 them a neat appearance and be very beneficial to the plants. They should be grown in a 

 house where the temperature is never allowed to fall below 60°, and may, with sun heat in 

 summer, rise to 95° ; they will require to be shaded from bright sunshine, and may be 

 syringed as frequently as convenient during the day — it should never be less than twice 

 a-day in summer. There are few plants more difficidt to propagate from cuttings than the 

 Pitcher-plants, still it can be done. Each cutting should be placed in a small pot and 

 fastened so that it cannot shake about ; a brisk bottom heat in a close frame or under a 

 hand-glass is the most favourable position in which to try them. Delta. 



THE METRO P 0 LIT AN FLORAL MEETINGS. 



Royal Botanic Society, Regent's Pake:, April 23rd— Mr. Cross, gardener to Sir 

 E. H. Goldsmid, Bart., and Mr. C. Turner, Slough, were first in the two classes for six 

 Pelargoniums, some very nice plants of the older sorts being staged by them. With six 

 British Fems, from amateurs and nurserymen, the first prizes were taken by Miss Clarkson, 

 St. John's Wood, and Mr. B. S. Williams, Plolloway. Mr. James, gardener to W. P. 

 AVatson, Esq., Isleworth, was first with a stand of twenty-four Pansies ; and Mr. Bragg, of 

 Slough, second. The latter also had some blooms of the Belgian or Eancy kinds, but some- 

 what out of character. Certificates were awarded to Mr. Everest, of Beading, for Genista 

 Everestiana, a rich orange-yellow-flowered variety, very well adapted for conservatory 

 decoration. To Mr. Standish, of Bag3hot, for a new striped-leaved J apanese Convallaria, 

 with red stems and handsome striped leaves, and producing white flowers with green tips. 



