100 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
NYCTERI'NIA SELAGINI'OIDES. 
(Selago-like Nycterinia.) 
This has been known to botanists for about twenty years, 
but it was not introduced into our gardens until last year. 
This introduction was by M. Yilmorin, of Paris, and he called 
it Nycterinia vil/osa, hut villosa, according to Mr. Bentham, is 
only a variety of selaginioides, and it is not improbable that 
this may be that variety, for the calyx is characteristically 
fringed with hairs, and the entire herbage hairy. 
Nycterinia, is a name derived from vycterinos, belonging 
to the night, because some of its species open their flowers 
and are very fragrant in the evening. The genus is in 
eluded by the Natural Order of Fiyworts (Scrophulariacea;) 
and by Didynamia Angionpermia of the Linnsean system. 
N. selaginioides, like all the other species, is a native of 
the Cape of Good Hope, being found there on the sandy 
plains near the west coast. It is only four or five inches 
high, and is thus noticed in the Journal of the Horticultural 
Society :—“ It is a very pretty greenhouse annual, forming a 
broad patch of pale, dull green, hairy herbage, arranged in 
the manner of a Candytuft. The leaves are linear spathu- 
late and slightly toothed; the uppermost quite entire and 
united to the tube of the calyx, than which they are much 
longer. The flowers are arranged much in the same 
manner as in Candytuft, forming a true corymb. They are 
pure white except the eye, which is a very deep-yellow cup, 
fringed by an exquisitely beautiful coronet of tiny yellow 
hairs. The tube of the corolla is very slender, an inch long, 
May G. 
and nearly smooth ; the limb is flat, a little moved back, 
with five two-lobed equal divisions. It may be regarded as 
one of the prettiest summer annuals introduced for some 
years.” 
DESCRIPTION AND PLAN OF A FRUIT-ROOM 
BELONGING TO JOSIAPI MOORMAN, Esq., 
CLAPHAM-ROAD; WITH SOME REMARKS, j 
By Robert Thompson. 
The supply of fruit in autumn is almost superabundant 
in favourable seasons, and in varieties there is then an ample 
choice. Many of these, however, are naturally of so short 
duration, that they cannot be long kept well under any cir¬ 
cumstances. Means may be adopted for preventing their 
decomposition, but their flavour is frequently deteriorated 
or completely lost. In general, those kinds that ripen early 
soon decay; and a large proportion of the fruit cultivated 
by extensive growers i3 of this description, because it pays 
them better to take such at once to market than run the 
risk consequent on the keeping of later varieties. Hence 
we find that towards Christmas the quantity of fruit, of 
Pears more especially, is greatly diminished, and that 
the choice is reduced to comparatively few sorts. Such 
favourites as the Marie Louise and Beurre Bose are not to 
be had under ordinary circumstances. In January the 
scarcity becomes greater, and Jersey Chaumontels make 
their appearance, imported at the high price of, not un- 
freqnently, five pounds per hundred; whilst well matured 
specimens of the Easter Beurre and Beurre Ranee are in 
request, leaving the greener and less perfect of these, and 
a lew of some other sorts, to make occasionally the ap¬ 
pearance of supply during the spring months—quite in¬ 
adequate, however, to meet anything like a regular demand, 
such as would certainly be made if Pears could be well 
kept in abundance till that period. 
The high state of perfection in which fine specimens of 
Pears have been frequently exhibited to the Society by Mr. 
Moorman at periods of the season much later than the 
varieties usually keep, rendered it very desirable to obtain 
an account of the method by which these were preserved in 
such admirable condition. On applying to Mr. Moorman 
he kindly afforded every information with regard to the 
mode by which his Tears are kept; and he also permitted 
Mr. Sibthorp, the Superintendent of Works at the Society’s 
Garden, to make the accompanying drawings, which will 
give a correct idea of the place. 
The room was not originally constructed for a fruit-room; 
but, by a little adaptation, Mr. Moorman has succeeded in 
rendering it a most excellent one, as is proved by the prizes | 
awarded for the productions exhibited from it—not in any I 
one year, but repeatedly, year after year. It is a partitioned- j 
off portion of a loft, which extends over a coach-house and | 
