June 16,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
483 
Sea Islands, one of which died, and the other passed into the 
possession of Mr. Wills, and has since been one of the attractions 
in the Anerley Nursery, where it recently produced flowers but 
failed to perfect seeds. The young plants now in this country 
were, we understand, originally sent to Kew, whence they have 
been distributed. 
All the species of Pritchardia are noble Palms, P. pacifica and 
P. filifera being well known and admired ; but P. grandis is, 
perhaps, unrivalled in its majesty of habit. The orbicular leaves 
sometimes attain a diameter of 2 feet. It appears to require a 
stove temperature to obtain it in satisfactory condition, but is 
reputed to be of easy culture, and no doubt when the plants be¬ 
come more plentiful and more generally known it will rank among 
the finest Palms in cultivation. The accompanying figure, for 
which we are indebted to Messrs. Veitch, is a truthful repre¬ 
sentation of this fine Palm in a small state. 
AN AMATEUR’S FAVOURITES. 
My object in writing these notes is simply to show how ama¬ 
teurs who, like myself, possess a greenhouse, can keep it gay 
during almost every week in the year at a comparatively trifling 
expense. My greenhouse is entirely unheated, and yet I have so 
far succeeded in keeping up a satisfactory show from the middle 
of February to the last week in December. I find January the 
most difficult month to deal with, and should feel obliged if some 
Fig. 108 .—Pritchardia grandis. 
correspondent would be kind enough to inform me, and others 
in my position, what plants can be had in bloom without any 
heat during this dull month. It strikes me that amateurs as a 
rule try to grow too many plants : to this cause I think may be 
ascribed many failures. The only plants I grow in quantity are 
Chinese Primulas, Cinerarias, Calceolarias, Pelargoniums, Balsams, 
Achimenes, Tuberous Begonias, and Chrysanthemums, which are 
here named in their order of blooming. 
Perhaps I may be allowed to give a brief summary of my 
operations. The Primula seed is sown either in May or June ; 
after the young plants obtained have been potted singly, they 
remain in a cold frame till early in November, and come into 
bloom early in February in an ordinary season. The Cinerarias 
are also grown from seed, which is sown about the 10th of July, the 
Calceolaria seed being sown three weeks later. Zonal Pelargoniums 
are the most necessary plants in a greenhouse ; cuttings being 
inserted in 4S-sized pots at the end of June, three in each pot, 
they are fit for separate pots in September, and may remain out 
of doors until November, provided there is no frost. The Pelar¬ 
goniums are at their best in June ; in July I place them outside, 
and they yield a fresh supply of flowers for at least three months. 
The mode of culture for Balsams described in a recent number of 
the Journal I entirely agree with. Last year my plants flowered 
in 24-size pots, but intend to give them larger pots this season. 
Achimenes are great favourites with me. If small plants are 
obtained about this time, and placed in light rich soil and not 
overpotted, they will flower through August and September, but 
they must have the sunniest place in the house, and be watered 
rather sparingly ; liquid manure applied in a weak state will 
prolong their blooming season to a great extent. 
I grew Tuberous Begonias last year for the first time. They had 
not, it would appear, been seen in the neighbourhood before, and 
