OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 
23 
NEW OR INTERESTING PLANTS RECENTLY IN FLOWER AT THE PRINCIPAL 
SUBURBAN NURSERIES. 
Achime'nes grandiflo'ra. This is a very noble new species, with large hairy leaves, and pale 
crimson flowers, which are nearly or quite the size of those of A. longiflora. It has, at present, 
bloomed but imperfectly and sparingly in the nurseries of Mr. Low, Clapton, and Messrs. Rollisson, 
of Tooting ; in both which places the plant is still showing flower. At a more favourable season, 
however, it will doubtless be very handsome, and become a most delightful accession to the genus. 
Bra'ssia brachia'ta. a novel species, blooming in theTooting nursery, where it is known by 
the name of B. Urayce. It is not peculiar in the pseudo-bulbs and leaves ; while the colours of 
the flowers are also common, being greenish-yellow, with dark brown spots and blotches. The lip 
of the blossom is, however, particularly large, and the species is altogether a showy one, 
Mane'ttia bi'color. Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter, imported this rather pretty plant from Brazil, 
and it flowered with those gentlemen a considerable time back. It is now beginning to bloom 
with Messrs. Rollison, of Tooting. The leaves are pale green, and a little glaucous. The flowers 
are small, with a long slender tube, and having an agreeable combination of scarlet and yellow. 
It is an interesting climber for growing in pots, and twining round a low trellis. 
Rena'nthera matuli^na. Introduced from Manilla by Mr. Cuming, and lately flowered by 
Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting. It is noticeable for its comparative smallness, and for its neat 
brown and yellowish flowers, which continue open several months. 
OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. 
Chill and somewhat dull as is usually the month of February, it seems only to encircle with a 
stronger spell the slumbering forms of nature, and to close, yet more strictly, the vegetable store- 
houses of the earth. Days sometimes occur, however, in which a sort of earnest is given of the 
approaching spring ; and plants, stimulated by the genial warmth of such periods, are often induced 
to awaken their dormant energies, and to commence growing ere any dependence can be placed 
on the future kindliness of the weather. 
The great business of the culturist, therefore, during the present month, is to keep everything 
that comes beneath his actual control as backward as possible. We, of course, refer solely to 
those plants which are grown in houses or frames, or are otherwise artificially sheltered ; since no 
such agency can by any means be exerted on those which are in the open ground. We shall 
assume that, accordant with our previous directions, such plants as develop themselves naturally 
in spring, have been prevented from growing, either by comparative coldness and dryness, or by the 
actual removal of their pushing shoots, up to the present time. And what we have now to 
enforce is the extreme desirability of maintaining that state till the heat and light of the sun are 
sufficiently intense and permanent to render any advancement healthy. A trifling neglect of this 
circumstance might nullify all the efforts of the previous two or three months, and at once bring 
about the results which it has been so much the endeavour to avoid. 
As hinted above, there ai*e three ways in which torpidity may be preserved in greenhouse and 
stove plants ; or that portion of each of them which it is not wished to excite before the natural 
pei'iod. The fii'st method is by a due regulation of the temperature. And this is the most 
important, because it necessarily aff'ects the second mode which we shall have to name. To descant 
on the absurdity of maintaining an artificial heat when the plants would be altogether better if 
simply guarded from frost, will appear trite for us, as we have so often previously uttered the same 
opinions. Cultivators cannot, however, believe either our statements or our arguments ; for to 
obtain full and proper credence for a principle is to ensure its being carried out. We must 
again, nevertheless, distinctly affirm that such an increase of temperature as impels plants to begin 
growing at any time prior to the season in which everything without^is provided for making their 
gi'owths vigorous and fine, is extremely prejudicial. And where this temperature is created by 
