112 
FERTILIZING LIQUID. 
bat generally well distributed, which produces 
an admirable effect. At the base of the 
petals, in the heart of the flower, the white is 
delicately tinged with yellow. This was in- 
troduced by Mr. Alex. Verschaffelt of Ghent, 
1847, from America. [A handsome, delicate, 
and compact variety.] 
Armida rosea. — A good variety ; in general 
form not unlike imbricata ; of vigorous habit, 
with numerous branches, well furnished with 
fine healthy foliage of a broad roundish form, 
regularly dentated with small teeth, and ter- 
minating at the apex in an acuminated point. 
The flowers are about four inches in diameter 
and very regular, with petals of a rose colour, 
lighter towards the tips, and considerably 
stronger in the veins, broad, uniformly imbri- 
cated, and having a slight notch at the mar- 
gins. It was received some years ago from 
Florence, by Mr. A. Verschaffelt of Ghent. 
Grand Duke Constantine. — This variety 
is not quite so large as Zavonia. It may be 
considered as belonging to the number of 
those that are more particularly called double 
camellias, as distinguished from the simple as 
well as the regularly imbricated sorts. In its 
general aspect it is less bold and striking than 
Borgia and others of the same stamp, but it 
is not inferior to any in point of delicacy and 
richness of colouring. In habit it is some- 
what vigorous, having smooth clean branches 
of a dark chestnut colour, with shining dark- 
green oval acuminate leaves, attenuated at 
both extremities, regularly dentated, and end- 
ing in the apex in a sharp point. The flower 
is about three inches in diameter, and gene- 
rally of a pale rose or soft blush colour. The 
petals are slightly undulating and delicately 
tinged with pure white at the margins, those 
at the circumference being uniform and larger 
than the rest ; towards the centre they become 
very irregular, those of the inner range being 
much folded and smaller, while a few at the 
heart of the flower again partially incline to 
the open and expanded form of the external 
range. Here and there, both on the outer 
and inner petals, may be seen a slight streak 
of crimson, while the soft blending of the rose 
with the white towards the margins renders 
the variation very distinct, and constitutes the 
rich and agreeable feature of this variety. 
It was raised by Mr. Caluwaert Vermeulen 
of Courtrai in Belgium, who first observed it 
on a branch of the variety called Pirzio. 
This gentleman was not slow in perceiving 
its merits, and had it extensively propagated. 
The singular occurrence of a different flower 
being thus accidentally developed on a parti- 
cular branch, and the causes which have 
operated to produce a flower of the variety, — 
Compte de Paris on a branch of the Duchesse 
d'Orleans variety, or one of the Due de 
Chartres on a branch of the Compte de Paris, 
— are easily explained by the student of vege- 
table physiology. 
Borgia. — This charming variety is of 
Italian origin, and, like the balmy climate in 
which it has been raised, it presents attrac- 
tions of the most inviting character. Its 
name commemorates a profound scholar 
and naturalist, the eminent Cardinal Borgia. 
It is of a handsome and vigorous habit, having 
strong shrubby and leafy branches, and bear- 
ing large, oval, acuminate regularly dentated 
leaves, of a fine deep glossy green ; the under 
side is somewhat paler than the upper sur- 
face. As if indicative of the robustness of 
the flower and the habit of the whole plant, 
the buds are large and full, somewhat round, 
and disposed to open with perfect facility ; 
this latter circumstance will doubtless render 
it an excellent sort for forcing into early 
flower, without the fear of seeing it cast its 
flower-buds, an evil to which many other 
kinds are somewhat liable. The flower as- 
sumes that habit, so commonly sought, a re- 
gular ranunculus-form ; it is nearly four 
inches and a half in diameter, very full, finely 
imbricated ; the colours are bright cherry 
red, and white. The petals at the exterior 
portion of the flower are from an inch and a 
half to two inches broad, distinctly veined, 
slightly notched at the margins, especially at 
the middle ; from the circumference the petals 
gradually become narrower towards the centre, 
where they are much smaller, oval, and up- 
right. The distinguishing feature of the flower 
consists in a sei'ies of broad white bands down 
the middle of all the petals, these bands or 
stripes being delicately shaded with light rose 
or crimson. 
A FERTILIZING LIQUID. 
Among the desiderata connected with gar- 
dening, is an economical liquid of easy prepa- 
ration, possessing the fertilizing properties 
suitable for the great majority of plants grown 
in the open ground and in pots. The follow- 
ing process, which has been favourably re- 
ceived by several Belgian horticulturists and 
botanists, is highly spoken of. 
Take a little horse-dung fresh from the 
stable, and place it at the bottom of a barrel. 
Then pump some water over it, and cover the 
top of the barrel with a board. The liquid 
will dissolve the salts, and other fertilizing- 
principles of the dung. Do not expose it to 
the sun ; and when it is to be used, mix it 
with four times its bulk of fresh water. Rain 
water which has fallen after some days of fine 
weather is the best to mix with it. This is 
found to be a most excellent fertilizing liquid. 
— Annales de la SocietS Royale d* Agriculture 
et de Botanique, de Gand. 
