CULTURE OF SPARMANNIA AFRICANA. 
205 
provement, I started an examination into the cause, which I commenced by turning- 
the root-ball out of the tub, when, to my g-reat surprise, I could not discover any 
defect in the roots, or want of strength in the soil; from which it appeared clear to 
me that the only means of restoring the health of my plant, must be by enlarging 
the tub, and reshifting it in quite new compost, comprising two parts of strong open 
turfy loam to one of unusually well decomposed dung carefully incorporated. 
This I did early in the spring of 1834, and I had last season the satisfaction 
of seeing ray favourite plant in good health, clothed with a luxuriance of foliage 
such as I never expected to see gracing its noble head, and aifording an ample back- 
ground to its large umbels of nodding blossoms. The number of umbels this 
season I did not count, but there were a great number ; and the white petals of each 
flower, with the purple tips resembling anthers, contrasted with its large cordate 
pendulous foliage, produced an appearance even more splendid than on former 
occasions ; the plant now spoken of has generally stood in a rather light situation, 
and I am disposed to think, from what I see of the habits of some younger plants 
of this species, that they do best in a light situation. If I had not observed very 
particular caution in administering water to my old plant, I should have attributed 
its ill health at once to want of due attention in this respect, but I was well aware 
this could not be the case ; indeed the healthy and clean condition of the roots con- 
vinced me at once to the contrary. I have not an indiscriminate mode of water- 
ing as is too often the case, but I water my plants as experience teaches me 
they want it, and I always endeavoured to keep the Sparmannia rather dry during 
winter, and watered it rather copiously during- summer, and more particularly in the 
growing season. I also washed its branches now and then with clean water from 
the syringe, whichkept it clean and free from insects. I propagate it in sand or 
sand and loam mixed with little trouble. The pot, after inserting the cuttings, 1 place 
under a hand-glass in a little bottom heat. I water them well at first, after which 
I do not, without they get very dry, give any more until rooted and ready for pot- 
ting off, when I give a little ; the young plants I bring on in a frame for a while, 
from which I harden them by degrees to the greenhouse. I give the young plants 
frequent shifts during summer, but principally in the spring, in the above compost. 
And they grow beautifully, and I have no donbt of their flowering splendidly in a 
season or two. E. 
At Chatsworth we find this plact to do well in an orangery, treated like the 
orange trees, except in potting or tubbing ; when we vary the soil a little, using strong 
loam and peat in the proportion of two parts of the former to one of the latter. 
We have a plant fast declining in size of foliage and wood, in the manner described 
in the above article ; we fancied the plant had been kept too cold, and at the same 
time perhaps over-watered, being an effect frequently resulting upon a variety of 
plants from similar combined causes. We hope however to bring it round by repot- 
ting, but shall not attempt this till spring. We are inclined to think, if we move 
the plant into a moderate heat after repottina*, the success will be more certain. 
This plant is a native of the Cape of Good Hope ; the generic name is in honour 
of Andrew Sparmann, M.D,, a Swedish Botanist, who accompanied Captain Cook 
in his second voyage round the world in 1772- — 1775. 
