188 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGI3T. 
uncertain. Then year after year plants of the 
altered and more approved form, closely re¬ 
sembling each other, were selected and placed 
apart, and from these alone seeds were saved 
until the altered form was fixed—that is, seed 
saved from red Primulas produced, with al¬ 
most unerring certainty, red-flowered varie¬ 
ties, and seed saved from white Primulas 
white-flowered varieties, both preserving the 
increased size, altered forms, and clear de¬ 
cided colours of their immediate progenitors. 
Propagating-house. —Writing of the ar¬ 
rangements at the celebrated garden of the 
City of Paris, at La Muette, a correspondent 
of the Gardeners' Chronicle points out that, 
the propagating is not done as we do it. No 
pans are used in- the house, but very minute 
pots, a shade larger than a thimble, and into 
each a cutting is placed, the little pots placed 
on the tan, and covered with large circular bell- 
glasses. The greater part of the house is oc¬ 
cupied with these, all of a size. There are 
some special arrangements for propagating 
the more difficult subjects, and among these 
an improvement—bell-glasses, somewhat of 
the ordinary type, with an aperture in the top 
about 2 inches in diameter, into which a 
moisture-absorbing bit of sponge is squeezed. 
Nothing could be more business-like than the 
arrangements. 
Variegated Borecoles.— In reference to 
these coloured Kales, which are largely used 
in some gardens about Edinburgh for winter 
decoration, Mr. Peter Robertson has recorded 
his experience that they are best grown on 
dry rich soil, and fully exposed to sun and 
air. To get them dwarf the only way is to 
breed from dwarf plants. It is a curious fact 
that the whites and magentas do not readily 
cross, though grown beside each other; but 
one plant of either will taint an acre of pure 
green or common purple German Greens. 
Chirk Castle Black Stone Turnip.— 
This variety of the common Turnip, itself 
hardier than the Swede Turnip, is highly 
spoken of in the midland district. Though 
one of the white Turnips, the skin is quite 
black and very thick; it is of excellent 
quality, and is highly recommended for a 
late crop; indeed as a Turnip to follow 
early Potatos, where grown for market, it is 
said" to be very valuable. Sown as late as 
the end of August it produces fine roots, but 
sown a month earlier it produces a highly re¬ 
munerative crop either for storing or imme¬ 
diate consumption. This, is one useful article 
added to our vegetable list. 
Terrestrial Orchids. —Though the cul¬ 
ture of these curious plants, especially the 
tuber-bearing sorts, can be carried on, under 
certain conditions with perfect success, it 
often fails through giving them a light peat 
soil mixed with moss. Dr. Regel has recently 
pointed out that he finds them to succeed 
best when planted in open turfy loam, with¬ 
out admixture of any other earth. The dif- I 
ferent kinds of Bletia, Sobralia, Disa, Steno- 
rhynchus, Calanthe, &c., do well, he says, 
with this treatment. Bletia hyacinthina, and 
its varieties G-ebina and albo-striata, pretty 
spring-blooming plants for the greenhouse or 
forcing-house, are particularly recommended 
for this mode of culture. 
Calabrian Pine. —The late M. Vilmorin, 
after having tried nearly every Pine he could 
obtain, found this variety (P. Laricio cala- 
hrica), to be the most suitable for profitable 
planting. In a wood of Oaks near his house 
occur some characteristic examples which 
were planted ten years later than the Oaks 
(about 1830), and are now from 12 to 20 feet 
above their tops, forming perfectly handsome 
trees, fit any day to cut down and furnish 
good-sized planks, and wood for important 
purposes. The soil is the poorest in the 
country, gritty and gravelly. The merit of 
the Calabrian Pine cannot be too widely 
known, and doubtless it is as suitable for the 
British Isles as for France. There are large 
plantations of it in various parts of M. Vil- 
morin’s estate, all exhibiting its clean 
vigorous growth, and general superiority. 
Golden-leaved Stonecrop. — Mr. W. 
Dean, of Shipley, writes:—“When I was in 
Messrs. Lawson & Son’s nursery last winter 
or early in spring, I was struck with a beau¬ 
tiful gold-tipped variety of the common 
Stonecrop, which gave so bright an appear¬ 
ance in a mass, that I at once secured and 
took homo a batch, and in about fifty years’ 
time I shall bring it out as one of the horti¬ 
cultural wonders of the day ! By that time 
its value will be appreciated! No one need 
fear losing it after they get it; for, like the 
common Stonecrop, you cannot lose it. I 
have a mass of it now, which even in the 
midst of our smoky district sparkles amongst 
the dingy green which surrounds it. It will 
have to be advertised at a guinea a-plant be¬ 
fore the public will believe in it! ” 
Preserving Apples.— We learn from the 
German papers, that two years ago a farmer 
in the Palatinate, found in the spring an Apple 
in the most perfect state of preservation, that 
had been lying all the winter in a heap of 
leaves of the Maple tree in his garden. In 
the autumn he therefore packed his stock of 
Apples in casks with dried leaves, and in the 
following spring found them in the same state 
of preservation, and as firm and juicy as when 
first plucked. 
The King op Striped Hollies. — The 
French journals mention a tree, growing in 
in the garden of the Deaf and Dumb School 
of Nantes, which is probably one of the 
largest which exist. It belongs to the finest 
variety, with large plain leaves, edged with 
gold. It is 26 feet high, and pyramidal or 
conical in shape, and its branches, which 
touch the ground, are so close that it i3 im¬ 
possible to see through it. The proprietor 
of this fine plant asks 1000 francs for it. 
