August! 8 . THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 879 
from the Society, and the new annuals mentioned last 
week, to which add a Schizanthus violaceus, a dark violet 
flower, a very unusual tint in soft things, and a white 
Nolana grandiflora, at which all the fancy flower gar¬ 
deners will jump—low white beds being scarce. Mr. 
Keynes, from Salisbury, had a box of Picotees, and 
another of Carnations, which looked very large and 
well marked; but I am no scholar in that way at all. 
Mr. Ayres had two Geraniums, crosses by the fancies 
and wild Africans; they were not named. One is in 
the way, and a good improvement on Curate, the bedder, 
and Curate must now go the wall. This is a cross from 
Fulg'tdtan, by the pollen of a dark fancy Geranium, and 
j it tells, as plainly as A I! C, where the florists first went 
wrong with Fulgidum, the only scarlet within their reach, 
j The scarlet is so muddled at the first cross with the 
overwhelming black of the larger flower as to be as 
good as lost at the first start. To make the best of Ful¬ 
gidum now, all we can do is to get its scarlet on a white 
ground, then we shall keep the scarlet in its purity ; 
but the moment you touch it with any of the race that 
is not descended from a pure white, or is so worked as 
to become pure white itself, it is tarnished directly. 
This variety is quite sterile, although only a first cross 
from a wilding. The next one is a beautiful, large, 
glistening white flower, with a little black in the back 
petals. It is a cross from a wild white one called Formo- 
sissimum, by the pollen of a light fancy one, and here 
the cross is fertile in seed and pollen; as much as setting 
at defiance all the philosophy that has been spent in ac¬ 
counting for such and such differences in cross seedlings. 
There was a cut flower of a new bulb from Mr. Pinee, 
of Exeter, and we were told that it was a Hcemanthus, 
allied to H. coarctatus and hyaloearpus; I think, how¬ 
ever, it was not quite new to every one in the room, and 
the affinity given is questionable; but this is the most 
difficult genus in Africa to make out in the absence of 
the whole plant. I have only coloured figures (of the 
flowers) of the two species mentioned, and, therefore, 
cannot say positively from this cut flower that the plants 
| are near each other in this genus, but I think they arc 
j not, and I do not. think they belong to the same section 
j of the genus as this new one. Then, to see who is 
i right, I shall attempt to describe the whole plant, of 
which Mr. Pince sent only one scape and one flower- 
head. First of all, the roots are numerous, and as 
much like Asparagus roots as possible ; the old bulb is 
broad at bottom and very flat, and the top of it is very 
uneven from the marks of the old leaves. The flowers 
come before the leaves; the top of the scape is dull red, 
without marking, as in hyaloearpus; the bottom of it, 
which we did not see, ought to be very light green ; the 
leaves are not recumbent, as in the section of coarctatus; 
they must vaginate, or sheath into a column, con¬ 
siderably above the bulb, if I am right, and then spread 
out into large and wrinkled upright blades between the 
column and the expansion of the several leaves to their 
| tip; the plant would stand from a foot to eighteen 
inches high out of the pot or border, according to the j 
I strength of the bulb. Also, if I am right, it is a hardy 
j border plant that will stand the winter, at Exeter, with 
I a little coal-ashes over it. The plant, whoso flower we 
' saw, will not have ripened its leaves in the open border ' 
I before next February, or, if the winter is very hard, it 1 
will be very loth to “yield to circumstances” then. 
After it is one month perfectly dry in. a pot, if you water 
the pot and put it into the stove to force, the flower-bud 
shows in ten days, and this at any season of the year. 
Now it would be worth while to buy this new bulb in 
order to check it with my account of it. I am almost 
sure there is not a man in London who knows much 
about it, if it comes up to my description ; but I had two 
dozens of it from the Zula country many years ago, and 
i it is the easiest bulb in all Africa to grow. D. Beaton. 
CASSIA CORYMBOSA CULTURE. 
Since writing a passing notice of the above beautiful 
plant, that has been an inmate of our gardens for more 
than half-a-century, several inquiries have reached me 
as to the peculiar treatment it requires to suit it for 
different circumstances; and one of our greatest gar¬ 
deners, from a large establishment, expressed his sur¬ 
prise that a plant from Buenos Ayres should thrive so 
well out-of-doors in summer; as, under lii3 care, it had 
been treated as a favourite denizen of the plant-stove, 
and even there, at all times, and especially in winter, 
was worthy all the labour bestowed upon it. Leaving, 
then, the notice of the fine standard at Oourteen Hall 
to shift for itself, merely premising, that without graft¬ 
ing on any allied strong-growing stock, there will be 
no difficulty in growing a good standard in two years, 
or three, at most, if there is any chance of giving a little 
more heat in the spring than a common greenhouse 
can supply. 
I will first notice the general treatment the plant 
requires; and then glance at the peculiar culture 
necessary for certain circumstances; adducing, not only 
our own limited experience, but what has been picked 
up by observing the experience of others, and noting 
the peculiarities of the plant. 
1. Propagation. — This may be effected any time 
during the summer, as, by closely examining the plant, 
some short pieces, about three inches in length, and 
rather stubby than otherwise, will generally be found, 
though the mass of the shoots be from eighteen inches 
to twenty-four inches in length. But the best time for 
obtaining such shoots is in the spring, when the plant 
begins to grow freely after being pruned, and when, 
generally, there are more shoots than it would be de¬ 
sirable to retain. These, as soon as a little firm, should 
be cut off close to the stem, with a heel; have any 
small scaly parts removed, and one or two of the larger 
leaflets shortened, and then be inserted round the side 
of a small pot, in sandy peat and loam, with a quarter- 
of-an-inch of white sand on the surface. The nearer 
the base of the cutting comes to the drainage, and the 
closer it is to the side of the pot, if the cutting is at all 
firm in its consistence, the sooner will roots be formed. 
Place the cutting pot into another pot two sizes larger, 
fill the space between with moss, or sand, and theu set 
a conical glass over the larger pot, so that the drip will 
fall into the space between them, and not where the 
cuttings are, and then plunge in a stout hotbed, with a 
bottom-heat of from 75°, and a top heat averaging 00°. 
Attention to watering, giving a little air at night, and 
shading from bright sun during the day, are all that 
will bo required until the cuttings are struck, wdien 
they should be freed from the bell-glass entirely for 
several days; be potted separately in four or five-inch 
pots; kept close and warm until growth is freely pro¬ 
gressing; be hardened off', by more air, by degrees, anti 
inured to the treatment they are to receive during the 
summer as in-doors or out-doors plants. 
Soil .—A mixture of two parts good fibry loam, one of 
peat, and a little charcoal, with good drainage, and a 
little manure watering, will grow them well. 
Watering .—This will be wanted liberally in summer, 
but very little will be needed in winter, moro especially 
if kept in almost a dormant state. Of course, if kept 
growing then, as much water must be given as will keep 
them healthy. 
Temperature .—When in almost a dormant state, the 
plants will not be injured in a medium temperature of 
from 48° to 45°; but, as noted above, the vital powers 
then must be next to dormant. To bloom, the tem¬ 
perature must not be lower than from 50° to 00°, with a 
rise from sunshine. In summer it may safely range 
from 70° to 80°. 
