August 18, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
133 
a few being planted on a Bouth border in addition to those placed 
where they can be protected with lights, and these form a succession. 
A second batch of Early London is alwaj’s sown early in February 
either on a hotbed or in an intermediate house, is pricked off into a 
cold frame, and after the plants become established they are only 
slightly protected in order that they may become perfectly hardened 
before they are planted out. A few of Walcheren and Autumn 
Giant are treated in the same way. A third sowing of the same 
three varieties takes place under slight protection in March, a fourth 
and a fifth consisting of Walcheren and Autumn Giant outside in 
April, a sixth of Walcheren only the first week in May, and a seventh 
consisting of Walcheren and Early London during the third week of 
the same month. This arrangement furnishes us with Cauliflowers 
from the middle of May to the middle of December, and overlaps 
the season of Broccoli at both ends. 
The reason for sowing Autumn Giant as early as February is, 
that in a hot dry season it is an advantage to have some plants 
established as early as it is safe to get them out, otherwise the months 
of July and August might find us without a supply, or with a very 
indifferent one.— Wm. Taylor. 
GAEDEN CHEMISTRY—MAGNESIA. 
(Continued from page 111.) 
Magnesia is seldom used in practical agriculture as a 
manure, and the effects following its use in scientific experi¬ 
ments seem to indicate that in ordinary soils the fact that it 
is an essential plant food may be ignored, as almost all soils 
contain enough of it. That it is essential may be regarded as 
proved, for plants grown in calcined sand from which it was 
excluded and everything else supplied, failed, and from the 
fact that it is never absent from ordinary plants, more especially 
their seeds. M. Yille, though his experiments were conducted 
on soil to which the application of potash was necessary, found 
that applications of magnesia were without effect. In looking 
over the tables of the Rothamsted experiments we do not find 
the plots to which magnesia was supplied giving more favour¬ 
able results than those from which it was withheld. In the 
experiments by the Sussex Association it does not appear to 
have exercised any favourable influence, and though the fimus 
plots at Easter Ardross gave much better results than the other 
series, it cannot be certain whether this was brought about by 
the magnesia or not. The likelihood is that the peculiar form 
in which the phosphoric anhydride was presented was the cause. 
The late lamented General Scott, whose opinion was the result 
of long study and observation as well as experiment, put much 
value on it; and the late Professor Johnston mentions instances 
when magnesia sulphate (Epsom salts) increased the yield of 
corn. Beyond the fact that fimus—ammoniacal phosphate of 
magnesia—exercises a very favourable influence on garden 
crops generally, I am not aware of any trials with any particular 
form of magnesia in the garden, and am, therefore, unable to 
refer to its use, beneficial or otherwise. 
Though constantly present in plants, it is not so to the same 
extent as lime, potash, soda, or phosphates. In the ash of 
ordinary garden vegetables it is only occasionally above 10 per 
cent., and is often as low as 1. It is removed from the soil to 
the extent of one-eighth of the amount of potash in an ordinary 
rotation of kitchen garden crops. Many ornamental plants, 
however, remove it in large quantities comparatively. Accord¬ 
ing to Ivison Macadam of Edinburgh, it is sometimes present 
in the ash of certain Fuchsias to the extent 16 per cent., and 
in Ficus elastica to 11. In gx-eenhouse mould, which before 
being used contained (k248 of magnesia, only 0182 remained 
after use. In fruits it is not largely present; in Grapes there 
are nine grains of potash present for every one of magnesia. 
In the ash of white Mustard 11 per cent, of magnesia occurs and 
only 9 of potash. 
In most soils magnesia is as plentiful as is potash, and in 
a few even more so. In consequence of this, where there are 
equal supplies of both, if there be enough potash for ten 
years there will be enough magnesia for a hundred, even 
when no ordinary manure is given. In ordinary manure, when 
0*446 of potash is present, 0047 magnesia is generally present. 
Yet, according to Liebig, the ash of horse droppings contains 
as much as 36 per cent, of phosphate of magnesia. According 
to the same authority it is largely present in sewage. In cow- 
dung Liebig gives 10 per cent, as the figure representing the 
quantity, and.phosphate of lime as the same. Much, of course, 
depends on what the animals are fed on; but some samples of 
meadow hay, in the ashes of which potash was present to the 
extent of 2 per cent, only, magnesia amounted to 8 per cent., 
GO of the whole being silica, and 16 phosphate of lime. It is 
largely present in Oats, Wheat, Wheat straw, and some feeding 
stuff, also in the ashes of Pine leaves and Beech bark. 
It is always present in large quantity in dolomite, in many 
mineral waters, in sea water, especially that of the Dead Sea; 
in most rocks which contain lime, and (in manure) in kainit as 
sulphates and chlorides. In kainit it occurs to the extent 13 per 
cent, as sulphate, and 14 as chloride. It may be had as pure 
Epsom salts (magnesia sulphate) at about 108. per cwt., and in 
an impure form much cheaper. When used it should only be 
sparingly, especially in the chloride form, and even then only 
when plenty of lime is present. Some waters contain it to a 
destructive extent, and we have heard of Yines being ruined by 
using such too plentifully. The inexperienced, therefore, had 
better use it cautiously or not at all, till someone shall have 
experimented with it and proved its worth.— Single-handed. 
(To be continued.) 
BRODLEAS. 
(Continued from page 113.) 
B. Ilowelli, Watson.—This is closely related to B. lactea, resembling 
large forms of that species. Scapes 1 to 2 feet high, stoutisb, smooth, 
umbellate. Flowers very numerous, turbinate-campanulate ; the tube 
rather longer than the segments, of a pale purple colour. Native of 
Washington Territory. I have only once flowered this rather scarce 
species, as imported bulbs have frequently succumbed to the effect of 
removal from their native habitat. They are thickly coated with a fibrous 
tunic, and it is likely that after being planted this causes the bulbs to 
decay. I have found it a successful plan to place the bulbs singly in 
small pots, covering them with sand, and when root-action is resumed 
plant them out or shift into larger pots. 
B. ixioides, Watson.—This is usually cultivated in our collections as 
“ Pretty Face ” (Calliprora lutea, Lindl., Bot. Beg., t. 1500) ; but struc¬ 
turally it belongs to the same section of Brodimas as B. lactea. Mr* 
Baker has named it Milla ixioides, while in Aiton’s “Hort. Kew,” 2,257, 
it is named by no other name than Ornithogalum ixioides, and the writer 
recently received it from North America as Bloomeria aurea, which is, 
however, a distinct plant. B. ixioides produces scapes from 6 to 18 inches 
high, umbellate at the top. Flowers few or numerous, with a short tube 
and spreading segments from three-quarters to an inch across the top, 
golden yellow, with a distinct brown midrib ; upon slender pedicels. It 
is an extremely pretty plant, easily grown, quite hardy, and one of the 
oldest denizens of our gardens, flowering in June and July. Native at 
the country from Santa Barbara to Oregon. 
B. laxa, Watson.—Leaves one-quarter to one-third of an inch broad, 
slightly glaucous. Scapes from 6 to 20 inches high or even more, usually 
smooth, umbellate. Flowers definite, usually few in number, 1 to l^inch 
long, funnel-shaped, blue-purple ; the narrow tube equally as long as the 
acute segments. This is also known as Triteleia laxa, Benth. ; and Milla 
laxa, Balter ; and is well figured in “Lindl. Bot. Iteg.,” t. 1G85. Like 
B. congesta it has a wide distribution, affecting the coast from San Frau- 
