140 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



than ever they do in a wild state ; and I am confident that it is 

 more advantageous to the plants to be supplied with artificial 

 root-food, instead of being dependent on the animal food which 

 they catch in order to supply themselves with proper nutriment. 

 They are very showy plants when in flower, and the large petals, 

 which are red, white, and yellow in the different species, are 

 very beautiful, whilst in one instance (Sarracenia rubra) the 

 flowers give a delightful fragrance, very much resembling Violets. 

 In the matter of cultivation, many people imagine that Sarra- 

 cenias require strong stove-heat, but this is altogether a mistake. 

 I have made these plants my special study, and I find them to 

 do well under the following conditions. In the winter they 

 should be rested in a close frame, with just enough heat to 

 exclude the frost ; in such a position the plants are best plunged 

 in fibre or sphagnum moss. In this way they get a thoroughly 

 good rest, and do not require stimulating with water. Here they 

 will stand from November until about the beginning of March, 

 at which time they will begin to show signs of returning life, 

 or to wake up from their winter sleep, when they require to 

 be properly cleaned and top-dressed or repotted. They should 

 now be placed in a moist house, near to the glass, in a tempera- 

 ture of about G0°, and during this time they will take a good 

 quantity of water to their roots, and also overhead from the 

 syringe on bright sunny days. Care, however, will be necessary 

 not to use this instrument in a rough and careless manner, or 

 the young pitchers will get bent down and broken. During the 

 time the young pitchers are forming I like to keep the house 

 tolerably close, avoiding cold draughts and all unnecessary rushes 

 of air, for at this time the young pitchers are very soft and are 

 very liable to injury ; and if the atmosphere is kept properly 

 moist, both red-spider and black-thrips will be kept away. 

 Green-fly should also be at once washed off, but tobacco should 

 on no account be used for fumigating, as I consider it has a very 

 deleterious effect upon the plants. As the pitchers increase in 

 size and attain their full development, more air may be given and 

 more sun allowed to shine upon them ; in fact, very little 

 shading is necessary for these plants at any time, the bright 

 light helping to colour the pitchers and bring out their proper 

 tints, which in some species and varieties are very beautiful. 

 The best soil for Sarracenias, and, in fact, for nearly all 



