January 26, 1882.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 71 
lower part of which is bright red, the upper greenish yellow, the 
styles being long and red, and they are borne in short loose 
racemes. The leaves are about an inch long, linear, dark green, 
and the habit of the plant is rather loose, but it can easily be 
kept in good shape by a few light stakes. The flowers are freely 
produced, and the plants succeed admirably in pot3 for the green¬ 
house ; this is well shown at Kew, where both in the winter 
garden and the ordinary show house several specimens are notice¬ 
able. It may be remarked that seeds of this species were first 
received at the establishment Darned from Baron Yon Mueller, 
who forwarded them from Australia, where the plant is rather 
widely distributed. Similar culture to that accorded G. Thele- 
manniana will suit G. ericifolia, being careful at all times that 
the pots are wmll drained, as any approach to stagnation in the 
Fig. 15.—Grevillea Tlielemanniana. 
soil is highly detrimental to the plants. With regard to the pro¬ 
pagation of this and other species of similar habit, it should be 
observed that some growers prefer striking the cuttings in slight 
heat, the pots being plunged in a bed under a frame. As a rule, 
however, this should only be adopted when the plants from which 
the cuttings are taken have grown in a greenhouse kept some¬ 
what above the ordinary temperature, as if under cool treatment 
the method previously mentioned is usually more successful. 
G. acanthifolia. —This is a very distinct form, in the foliage 
especially, but the flowers are by no means unattractive, being of 
a reddish hue, and closely set in racemes 3 or 4 inches long. As 
in the others, the styles are filiform, long, and pinkish, imparting 
to the inflorescence something of the appearance of a miniature 
brush. The leaves are rigid, firm in texture, cut nearly to the 
centre, the lower divisions being also coarsely toothed ; they are 
dark green, and in form, as the name implies, very suggestive of 
Acanthus foliage. It was found by Allan Cunningham in the 
early part of the present century, and was by him introduced to 
England. The localities it was chiefly found in—namely, peaty 
bogs and the banks of rivers in Australia, would seem to indicate 
that it requires in cultivation a greater supply of water than its 
relations, but such is not the case, for it can be treated similarly 
to those already described. 
G. ROSMAKINIFOLIA. —Another of Cunningham’s discoveries, 
and equally as attractive as the preceding. It is also additionally 
interesting for its comparative hardiness in the southern and 
western portions of this country. In some suitable positions it 
succeeds very well planted against a wall, and flowers freely. It 
is also useful for growing in pots, and produces its dense racemes 
of crimson-coloured flowers in abundance. The plant is of robust 
habit, the foliage beiDg suggestive of the Rosemary in form, as 
the specific names implies, and very dark green in colour. 
G. ROBUSTA.— The value of this Grevillea is now thoroughly 
established, but on quite different characters to the others, which 
are chiefly grown for their flowers. As is now well known, this is 
principally useful by reason of its neatly divided foliage, quick 
growth, and adaptability for decorative purposes. It is also largely 
employed in subtropical bedding, for which it is especially suited, 
as a specimen of good size can be soon obtained. Plants are 
chiefly raised from imported seeds sown in light soil in heat; and 
if this be done in autumn, the plants being potted and encouraged 
to grow vigorously, specimens a foot or more in height can be 
secured by the following spring. It is worthy of note that the 
first plant introduced to this country was sent to Kew by Allan 
Cunningham, and for sometime that was the only one in England. 
What the introducer then wrote respecting it is interesting and 
worth quoting—“ This noble species of Grevillea on the banks of 
the Brisbane river vies in size and stature with the Flindersia, 
Oxleya, and other large forest trees, but by none is it surpassed in 
height in its native woods except by the Araucaria of this region. 
Some aged trunks of G. robusta I have found 9 feet in circumfer¬ 
ence, so that it is probably the largest tree of the order that has 
yet been discovered, surpassing the Knightia of New Zealand and 
the Orites excelsa of Port Macquarrie. From its deeply dissected 
foliage and the silkiness of the underside it has obtained the name 
of Silk Oak among the Pine-cutters of Moreton Bay ; but its 
timber, which is of a tough fibre, has not been appropriated to any 
use.” Respecting its quick growth, in some of the colonies where 
it has been planted I have been credibly informed that specimens 
have attained the height of 50 feet in ten years. 
Of the numerous other species known few are in cultivation, 
and few perhaps possess any particular value to horticulturists. 
G. punicea has the brightest flowers (deep red) of any known to 
me, but 1 am uncertain if it is now in cultivation. G. Hilli is a 
strong-growing form, introduced by Messrs. Yeitch about twenty 
years ago, and certificated by the Royal Horticultural Society in 
1862. It is somewhat strange that of all the numerous members 
of the Proteaceae, such as Banksias and others, which were at one 
time cultivated in large collections, Grevilleas are now the only 
plants generally represented in gardens.—L. C. 
PROFIT AND LOSS IN VEGETABLE-GROWING. 
“ A City Man ” may be too ready to draw conclusions from what 
comes under his notice. It is not by any means certain that either 
the coster or the agent from whom the coster bought the Cauli¬ 
flowers had a profit upon that particular purchase, although it is 
quite reasonable to suppose so. But I should think many thousands 
of heads of vegetables of every sort that find their way to London 
are often sold at a loss, and that often a large one. Even in 
cases of large prices and profits it is not always the producer 
that reaps the benefit; indeed, he is seldom any better for famine 
prices. 
I have often pointed out in these pages and elsewhere the desir¬ 
ability of bringing producer and consumer into a closer relation¬ 
ship with each other. Produce would then be sold at a more uni¬ 
form rate, and the producer would reap the reward due to him for 
his labour.’ The consumer would benefit by it to the extent of 
paying the producer a just and fair interest for capital and labour, 
which would in the end cheapen the produce of our food-pro¬ 
ducing area in the same ratio as it would tend to improve the 
quality and increase the quantity of home-grown food, thus 
decreasing the necessary importation of food and the exportation 
of money. 
As soon as growers can depend upon securing such prices as 
will show a fair profit, then the produce of the land will increase ; 
but the bane of fruit and vegetable-growing is the agency system, 
which robs the consumer alike of his cheap food as it does the 
producer of his fair share of the profit due to him. I know that 
there is much to be said both for and against both systems ; but 
no one, I think, will deny that there is something radically wrong 
in the manner in which our large towns are supplied with fruits 
