March 22, 1894 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
223 
- Soaking Habd Seeds.—T here are many kinds of seeds that, 
owing to their hard nature, take a long time to germinate, and not 
nnfrequently they fail to do so at all unless previously manipulated. 
This applies with special force to Cannas, Acacia lophantha, and others 
of a similar character. The first named will sometimes, if sown as 
received from the seedsman, remain in the soil for many months without 
germinating, and when plants are required in the course of that period 
this is, to say the least, somewhat annoying. Fortunately, however, it 
Grevillea robusta, and others that are very hard, may advantageously 
be so treated.— SUBUEBAN. 
STREPTOCARPUS WENDLANDI. 
At the meeting of the Eoyal Horticultural Society held at the Drill 
Hall, James Street, Westminster, on the 13th inst., Messrs. Sutton and 
Sons, Reading, exhibited a group of Streptocarpus Wendlandi, which 
Fig. 37.—STEEPTOCAEPHS WENDLANDI. 
can be obviated by soaking the seeds in warm water for some hours 
previous to sowing. The plan I generally adopt with considerable 
success is to obtain a small -wide-necked bottle, and place the seeds 
in this, filling with lukewarm water. Then the bottle is stood on 
an oven, boiler, or hot-water pipes in the greenhouse, and in a few 
hours the seeds commence to swell considerably. They are then 
taken out and sown in warm soil in the ordinary manner, and in¬ 
variably start growing at once. Seeds of Erythrina crista-galli. 
attracted more than ordinary attention. This is a striking plant, each 
one producing a single leaf measuring from 18 to 24 inches in diameter, 
and of great substance. From the base of the leaf rises a scape 2 feet 
high, which produces porcelain blue and white flowers. The plants 
exhibited, and from one of which the accompanying illustration 
(fig. 37) has been prepared, were raised, it is said, from seeds sown in 
January, 1893, and in that short space of time have developed such 
remarkable growth. 
