278 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST:. 
IfflrfMtol Jeprtmeitf. 
ON PLANTING A TULIP ROOT, 
BY JAMES MONTGOMERY. 
Here lies a bulb, the child of earth, 
Buried alive beneath the clod, 
Erejlong to spring, by second birth, 
A new and nobler work of God. 
’Tis said that microscopic power, 
Might through its swaddling folds descry 
The infant image of the flower, 
Too exquisite to meet the eye. 
This, vernal suns and rains will swell, 
Till from its dark abode to peep, 
Like Venus rising from her shell, 
Amidst the spring-tide of the deep. 
Two shapely leaves will first unfold ; 
Then, on a smooth elastic stem, 
The verdant bud shall turn to gold. 
And open in a diadem. 
Not one of Flora’s brilliant race 
A form more perfect can display ; 
Art could not feign more simple grace, 
Nor nature take a line away. 
Yet, rich as mom of many a hue, 
When finishing clouds thro’ darkness strike, 
The tulip’s petals shine in dew, 
All beautiful—but none alike. 
Kings, on their bridal, might unrobe 
To lay their glories at its foot; 
And queens their scepter, crown, and globe, 
Exchange for blossom, stalk and root. 
Here could I stand and moralize ; 
Lady, I leave that part to thee, 
Be thy next birth in Paradise, 
Thy life to come, eternity ! 
For the American Agriculturist. 
THE FUCHSIA- 
This beautiful plant, adorning as it does 
the conservatory of the rich and the cottage 
of the poor, is, when well grown, a univer¬ 
sal favorite. In propagating it, cuttings 
should be taken from the base of the plant, 
those with triangular joints being preferable. 
Place them in a heat of 60o, where they will 
speedily root, when they should be placed in 
small pots, containing equal parts of fich 
loam, peat, and well-rotted manure, mixed 
together with silver sand. The soil for this 
plant should never be sifted, but chopped 
fine as possible. Be particular in giving 
good drainage, as this is a principal part of 
their culture. Plants that have been cut 
back and started into growth in October, 
should be placed in a temperature of 60 to 
65° in January. If this heat cannot be ob¬ 
tained, keep them in the warmest part of the 
greenhouse, and as near the glass as possi¬ 
ble, to prevent their drawing. These plants, 
if well attended to, will make a fine display 
in June. The composition into which they 
are placed when first propagated may be 
continued through all the stages of growth, 
with this exception, that small pieces of char¬ 
coal, or potsherds, may be mixed with the 
mould at each time of shifting, which should 
take place every time the roots reach the 
sides of the pot. They are then placed in 
the pot in which they are intended to bloom. 
As this plant may be grown almost any 
shape, I leave it with those who cultivate it 
to follow out their own ideas of taste. I 
prefer the pyramid, or standard, myself, as it 
exhibits the flowers to great advantage ; but 
I think they look most beautiful when grown 
in large pots and trained up the rafters of a 
greenhouse, the contrast of color in the se¬ 
pals and corolla being very pleasing to the 
eye; and if a light and dark variety are 
placed alternately, they have a very pleasing 
effect. The only care they require after 
flowering is, to get the wood as ripe as pos¬ 
sible, and then to prune them close, on the 
spur system. Where there are large plants, 
they should be only shifted once, if required 
for early flowering, since they bloom much 
better when the roots reach the side of the 
pot. Weak, liquid manure should be applied 
twice or three times a week throughout their 
growth, withholding it a few days at each 
time of shifting. Plants propagated in March 
bloom well in September. 
W. SUMMERSBEY. 
BY A CULTIVATOR AT SCARBOROUGH. 
Thinking that an article on this justly ad¬ 
mired genus of plants would be acceptable 
for insertion in your Cabinet, I send you a 
few remarks on the origin and culture of the 
Mimulus, as being a flower worthy of much 
more attention than it now obtains, though 
I am glad to state that it is rapidly extend¬ 
ing ; and during the last two years about a 
dozen most strikingly superb varieties have 
been raised, the beauty of which, when 
well grown, is not exceeded by any other 
flower that 1 am acquainted with. Single 
plants I have grown of the dwarf spreading 
section, two and a half feet high and two in 
diameter, and elegantly clothed with a pro¬ 
fusion of bloom. 
Origin .—The Mimulus, or Monkey Plant, 
is a native of North America. The first 
species was introduced into England in 
1759, and from that time cultivated with 
great care, until lately, when other superior 
kinds have taken the precedence. 
Culture .—Although it may he thought by 
some that any hints on the culture of this 
plant are superfluous, yet I must say that, 
to bring it to its best state, many "things 
must be attended to which are generally 
overlooked. As the Mimulus is seen to the 
greatest advantage when treated as a green¬ 
house plant, I shall confine myself to this 
method of cultivation. Soil with this, as 
with every other kind of flower, is the first 
thing to be considered ; for, if this be un¬ 
suited to the nature of the plant, all labor in 
every other respect must be unfruitful. The 
mixture which I have found best adapted is 
composed as follows : To one peck of fresh 
loam I add one peck of leaf mould, well rot¬ 
ted, and half a peck of cows’ dung, two 
year’s old. These ingredients are well 
mixed together, and frequently turned over, 
sprinkling them with lime water, so that no 
insects remain in the soil; for, if even they 
do not entirely destroy the plants, yet they 
materially impoverish the compost, by their 
feeding on many particles which would 
otherwise have sustained the flower. Drain¬ 
age of the pots is a requisite which I cer¬ 
tainly think ought in the second place to be 
looked after. This precaution, to take 
away all superfluous water, seems not to be 
generally appreciated ; for how many plants 
do we see in various quarters without any 
drainage, except one potsherd to fill up the 
hole at the bottom of each pot, just as if it 
would have done quite as well had there 
been no aperture at all. Now, although 
this is a common practice, yet I can safely 
say that no plant can live in perfect health 
without a proper portion of drainage ; and 
in this respect I must agree with Mr. For¬ 
syth, when he asserts that plants would 
grow much more luxuriantly if the pots were 
made with a small rim under them, to allow 
more drainage ; but I must certainly disagree 
with him in his recommendations of glazed 
pots, as I myself have tried them, and have 
found, as I expected, that if used for a time, 
all my plants must inevitably perish. But, 
to return to the subject: after having attended 
to drainage, about the middle of March I 
take off a quantity of cuttings, which soon 
make good roots, after which I plant them 
separately, in small pots at first, and move 
them gradually into large ones until May, 
when they generally begin to show buds, 
and about June they are in most beautiful 
flower. All the blooming season, I roll can¬ 
vas over the green-house, so as to keep off 
the intense rays of the sun, which take 
away the colors and dry the soil so as to 
make the flowers small; for the Mimulus 
delights in a damp earth , yet can not be seen 
in perfection when over watered. Placing 
water in saucers, under the pots, I know to 
be a common practice, yet it is founded on a 
gross error : for if we inquire why water is 
placed under them, we are told, “ The Mim¬ 
ulus thrives on the banks of rivers; there¬ 
fore, it is natural for it to have Avater con¬ 
stantly by it.” This is true ; yet we are not 
to consider that the Mimulus, in a pot, has 
not the same freedom of air and 'soil as it 
has on the banks of streams ; for in the lat¬ 
ter position the water runs away after the 
plant has satisfied itself, but in a pot it stays 
long after all nourishment is gone, and poi¬ 
sons the soil, and both together eventually 
destroy the plant. The only method to 
keep the Mimulus healthy, with [regard to 
water, is to keep it in as shaded a position as 
possible, and to supply water moderately 
when it is required, yet always to allow the 
superfluous moisture to drain away. 
Raising New Varieties —When the plants 
are all in bloom, select the best colored 
ones, and cross them upon the largest, and 
vice versa , for the two principal features 
in a good Mimulus are color and size. If 
the operation be properly performed, the 
pods of seeds will begin to swell in a few 
days, and soon after they will turn brown, 
and be ready for gathering. After sufficient 
good seed is collected, it should be sown in 
pots or boxes, sprinkling it on the surface of 
the soil; for if covered, the seed will decay 
and never vegetate. When the young plants 
have acquired two or three sets of leaves, 
they should be transplanted into larger 
boxes, where they will bloom, or, if it be 
summer, into the open ground, Avhere they 
make the most healthy plants. When in 
bloom, the best may be selected, and in¬ 
creased by cuttings, which easily strike. 
The principal properties, as I have said be¬ 
fore, are size and color, Avith the two lips 
forming a good circle. The plants raised 
from these cuttings should be preserved 
during Avinter in a cold frame, as they are 
more tender than the varieties of old stand¬ 
ing. When the following spring arrives, 
they must be treated as directed above for 
old varieties ; and if these neAv ones be 
crossed by each other, and so continued for 
a few seasons, in a iittle time as fine a prog¬ 
eny Avill arise as can possibly be expected. 
I have flowers with white grounds marked 
and marbled with [crimson, purple, scarlet, 
rose, black,'j yellow, orange, blue, and pink. 
I have yellow grounds marked and marbled 
with black, rose, scarlet, white, purple, crim¬ 
son, violet and green. To be duly esti¬ 
mated, they must be viewed ; they surpass 
what I can describe. [Floricultural Cabinet. 
The British government has entered into 
a contract for tne manufacture of about 2,000 
tons of enormous slabs or plates made of the 
best scrap iron, with which powerful floating 
batteries are to be covered. These plates 
vary from 8 to 12 feet in length, are from 21 
to 36 inches broad, and about 4£ inches 
thick. Each plate will weigh from about a 
ton and a half to upwards of three tons ; and 
after being sifted, they are to be bolted on the 
outside of the floating batteries. Iron plates 
like these will not only resist the heaviest 
shot, but break them in pieces Avhen they 
strike. 
THE MIMULUS. 
