480 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Makch 20. 
TEMPERATURES OF JANUARY & FEBRUARY. 
Register of temperature at Rolleston Hall, near Burton- 
on-Trent. The thermometer at the height of two feet above 
the soil, and distant from any wall, in the garden of Sir 
Oswald Mosley, Bart., from the observations of Mr. Atkin¬ 
son, his gardener, 1855. 
ROLLESTON 
HALL. 
Nunappleton. 
D 
B 
of 
January. 
February. 
January. 
Feb. 
of 
M 
M 
0 a.m. 
NOON. 
6 A.M. 
NOON. 
Minim. 
Minim. 
1 
35° 
50° 
24° 
32° 
43° 
28° 
1 
2 
38 
46 
19 
32 
34 
20 
O 
3 
40 
45 
25 
32 
37 
28 
3 
4 
27 
46 
28 
33 
35 
30 
4 
5 
38 
52 
25 
35 
41 
32 
5 
6 
41 
54 
28 
33 
39 
31 
6 
. 7 
36 
54 
25 
34 
38 
21 
7 
8 
40 
50 
19 
30 
44 
25 
8 
9 
38 
42 
18 
28 
43 
27 
9 
10 
20 
34 
7 
28 
22 
26 
10 
11 
30 
44 
5 
28 
28 
12 
11 
12 
22 
38 
20 
32 
26 
14 
12 
13 
30 
40 
11 
27 
28 
15 
13 
14 
32 
38 
10 
28 
32 
15 
14 
15 
16 
32 
9 
30 
26 
12 
15 
16 
27 
32 
9 
25 
31 
0 
16 
17 
20 
32 
8 
25 
22 
8 
17 
18 
19 
35 
0 
28 
25 
0 
18 
19 
25 
34 
8 
32 
30 
10 
19 
20 
15 
32 
21 
30 
23 
25 
20 
21 
25 
32 
19 
32 
28 
20 
21 
22 
23 
34 
20 
35 
30 
6 
22 
23 
24 
28 
22 
34 
22 
19 
23 
24 
25 
35 
• 16 
40 
28 
15 
24 
25 
28 
35 
30 
38 
30 
31 
25 
26 
26 
35 
30 
37 
30 
32 
26 
27 
25 
34 
28 
38 
21 
30 
27 
28 
25 
35 
33 
41 
30 
32 
28 
29 
23 
34 
18 
29 
30 
20 
30 
23 
_ 
30 
31 
20 
25 
1 
25 
31 
“ The above is a copy of the register kept here (at Nun- 
appleton), from January 1st to February 28th, inclusive. 
The situation is low, not being more than ten feet above 
high tide mark. The minimum on the 16th was from C to 
7.30, a.m. 
“ On the night of the 17th, the thermometer fell very 
rapidly, till 2 a.m., when it reached zero. Shortly after it 
became overcast, the temperature rose as rapidly as it had 
fallen, till at 8 a.m. it had reached 22°. 
“A fine plant of Cedrm Deodora is uninjured (this is a 
little elevated, and on a rather dry bottom). Another, two 
miles from here, on a cold and wet subsoil, is completely 
browned. Berberis aquifolia and Common Laurel much 
injured. Cryptomcria japonica, a little hurt, but I think not 
seriously.— Isaac Ransom, Nunapplelon, eight miles from 
York." 
CULTURE OF GLORIOSA SUrERBA. 
This genus is limited in the number of truly valuable 
plants, which may justly be termed indispensable to ever so 
restricted a collection. But wo sometimes hear expressions 
of regret, that the glorious order of vegetable forms, among 
which our present genus ranks, is not more accommodating 
in its habits, so as to enable a greater number of admirers 
to enjoy its iloral merits. True it is, that a great proportion 
of the species of this genus are, undoubtedly, worthless ; 
still, the species under consideration belongs, as it were, to 
the aristocracy of the vegetable kingdom, but requires a 
peculiar treatment, insisting on a highly moist atmosphere, 
and is marked by other peculiar characteristics, which 
separate this genus from the general mass of flowering, 
ornamental plants, as much in management as in appear¬ 
ance. Again, there is a portion of plants, and, very for¬ 
tunately, not inconsiderable, respecting either number or 
beauty, which comes much nearer the denomination of every 
one’s plants. 
At the head of this genus stands the beautiful Gloriosa 
superba, which, in a state of nature, flourishes in the damp 
ditches of the East Indies, climbing and rambling among 
the dead and living trunks of trees, where it grows luxu¬ 
riantly, flowers, and sinks into rest with the alternations 
of the seasons, sometimes subjected to the saturating in¬ 
fluence of long continual rains, at others dried up by parch¬ 
ing, hot winds, and the scorching effects of a clear, light, 
and bright sun. It was originally introduced in 1600, but 
remained a plant almost forsaken and forgotten till within a 
few 3 'earsback, when its beautiful inflorescense rewarded the 
skill of some enterprising cultivator. Its root strongly re¬ 
sembles a kidney Potato, having a pale brown skin, with 
numerous eyes collected at one end, to which it is necessary 
to pay especial attention, for should the incipient buds 
be injured, the ball has no power of developing adventitious 
buds; consequently, in the event of this portion being 
injured, the loss of the bulb is almost certain. From the 
eyes previously mentioned, the stem issues, and is of a 
trailing, scandent habit, bearing leaves at intervals of five to 
six, of a pale green, lanceolate in shape, furnished at the 
apex with a tendriled point, by which the plant attaches 
itself, and clings to surrounding objects with the utmost 
tenacity. When the shoots have advanced from four to 
five feet in length from the axils of the leaves, it forms 
lateral branches, varying from six to ten in number. From 
the branchlets the flowers are produced, which, when ex¬ 
panded, are truly gorgeous in appearance. Like most 
tropical plants, it requires a marked season of growth and 
rest. A continuance of one undeviating course of treatment 
would early hasten its entire dissolution. 
To take the plant at this early season, the bulbs are suffi¬ 
ciently excited as to require potting. The soil composed of a 
mixture of one-quarter good staple loam dug from a rich old 
pasture, one-quarter leaf-mould, the remainder of good turfy 
peat, and fine, sharp silver sand, mixing and turning it well 
together, and used in as rough a state as possible. The pots 
should be well drained, and filled to within four inches, 
when the bulbs may be laid in regularly, allowing each two 
inches every way. The pot may then be filled, and plunged 
into a bottom-heat ranging from 80° to 85°, Farenheit, 
withholding water, except a sprinkling from a fine waterpot, 
till the shoots are visible, then the temperature may be in¬ 
creased from 00° to 95°, or 100°, with sun heat. The shoots 
should be allowed to ramble at pleasure, until they show 
indications of flowering, when they may be trained to any 
shape desirable. 
At this period, the same temperature should be main¬ 
tained, and a weak solution of liquid-manure copiously 
applied, till the flowers are fully expanded, when water 
should be administered with care, and the plant hardened 
to the cool greenhouse or conservatory, till its flowering 
season is completed, when water must be very sparingly 
given, limiting the quantity according to the degree of decay. 
When the decay is completed, the old stems should be 
cut down to the soil, and a large pan turned over the pot, 
excluding all moisture from the bulbs. The pots then 
should be stored away in a dry and cool place, till the following 
season, when the bulbs should be turned out and examined; 
removing all decayed portions, avoiding all attempts at sepia- 
rating any bulbs, except thoso whose juncture is imperfect, or 
when it can be done without causing a wound, for although it 
is the ordinary mode of propagation, still, a greatloss and want 
of strength is attributed to this method, for often bulbs, when 
separated, whether by force or knife, rapidly decay, as the 
primary eyes alone arc capable of developing a shoot, 
although numerous indications may be quite perceptible 
upon the bulb; yet these organs are incapable, as before 
stated, of pioducing and bringing into existence their ad¬ 
ventitious buds.—J. R. T., Button. 
