HORTICULTURAL NOTES. 
S83 
credit to any person, than to use well the 
means at hand, in seeking a definite result. — 
G. Dawson. 
Watering Melons. — There are few gar- 
deners who like to see the leaves of their 
Melons spotted, and the young fruit damped 
off, which is partly by the awkward system 
practised in watering them. The plan that I 
consider the best is as follows : — Previous to 
earthing up my Melons, I strew the surface of 
the bed over with broken bones and charcoal, 
rather more of the latter than of the former. 
I then lay two slates under each light, at the 
distance of eighteen inches from the plants, 
and put a six-inch flower-pot on each of the 
slates, laying some charcoal on the slates to 
raise the pots about two inches, so as to allow 
the water given to escape freely about the 
roots of the plants. The Melons under this 
treatment show the good effects of the sj'stem. 
— G. J. 
Shading Flower Beds. — It is not a bad 
plan to throw some branches over Verbena 
beds. I have used them since the middle of 
May, and have found them most useful. I 
cut them in lengths of about two feet six 
inches, and stuck them in the ground among 
the plants of Gaillardias, Senecios, Verbenas, 
Heliotropes, Petunias, &c. &c. It not only 
shades them from the sun, but prevents their 
being blown about by the wind until they 
are firmly rooted, and saves much watering. 
Plants that were turned out during the last 
week in Ma}', or the first week in June, and 
thus treated, have nearly covered the beds, 
whereas others that were not shaded will take 
double the time, and require twice the amount 
of watering. — 31. Busby. G.J. 
The Pyracanttia. — The flowers of the 
evergreen Thorn, better known as the Pyra- 
cantha, (Crataegus Pyracantha,) have a sweet 
smell, resembling new hay ; and with its 
shining evergreen leaves, and bunches of 
bright scarlet berries, together with its do- 
cility of training, although properly a shrub, 
it is well adapted for any vacant space of wall 
(looks well against the wall of a house), and 
unquestionably ranks among the highest orna- 
ments of the winter garden ; indeed it is 
beautiful the whole year round, as the berries 
of the preceding season have scarcely disap- 
peared before it is covered with beautiful 
bunches of white flowers. — Flora Odorata. 
Camellias, to bloom in Winter. — To 
have Camellias in (lower six or eight months 
in the year, it only requires healthy plants to 
commence with, every means being taken to 
maintain them so, and the early infloreseent 
habit induced to them, by most careful, in other 
words, very gradual and gentle forcing. The 
principal point is, after they have flowered, to 
develop and mature the annual growth, which, 
it will be imagined, there is some difficulty in 
doing in December and January. There is, 
however, no obstacles which perseverance may 
not overcome, and which are not worth over- 
coming to produce a display of Camellia 
flowers from August to April. The bloom 
continues perfect in the winter a much longer 
period than it does as the season becomes more 
advanced. — Magazine of Botany. 
Hybrid Veronica speciosa. — We have 
lately seen a very distinct and desirable hybrid 
of this fine shrubby green-house Veronica. 
Those who know this plant will readily con- 
cede to its stiff erect habit, ample rounded 
dark green foliage, and dense spikes of purple 
flowers, a distinctness of character which at 
once separates it, in appearance, from every 
thing else. The chief fault one may find of 
the original plant, is that the dark green 
of the leaves, and the dark purple of the 
flowers, together produce an effect somewhat 
heavy, and to look well, the plant requires to 
be seen under a peculiar distribution of bright 
light. In the hybrid referred to, while the 
distinctness of character is maintained, the 
objection referred to is in great measure 
obviated, for the flowers, instead of being pur- 
ple, are of a rich deep rose-red, thus forming 
not only a handsome plant in itself, but at the 
same time, in the tint of colouring, a perfectly 
distinct variety from its parent. This opens 
a new field for hybridizing. We have se'veral 
distinct and pretty shrubby species of Vero- 
nica, of which, perhaps, speciosa with purple, 
and salicifolia with whitish flowers, are the 
best ; and besides these, there are some hand- 
some ones which yet remain to be introduced. 
Even speciosa and salicifolia present great 
variety ; the one is robust, erect, with thick 
rounded leaves, and erect dense spikes of 
flower ; the other is more slender and bushy 
in its mode of growth, more prolific of flowers, 
and these flowers are produced in long slender 
drooping spikes ; the leaves, too, are lance- 
shaped, and the whole plant has a light and 
graceful appearance. Something surely may 
be effected by hybridizing these. The habit 
of salicifolia is, perhaps, all that can be desired, 
and if to this can he added a more distinct 
and decided colour in its blossom than it now 
possesses, a plant would be produced, than 
which it seems difficult to conceive anything 
of the kind more beautiful. As the field is, 
in some degree, a fresh one — indeed, hardly 
at all broken up — we think we cannot do bet- 
ter than recommend it to the attention of those 
who feel an interest in such pursuits ; and we 
can hardly believe that their efforts, if pro- 
perly directed, would go unrewarded. Ima- 
gine a simple transfer of colour between t lie 
two kinds which have been particularly named, 
and the result would be the production of two 
