COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS. 
29 
Superior method of propagating Hydrangea hortensis. 
—I take cuttings about six inches long from shoots having flowers 
fully formed, pot them of singly into sixty pots with a mixture of 
maiden loam and well rotted leaf mould, then place them in a shady 
situation in the stove or vinery, where they will strike root freely, 
tilting the glass for a week or two before they are fully exposed to the 
external air, potting a few of them in peat earth, makes an excellent 
blue variety. I am not partial to Mr. Ashford’s method of drying spe¬ 
cimens, (see vol. 1, page 741) instead of spreading the leaves and 
petals in any regular form, I would prefer laying them in their na¬ 
tural habits as near as possible, so that they may be more accurately 
distinguished when dried. M. K. 
Substitute for Bell-Glasses. —An easy method of striking 
cuttings may be had recourse to by providing some squares of glass 
large enough to cover the pots intended to contain your cuttings. If 
the corners of these squares are taken off, making the shape of each 
an octagon, they will not be liable to be disturbed or broken. Before 
the cuttings are planted, let the pots be two thirds or half filled with 
earth according to the length of the cuttings, so that when planted 
they may not touch the glass. By this method the enormous ex¬ 
pence of bell-glasses and much time is saved, as the squares do not 
require drying, but merely turning once or twice a day when they 
become damp. Samuel appleby 
Doncaster , Sep . 3 rd . 1832. 
Wheat in the West Indies. —In volume 1, page 617, you 
speak of the failure of wheat in some hot country. It reminds me 
of a story told by Labat, in his very valuable and most curious book 
on “ the Natural History of the West Indies,” it is old, but by far 
the best book of the kind I ever read, and hope this notice of it may 
attract attention. He says, page 366, “ one Sellier, an inhabitant 
of my parish in Martinique, sowed some wheat, which was brought 
from France ; it came very well into leaf, but the greater part of the 
ears were empty, and the others had very few corns; but those which 
were born in the country when sown, grew wonderfully and produced 
the most beautiful ears, and as well filled as you can imagine. . Sel¬ 
lier pounded them in a mortar, made flour and bread of them, pre¬ 
sented it to the church, I blessed and distributed it to the people.” 
“ With respect to seeds,” he says, page 366, “they ought always 
to be carried in their husks, and after all you must not expect that 
the first crop will be large ; it will be very indifferent. The seeds 
must naturalize themselves to the country, and when that is done, 
they will produce marvellously. I made an experiment with some 
