382 
PRACTICAL EDUCATION. 
introduction to our gardens. It is a very dis- 
tinct and very handsome kind. The habit is 
climbing, branching, and moderately vigorous, 
in the way of T. pentaphyllum and T. tri- 
color. The leaves are formed of six leaflets 
or lobes, arranged on the stalks so as to be- 
come, in general outline, nearly what is called 
peltate* or shield-formed ; these leaflets or 
lobes are obtusely-oblong, and slightly mu- 
cronate, and they are, moreover, hairy be- 
neath ; the anterior segment is nearly twice 
as large as the posterior one : at the base of 
each footstalk is a pair of small three-cleft 
stipules. The blossoms are large — upwards 
of an inch in diameter — and entirely red ; the 
spur is long and slightly curved ;. the petals, 
which are of a very rich crimson red, are sin- 
gularly formed ; the two upper are very nar- 
rowly wedge-shaped, the three lower ones 
consist of a longish slender thread-like claw, 
with an expanded blade, squared at the base, 
and slightly lobed and rounded at the apex ; 
the effect of these oddly-shaped petals is very 
singular and distinct. The flowers are very 
freely produced, and, doubtless, as in the other 
kinds, may be had almost at any period of the 
summer, according to the period when the 
plants are set growing'; during the present 
year, which is the first of its blooming in this 
country, the plant has been well furnished both 
in June and July. On its native hills it 
blooms in February and March. 
Messrs. Veitch and Son, nurserymen of 
Exeter, are the fortunate possessors of this 
elegant species : they have, indeed, been par- 
ticularly successful with the family, having pre- 
viously, and within a comparatively recent pe- 
riod, introduced three other very ornamental 
kinds, especially T. azureum and T. Lobhi- 
anum. We are indebted to them for the ma- 
terials from which the accompanying sketch 
and description have been prepared. They 
received living plants in the autumn of 1846 
from Mr. Yfilliam Lobb, who discovered it in 
the Andes of Patagonia, near the snow line. 
It has bloomed with them for the first time 
in England during the present summer, and 
is found to be a plant of vigorous growth and 
an abundant bloomer. It is probable that, 
like T. pentaphyllum,, which it a good deal 
resembles in habit, it will prove nearly hardy; 
that is to say, its tuberous roots will most likely 
live through the winter in light soils and in dry 
situations, witli the slightest possible surface 
protection, such, for instance, as that afforded 
by a layer three inches thick of dry sawdust, 
or of short loose litter ; and in the spring 
would throw up their young stems with re- 
markable vigour. 
* Roundish, -with the stalk attached behind, at a 
distance from the margin. 
We have but little else to add respecting it. 
It belongs to the natural order Tropgeolaceas ; 
and most probably will prove to be one of 
that group of species of which T. pentaphyl- 
lum is the type, and to which the name of 
Chymocarpus has been applied. It is one of 
the most elegant novelties of the present 
season. 
PRACTICAL EDUCATION. 
There are some branches of knowledge 
which ought to be common to all classes, and 
the sooner all men attain it the better. The 
chances of emigration from choice or neces- 
sity should induce men to teach their children 
all the ordinary operations connected with the 
productions of the vegetable world. No man 
should be ignorant of what is called kitchen 
gardening, and cheap lessons on that subject 
are both plentiful and easily understood. The 
practical part of gardening can only be known 
by practice, but all the practical rules may be 
so engrafted in the mind of a youth, that prac- 
tice will come easy when occasion calls for it, 
and more especially as from the time he learns 
to the time he practises for himself he can 
hardly go for an ordinary walk without seeing 
some operation going on in suburban gardens. 
That gardening is a profession requiring a 
man to acquire a vast store of information, 
and long practice, to become master of it, is 
true enough, and we do not pretend to make 
light of such acquirements, nor do we con- 
template any instruction that would qualify 
ordinary people for any of the higher walks 
of the profession, but we would teach every- 
body enough to enable them to grow their 
own necessary food, in the same way that we 
would teach anybody to read and write with- 
out the least intention to finish a scholastic 
education. "When a man can dig, plant, sow, 
and reap his harvest, or gather his ordinary 
produce, we would leave him to take his 
chance of any further advance, but up t^ that 
we would have the knowledge of gardening 
grounded in him as well as his reading and 
writing, and thus, according to Abercronibie's 
notion, make " every man his own gardener." 
It may be that gardeners will fancy this 
rather an attack upon their interests; quite 
the reverse, however, is the fact. None are 
so well able to appreciate the services of a 
gardener as those who occasionally do the work 
themselves ; if the learner of gardening be- 
come wealthy he makes a better employer, for 
there is no task so irksome as to serve an 
ignorant man. The very best places are those 
in which the owner takes an interest in the 
science, and can judge of a man's labour, and 
perseverance, and capacity. In such places 
you will not find an ignorant head gardener 
taking all the profits, and the working bees 
