2S6 
HORTICULTURAL NOTES. 
purpureus, when grafted on the Laburnum, 
may have united in some mysterious way with 
that of the Laburnum, and so given rise to it 
in the character of a "sport," which has been 
rendered permanent. This latter supposition 
seems to be favoured by the fact alluded to 
above, that plants of the scarlet or purple 
Laburnum sometimes put forth perfect shoots 
both of C. purpureus and C. Laburnum. 
Whatever may be its origin, this Cytisus 
Adamicus, or purple Laburnum, a tree with 
the habit of the common Laburnum, is in- 
finitely inferior in beauty to either the com- 
mon Laburnum or the purple Cytisus, to 
which it owes its origin. 
Cytisus pygmyF-us (the pigmy Cytisus), 
is a procumbent species from Gstlicia, with 
trifoliolate leaves and j'ellow flowers, in June. 
Cytisus scoparius (the common Broom), 
is, as the name implies, a very common shrub; 
but it is also one of very great beauty. It is 
a diffuse growing twiggy bush, attaining from 
three to six, or even ten and twelve, feet 
high, according to soil and situation. The 
branches are smooth and angled, the leaves 
trifoliolate, the flowers large and yellow. It 
is very common on sandy and gravelly soils 
throughout Europe. There are two varieties: 
one called pallidus, or albus, which has pale 
straw-coloured flowers ; the other jlore-pleno, 
with flowers slightly double. 
Cytisus sessillfolius (the sessile-leaved 
Cytisus), is an upright growing shrub, with 
trifoliolate leaves and yellow flowers. It is a 
species very generally cultivated in gardens, 
where it forms a bush from four to six feet 
high, flowering in May and June. It is a 
native of the South of France and Piedmont. 
Cytisus spinosus (the spiny Cytisus), is 
a small shrub from the South of Europe, from 
three to four feet high. It has trifoliolate leaves, 
and bears yellow flowers in June and July. 
Cytisus supinus, (the supine Cytisus,) is 
a decumbent shrub, with pale yellow flowers 
and trifoliolate leaves. It is a native of vari- 
ous parts of the South of Europe, and pro- 
duces flowers from May to August. 
Cytisus trifolius (the three-flowered Cy- 
tisus,) is a straggling growing shrub, attain- 
ing three or four feet high, and producing 
yellow flowers in June and July. It is a na- 
tive of the South of France, Italy, &c. 
Cytisus Weldenii (Welden's Cytisus), is 
an upright growing shrub of four or five feet 
high, with fragrant yellow flowers borne in 
June and July : they are produced in terminal 
racemes. The leaves are trifoliolate. It is 
a native of Dalmatia. 
Like the species of Genista, to which the 
family of Cytisus is very nearly allied, they 
are well suited for ornamental purposes. The 
upright growing species are suitable for plant- 
ing either singly or in groups, towards the 
front part of shrubberies, or in groups or 
small beds detached from surrounding plants. 
The procumbent and spreading species, again, 
are suitable either to plant near the extreme 
boundary of shrubberies or clumps of shrubs, 
or they may be placed on rock-work, or on dry 
elevated banks, or in any situations where 
loose stones can be collected around them. 
Any of the smaller, compact growing, upright 
kinds, or the procumbent ones, may be grafted 
standard high on the Laburnum, (which is a 
species of Cytisus,) and will thus form hand- 
some ornamental specimen plants for planting 
out on lawns, or in the more prominent posi- 
tions among other plants. C. scoparius, the 
common Broom, is also well suited for plant- 
ing extensively on waste sandy land as a cover 
for game ; and, in company with the furze, it 
is calculated to convert the dreary and barren 
waste into a garden of vegetable gold. It 
may also be used as a hedge plant in situations 
where it may be abundant, and where other 
plants would not thrive well, such as those 
referred to above. 
CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS, 
AND ORIGINAL NOTES CONNECTED WITH HORTICULTURAL 
AND NATURAL HISTORY. 
Authorities — Journal of Horticultural Society, Jl. H. S. — Gar- 
dener's Gazette, G. G.~Gardcner's Chronicle, G. C. — Gardener's 
Journal, G.J. — Quotations from which are duly acknowledged 
by the respective initials attached to each. 
Report on Experiments with Manures. 
By J. Donald in J'. H. S. — " Phosphates. — 
To ascertain the effects of phosphates in diffe- 
rent sorts of soil on the Calluna vulgaris, nine 
plants were potted in Bagshot peat, nine in 
Wimbledon peat, nine in Bromley peat, nine 
in Norwood loam, nine in Hanwell loam, and 
nine in common garden soil. Two plants in 
each sort of soil received nothing but water 
when they required it ; the others, a small 
quantity of the following substances: phosphate 
of soda, phosphate of iron, phosphate of mag- 
nesia, and cow-dung. No perceivable change 
was caused by the substances. The only dif- 
ference appears to have arisen from the diffe- 
rent sorts of soil. Those in Bagshot peat and 
those in Norwood loam were the best ; those 
in Hanwell loam next ; those in Bromley and 
Wimbledon peat next ; and those in common 
garden soil the worst. 
" Rhododendrons, treated with various salts. 
— Of 30 plants four were planted in peat, three 
in loam with a mixture of cow-dung ; all the 
others in loam, 15 receiving the following 
substances : phosphate of iron, phosphate of 
soda, ammonio-phosphate of magnesia, sul- 
phate of iron, and oxide of iron. Each of 
these substances was given to three plants in 
the proportions of 1 oz.* f oz., and ^oz., one 
half in autumn, the other in spring. The 
