322 
PAPEES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 
out every sort of grub or insect deposited 
in it. The ground is kept constantly clean 
by hoeing, whenever a seed leaf of any 
weed springs up ; and the loose surface is 
drawn together into a heap, round the stem 
of each plant. The second crop is treated 
exactly as the first, but the weaker plants 
left in the seed-bed are permitted to remain 
eight or ten days longer, to gain more strength. 
They are then transplanted into pots of the 
size called sixteens, filled with very rich corn- 
post, placing them close to each other in the 
shade, and duly watering the plants, till they 
begin to grow freely. After this, the pots 
are plunged in the open ground at two feet 
distance from each other, every v/ay, and 
about three inches under the general level, 
leaving a hollow or basin round each plant, 
to retain any water given to them when neces- 
sary. By the time the pots are filled with 
roots, and that autumnal rains render water- 
ing unnecessary, the basins are filled up by 
drawing the earth round each plant, at the 
same time pressing it firmly down, to prevent 
the wind from shaking them. A few of these 
plants in pots sometimes show flowers too 
soon, and to guard them from early frost, a 
leaf or two is broken down over them. On 
the approach of settled frost in December 
and January, all the pots are taken up and 
removed to a frame, pit, or shed, where they 
can be sheltered from the extreme severity of 
. the winter, but have air when it is milder, 
and by this method a supply is preserved for 
the table in the hardest winters. To make 
brocoli succeed in pots, I find, by experience, 
that it should be potted immediately from the 
seed-bed. If it is transplanted oftener, the 
head or flower is both less in size, and 
runs much sooner after it forms. For the 
same reason, I never prick out or transplant 
the general crops ; and as the temperature of 
our climate does not suflfer vegetation to go 
on briskly from October to March, by fol- 
lowing this method the heads of flower will 
remain a long time in a state of rest after 
they are formed, without bursting, and heads 
from six to seven inches in diameter are the 
ordinary produce of our plants. The seeds 
of the third crop are sown in a frame, or 
under hand-glasses, and about the third week 
in October the plants beeome strong enough 
to remove, as in the two former crops. From 
tliis sowing, the best plants are selected for 
seed, and placed three or four under a hand- 
glass, according to its size ; three, hoivever, 
are sufficient, for they should not afterwards 
be disturbed. They are gently watered and 
covered till they have m.ade fresh roots, after 
which, air is plentifully admitted, treating 
them throngh the winter exactly like Cauli- 
flower i^hnts.—Lette)^ of Afr. J. Maker. 
[The numerous varieties of Brocoli now 
in cultivation render the use of pots no longer 
necessary, for we have some of all seasons ; 
but in a very hard winter, when we have 
sometimes seen the certain crop cut off by 
severe frost, a quantity in pots would have 
well repaid the trouble ; no ordinary frost, 
however, will kill oflT our most hardy kinds. 
The foregoing plan was adopted by'Mr. Maher, 
at Edmonton, which may be considered a cold 
situation, and where, therefore, all the pre- 
cautions he could use were necessary to 
secure a supply for the table.] 
Nelumbium speciosum. — In the year 
1824, the tub in which a plant of Nelumbium 
speciosum was growing, became leaky, so 
much so, that when filled up in the evening, 
with the rest of the aquatics, it was nearly 
dry in the succeeding morning ; this con- 
tinued for some time, but the plant, notwith- 
standing, grcAv vigorously. About the middle 
of July I had the pleasure to observe three 
flower stems rising amongst the leaves ; they 
grew very strong to the height of four feet, 
or thereabouts ; the flowers all expanded, and 
were from six to eight inches in diameter ; the 
capsules also swelled to a considerable size, 
but none of the seeds came to perfection. 
Previous to this, I had not been able to flower 
this beautiful plant ; I was therefore deter- 
mined to follow the same process in the suc- 
ceeding year, as nearly as possible, and I am 
happy to be able to state that the experiment 
was attended with a favourable result, for a 
plant so managed in a tub about the same 
size produced five flowers. I was in hopes 
also that I should have succeeded in pro- 
curing ripe seeds, and I have some reason to 
think this would have been the case, had the 
idea of assisting the fructification struck me 
sooner; for I endeavoured to do so with the 
last flower which opened, and the capsule of 
that swelled much larger than either of the 
others, and the seeds attained nearly their 
full size, though they were not perfect. The 
tub in which the plant grew was plunged in 
a corner of a pit in which pines are fruited, 
and which is kept during the greater part of 
the spring and summer at a temperature as 
high as from 65° to 90°, and even to 100" 
of Fahrenheit ; in winter the temperature is 
kept lower, being seldom above 60°. During 
that time the plant received but little water ; 
and indeed the supply was diminished gra- 
dually from the time the plant flowered until 
it became almost dry, and it remained in that 
state during the winter. In the spring I gave 
rather more water, and as soon as the leaves 
began to grow a few inches above the surface, 
I took out as carefully as possible all the old 
earth from about the roots, and replaced it 
with strong rich loam ; the tub was then kept 
