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languor and inactivity, and vegetable life thus overpowered, 
sinks into repose. This season of drought is what the cultivator 
has studiously to imitate. His tropical plants should have but 
sufficient moisture merely to continue their existence ; and thus 
they will be prepared, at the proper season, when water is al- 
lowed them freely, to vegetate with their natural vigour. We 
have been led into this comment, by an article of Sir W. J. 
Hooker, in the Botanical Magezine, combining a paper on the 
culture of these plants, communicated by Mr. J. Smith, of his 
Majesty’s gardens at Kew. It is stated that Mr. Smith, adver- 
ting to the interesting pamphlet of Mr. Macuab, the excellent 
Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, at Edinburgh, on 
the propagation and culture of Cape Heaths, which appeared 
in 1831, observes, that he had pursued with success for some 
time antecedent to that date, the same mode of treatment of 
Proteaceae under his care, that is recommended in that publica- 
tion, with respect to the culture of Heaths, viz. in regard to 
shifting the plants into fresh and larger pots; in the process of 
which, it is very important to afford, by means of potsherds, or 
or fragments of half-baked pottery, a good drainage below, and 
especially to avoid deep potting, by placing the plant, with its 
ball of earth round the roots quite entire, so as to be some two 
or three inches above the surface of the soil at the edge of the 
pot, which will have the effect of carrying off any superabundant 
moisture from the roots to the circumference, and thus prevent 
the chance of water becoming stagnant round the base of the 
stem ; by inattention to this latter circumstance, many a Banksia 
and Dryandra in other collections have been killed; whilst a 
steady regard to free drainage, to an abundant circulation of air, 
and a low temperature, he has succeeded in preserving many 
fine proteaceous plants longer than is generally effected in other 
gardens in the neighbourhood of Loudon. The soil, continues 
this intelligent cultivator, which I use in the culture of most of 
the Proteaceae, is a good fresh loam, with which, if stiff, I mix 
a portion of sand, so as not to admit of its being retentive of 
water. In time, after being potted as already directed, the main 
roots next the stem of the plant will become uncovered: this 
circumstance I regard as favourable to the health of the plant : 
there will be no danger of its dying suddenly, as I have known 
many to do, that have been buried alive, — in other words, been 
