284 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Sept. 
The Calceolaria. 
This interesting plant has much to commend it to the 
attention of the cultivators of flowers. Like the tulip, 
pansy, rose, phlox, &c., it runs into endless varieties, 
which quality of itself imparts great interest to any 
plant; and besides, its uniquely formed spotted, showy 
flowers, are highly ornamental. It is only a few years 
since it has attained a high rank among florists’ favor¬ 
ites. Innumerable sorts have been raised from seeds, 
all, however, retaining jhe peculiarity of the original, 
of globular, spotted, blotched, or striped corols; and 
like the breeders of fine animals, certain cultivators 
have been eminently successful in greatly improving 
their size and beauty. In a similar way, an unskilful 
hand will procure seeds of these highly improved sorts, 
and allow' them to degenerate as fast as an unskilful 
raiser of domestic animals. 
The varieties are comprised under two general heads, 
the herbaceous perennials, and green-house shrubs. 
The latter are most highly esteemed, although the form¬ 
er boar larger flowers. 
In cultivation, the first thing is to procure a suitable 
soil in a well-drained pot,—well drained, because the 
plants at one stage grow rapidly, and consequently need 
copious waterings at that period, the surplus of which 
.must drain off freely. The soil may be manufactured 
by taking two parts of good friable loam, one of leaf 
mold, one of thoroughly rotted stable manure, and one 
of coarse or fibrous peat—the latter for the purpose of 
rendering the whole porous for drainage. Thorough 
mixture of the whole is necessary, as well as the remo¬ 
val of the coarser with a sieve. This may seem like 
taking much trouble, but the best way is commonly the 
cheapest. 
. The seeds are usually sown after mid-summer, and 
at first need much attention. They must be very thin¬ 
ly and evenly covered with pulverised soil, over which 
a bell glass must be placed till they come up, and when 
watered it must be done through a very fine rose, that 
the water may fall like dew, and not wash the soil. 
Shading from the sun, by placing a v r hite paper or 
cloth on the sunny side of the bell glass, will be requi¬ 
site. When the seeds come up, they are, as they con¬ 
tinue growing, successively separated or thinned out, 
and transplanted into pots, till large enough to remain 
in those intended for their permanent destination, which 
should be six-inch pots. Through the winter they will 
need the ordinary care of green-house plants, and should 
be watered sparingly; but on the approach of warm 
weather, when they recommence rapid growth, they 
will need a full supply of water. The amount given 
must be regulated by circumstances, as the state of the 
weather, rapidity of vegetation, &e.; on giving just 
enough, and not too much, depends much of the success¬ 
ful. treatment of this plant. When the sun is hot, shad¬ 
ing must not be forgotten. 
The shrubby plants are propagated by cuttings or 
oft-sets. After blooming, the flower stalks are cut down, 
they are placed in shade, and growth encouraged. The 
young shoots or sprouts, even if quite small, will make 
The Calceolaria. 
good cuttings, which may then be placed round a pot, 
in contact with its sides, in a thin stratum of silver sand, 
and reaching down just far enough to touch the com¬ 
post. This pot is put within another a little larger, 
and between them-the lower rim of a bell glass is placed, 
to preserve uniform moisture. The cuttings will have 
struck when they recommence growth, until which time 
great care must be taken to preserve a constantly uni¬ 
form moisti re of soil. If intended to raise from off-sets, 
the plants aiter pruning must be buried deeper for this 
purpose. 
During growth, great care should be given to the 
habit of the plant, to prevent the too common weak and 
slender form, and to impart :,o them a full, round, and 
bushy appearance. The flowers, if good, will not be 
thin or flat, but a perfect, rounded, hollow ball,—they 
will form rich masses, without crowding, and the whole 
bloom should be one handsome bunch of pendent flow¬ 
ers, scarcely above the foliage. 
A Valuable Grape. 
L. Tucker, Esq.— I observe in the August number 
of Mr. Barry’s Horticulturist, page 387, “Will you 
please inform me whether there is any good kind of 
grape other than the Isabella and Catawba, that will 
grow in our cold northern climate? A. Header, New 
Athens , Pa.” 
I have a vine producing a grape of similar color to 
the Isabella, and it is more sweet and delicious than 
any Isabella I have eaten. In the winter of 1832, 
when the Isabella and most other vines were frozen 
and killed down to the ground, my vine suffered in the 
small shoots which ought to have been trimmed off, but 
the larger branches put out and bore fruit the following 
season. If you please, you may give this notice to Mr. 
Barry. Slips of round and sound wood, well ripened 
and of short joints, will produce good vines to bear 
grapes the second or third year. This I know by trial. 
David Tomlinson. Schenectady , August , 1853. 
Houghton’s Seedling Gooseberry. 
We see a statement going the rounds of the papers, 
quoted from the Connecticut Valley Farmer, that 
“Houghton’s Seedling, so loudly applauded as mil¬ 
dew-proof with us,.is no more exempt than “Roaring 
Lion,” “ Crown Bob,” or any other variety.” It is 
perfectly evtdent that the person who wrote this could 
have never cultivated the genuine Houghton. Out of 
hundreds of bearing plants, during the most unfavora¬ 
ble seasons, when Crown Bob and Roaring Lion were 
ruined by mildew, not one berry on any of the Hough¬ 
ton bushes had a speck of mildew upon it, and this is 
the general voice of cultivators in the Northern States. 
