1S71. ] 
COLLODION AS A STYPTIC. 
155 
dwelt in ecstasies over the large pot roses ; and tlieir opinion came back again to ns 
in the more sober and solid form of deliberate judgment conveyed in their writings. 
M. Reichenbach declared to me, in the presence of several horticulturists, that he 
had never, in the whole of his experience and travels, seen anything half so 
beautiful as the large pot roses in England. And what says M. Enke in the 
\ 
Moscow Horticultural Journal ?—■ 
“ Coming to the Roses, I was as much astonished at the perfection of cultivation of these 
plants as I was struck with the splendour of the Azaleas.‘Goodness gracious!’ I 
involuntarily exclaimed, ‘ is it possible that the culture of Roses has attained such a high 
degree of perfection ?’.It would be difficult to say which of the twenty specimens in 
this collection was the most exquisite, they were so lovely and so perfect. I counted on Anna 
Alexieff eighty-five and on Louise Odier ninety-six of the most charming flowers in full 
bloom, without speaking of the buds, which were innumerable.” 
Now, be it remembered, these are men of highly cultivated taste, and scientific 
attainments, men of mark who will leave their “footprints on the sands of time.” 
Let me add in conclusion that I am an advocate for the formation of new 
classes for small or young plants. Give every encouragement to would-be 
exhibitors, but not in such a manner as to exclude those gorgeous plants which 
have been and still are the glory of our exhibitions, and which form the chief 
distinction between ordinary and extraordinary gardening.—B. Birch. 
COLLODION AS A STYPTIC. 
E take the following interesting note on a subject of some importance to 
cultivators, in the pruning season, from the Gardeners’ Chronicle: — 
Having had occasion to cut down some Vines started last November, I 
tried to stop the bleeding by having resort to the good old-fashioned 
mode of placing a potato on the fresh-cut end ; but not finding it so effectual as 
I should wish, it struck me that Flexible Collodion, being found so thorough a 
styptic in the late war in the case of the human body, should also stop bleeding 
in the Vine or any other plant given to bleeding. I therefore determined to give 
it a fair trial, and the following is the result:—I gave two dressings by simply 
using a feather and thoroughly covering the wound twice in the course of a few 
minutes, the third or final coat being put on about half-an-hour afterwards, when 
the cut was completely sealed up, and in a few minutes became quite hard, 
so that there was not the least sign of any bleeding. In the course of ten 
days the Vines grew away strong and vigorously, and have since continued to 
do so. Being successful with the Vines I began to cut down other plants, 
and found it equally so on the following. Having some new and choice Pelar¬ 
goniums , I cut them and dressed them twice ; this was quite sufficient to heal 
the wound, and in the course of three or four days the eyes were starting again, 
showing great vigour. I also cut back the following stove plants, and found it 
equally efficient:— Aphelandra Leopoldii , Euphorbia jacqxdnicejlora and Luculia 
gratissima. In the treatment of the Euphorbia and also of all the tribe of plants 
that bleed at the same rapid rate, I found it necessary to have a small piece of 
