81 
deeply potted!” “In the winter months, care should he taken 
not to saturate the earth with water, nor wet the leaves or stem 
more than can be avoided. In dry weather however, during 
the summer season, water may be freely given to the plants 
about sunset, and a very essential point to be observed is, that 
when they are placed out in the open air in groups, the sun’s 
rays should not be allowed to fall directly on the sides of the 
pots, for if they are, all the feeding spongioles of the tender 
roots round the inner side of the pot, will assuredly be destroy- 
ed, and the life of the plant greatly endangered. Repeatedly 
have I known a Banksia to have been killed by the solar ray 
having been thus allowed to act on the side of the pot, which 
six months’ afterwards retained so much of a life-like look — 
being ke[)t yet in its pot — as to appear to the eye of a superficial 
observer, to be still alive, and in perfect vigour. The lowest 
greenhouse temperature that can judiciously be allowed, to pre- 
vent the effects of frost, is sufficient for the generality of the fa- 
mily now in cultivation in Britain, and no artificial heat is 
required for their preservation, excepting in severe frosty wea- 
ther.” “As the rapid upright-growing species are, if left to 
themselves, shorter-lived than others naturally more robust, 
the free use of the knife is recommended, and the growth of the 
plants checked, by keeping the luxuriant shoots cut back. This 
remark is especially applicable to those beautiful plants of the 
order, with simple, strait, wand-like stems, such for example as 
Banksia Brownii and Dryandra Serra, the former of which has 
been lost to several collections that could once have boasted 
of it, by its having been suffered to shoot up into exuberant 
growth, far beyond what the slender, tapering, thinly-fibred 
root could at all furnish sustenance. By heading these down 
somewhat, and thus reducing the ascending axis, or column of 
circulation, a more robust habit is induced, a growth of roots 
in their pots takes place, lateral branches are thrown out, and 
the plants thus treated at Kew, are now in the best possible 
health, with every indicative of being fully established in that 
garden.” 
124 Peas. The Fellows of the London Horticultural Society 
must derive satisfaction from the undoubted benefits which Hor- 
ticulture and Floriculture have received from their united efforts. 
One of the useful practices in the Society’s garden is that of 
141 AnCTlRlDM. 
