172 
THE AMATEURS FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Now in the case of Pterostigma, the plant 
has been kept in too warm and close an arti- 
ficial atmosphere ; and the preponderating 
force which this, of itself, would give to the 
production of leaves, was, during the season 
of 1845, augmented by the partial amount of 
direct light which was experienced. Accord- 
ing to our ordinary notions of the effect of 
these agents on the growth of plants, the 
result could not have been otherwise than it 
was. To cause the plants to flower freely, to 
grow more dwarf, and to develop the blossoms 
in their natural disposition (in racemes), a 
lighter summer than that of 1845, and a less 
amount of heat and moisture than is usually 
found in plant-stoves, would appear to be 
necessary. Probably, what is understood by a 
warm green-house would afford a sufficient 
degree of warmth for growing the plant ; or, 
if it should be found to require the average 
heat of a plant-stove, it must have a clear 
atmosphere. What is actually necessary, will 
have to be found by experiment. Very often, 
for want of this experimentalizing, a handsome 
plant gets condemned as worthless, just because 
the proper treatment was not at once hit upon. 
We have in this space only glanced at the sub- 
ject, but we trust our amateur friends will un- 
derstand us. 
Besides the means already hinted at in con- 
nexion with the natural agents of growth, of 
inducing a flowering condition, the practice of 
confining the roots within the limits of a com- 
paratively small pot may be found to be neces- 
sary : this mode of treatment has usually the 
effect of checking growth and promoting 
flowering. It is stated that the plant requires 
shade during hot sunny weather ; for our own 
part, we should be rather chary of shading it. 
In the winter it requires to be kept rather dry. 
It appears to be a common plant in China ; 
and, though new to our gardens, was among 
the earliest dried plants procured from that 
country. It is the Gerardia glutinosa of 
Lirmasus, and the Digitalis chinensis of Lou- 
reiro. The leaves of the plant are stated to 
be agreeably sweet-scented. It is stationed 
in the natural order, Scrophulariaceas ; and 
in the Linnasan, Didynamia Angiospermia. 
THE AMATEURS FLOWER-GARDEN. 
A floeist can do wonders with a very 
small bit of ground, and no great quantity of 
glass ; with a little labour, and not much ex- 
pense. Twenty rods of ground, in a good 
situation, will enable him to compete with a 
whole nursery, and. with care, distance very 
large cultivators. Twenty rods of ground 
may be about twenty-two yards wide, and 
twenty-eight yards long. The preparation of 
this, for the growth of florist's flowers and 
plants, is, under present circumstances, not a 
very expensive affair. Say we begin with 
about six frames and glasses, such as are 
made for hot-beds, and also used to protect 
things in winter ; the general size of these 
lights is five to six feet long, and three feet 
six inches wide. Some have these frames 
made so as to have two lights, or three lights, 
to one box ; but there are many good reasons 
to prefer for those in a small or moderate way, 
frames with only one light to a box, as they are 
easily removed, and can be used for different 
things independently of each other. We must 
premise, that for winter protection the ground 
on which these frames are to stand, should be 
paved, or bricked and cemented, or slated, or 
made with asphalte, as in no case is it good 
that the ground should be in a state to absorb 
the damp, which is the great enemy in winter 
time. We will suppose the amateur florist to 
be a determined exhibitor of all florists' 
flowers ; one of these lights will be filled with 
Auriculas, one with Picotees, one Carnations, 
one Verbenas, one with Pansies in pots, size 
24, for blooming early, and one with store 
pots of cuttings, &c. The Pinks will be 
planted out, or, if not, are in small pots in one 
of the frames. Polyanthuses will be in their 
open borders, or, if grown in pots, which we 
do not recommend, must be also in a frame ; 
for, be it known, that all plants, even hardy 
ones, in pots, expose their roots, which adhere 
to the sides, and therefore require protection, 
while those in the ground do not. In this 
garden there is ample room for beds of Eanun- 
culuses, Anemones, Tulips, Irises — now becom- 
ing a favourite flower, and for a collection of 
that king or queen of the garden, Roses ; a 
few hand-glasses and blooming-glasses for 
Carnations and Picotees and shades of various 
kinds, to protect any favourite blooms. Set 
a portion of the ground, say one rod, sepa- 
rated by a hedge or fence of some kind to 
hold the heaps of compost, which are always 
unsightly, and in this place get turfs, sand, 
loam, peat, cow-dung, horse-dung, the dung 
of poultry, Carnation sticks, pots, &c. ; place 
here, also, your spare hand-glasses, and all the 
contrivances for shading and covering. In 
this space, too, have your hot-bed, if you have 
one at all, because, to raise many seeds, even 
the tender annuals, it will be found requi- 
site ; and, by keeping it in this confined space, 
the garden may always be kept clean. In this 
space you should have a shed, or out-house, 
to keep tools and things requiring protection 
from the weather, and also to use for potting 
your plants, keeping your seeds ; and, if it be 
built in a substantial manner, and well weather- 
tight, it will do to store everything connected 
with the garden. Of twenty rods of ground, 
two might be devoted to this, which may be 
