236 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
saw the other day a collection that had come from Mr. Turner, of Slough, and 
I was vastly charmed with them and their great attractiveness. 
It appears to be a somewhat singular characteristic of the Gazania splendens 
that, whereas in the midst of summer the flowers will not expand unless under 
the action of the sun, at this season of the year they will open in the absence 
of the sun, when it is dull, if it only be clear. I saw a bed of it in Hyde 
Park, a few days ago, covered with fully expanded blossoms, and a large 
number of buds were coming on to succeed the flowers. 
I am inaugurating the time for planting bulbs out of doors by trenching 
that part of the flower garden to be devoted to them. The bedding stuff, &c., 
has been removed, and a moderate dressing of road sand and manure applied, 
which I have thoroughly mixed with the soil. I think road sand to be an 
admirable ingredient to mingle with the soil in which bulbs are to be planted. 
I shall plant them out about the second week in November. Later than this 
Crocuses, especially, begin to shrivel and decay, and some of the Tulips will 
suffer in a like manner. 
Two nights ago I saw the sun sink in the western heavens behind a bank of 
deepening clouds, and the moaning wind increased its tone to shrillness as it 
came soughing across the woods in the direction of the great city, among 
whose many buildings, and along whose numerous streets, it could gambol and 
sport as it wended its way, journeying to the eastern hemisphere. It was por¬ 
tentous of the wreck of much that was bright, gay, and beautiful. There was 
a weird gaiety in it as it caught off the leaves from the trees, sported with them 
for a moment, and then dashed them headlong down to the earth, where they 
became drowned in the wayside pool, or strangled among the long rank grass. 
“ But above this wild delight an overmastering greatness rose. 
I saw the woods consuming in a many-coloured death, 
Streaks of yellow flame down deepening through the green that lingereth ; 
Sanguine flashes like a sunset—an austerely shadowing brown ; 
And I saw the long dark hedges all alight with scarlet fire, 
And the berries, pulpy ripe, had spread their bird-feasts on the Briar.” 
But from it all there seemed to come forth the great eternal thought, that 
this decay was but the preparation-day for a new creation, and after a brief 
pause there would arise a new dominion, the which the Great Designer should 
people with lovely aspects and beauteous forms, for Spring to gather in her 
arms, and present as a fit offering to the Source of such wondrous creative skill 
and power. 
“ O cheerful, tender strain ! the heart 
Singing so trustful to the dreary blast: 
Though on the world’s autumnal time, 
’Mid withered hues and sere, its lot be cast. 
That is the heart for watchman true, 
Waiting to see what God will do.” 
Quo. 
REMARKS ON RUSSELIA JUNCEA. 
Plants of a drooping habit produce a very graceful and ornamental effect 
when suspended from the roof of the conservatory and stove. Plants of this 
character have lately been much sought after, so that we have now very many 
well adapted for the purpose, but few, if any, are more appropriate than Rus- 
selia juncea. I have myself grown it trained upright to sticks, and I have 
often seen it exhibited among collections of stove and greenhouse plants trained 
in this way ; but beautiful as it is even when grown in this manner, it is far 
more beautiful and graceful when suspended from the roof of a conservatory, 
and the branches allowed to pursue their natural drooping tendency without 
interruption. Being a native of Mexico it requires to be grown in a stove of 
