168 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 5. 
preventive of the scurvy. Clusius, in honour of the captain, 
called it Cortex Winteranus (Winter’s Bark). Linnaeus 
erroneously confounded it with White Canella hark, and 
united the two under the name of Laurus Winterana. 
Forster first named it Drimys, from a Greek word signi¬ 
fying pungency; but he afterwards changed the name to 
Wintera aromatica: but Decandolle restored the name 
Drimys, and it is to be found under that name in modern 
botanical works. 
during the year 1832; and first described by Mr. Bentliam, 
in the Horticultural Society’s Transactions. New Series, i., 
108. E. cccspitosa and E. hgpccoides are described on the 
same page, and there is some difficulty in deciding that the 
three are not variations of one species. They have all pale 
yellow flowers, and slender, finely-divided leaves.— (Ibid. t. 
4812.; 
Whitlavia grandiflora ( Large-Jlowered Whitlavia). 
Sir W. Hooker says :— 
“ It lias a most extensive range in its native country, 
South America; for, as we ventured to suggest, in the 
‘ Botanical Miscellany,’ that Drimys Chilensis must merge 
into D. Winteri, so Dr. Hooker has come to the conclusion 
that the D. Granatensis and I). Mexicana (and our own 
examination of specimens confirms this view) are also 
specifically identical, and that there is only one species in 
all South America. Thus this plant extends from Tierra 
del Fuego and Hcrmite Island, in the extreme south (there 
even ascending to 1000 feet of elevation), all along the west 
or Pacific side of the vast continent of South America, to 
New Granada, and even Mexico. Of course, as may be 
expected, there are many trifling variations throughout such 
a vast extent of territory, but no more than may be looked 
for under such circumstances. A distinct species of Drimys 
is found in New Zealand ( D. axillaris, Forst,), and another 
has been recently found on the mountains of Borneo (D. 
piperata, Hook. 111.). All are pungent, aromatic, astringent, 
and anti-scorbutic. Our plant flowers in June, and is 
treated as a hardy greenhouse plant .”—(Botanical Magazine, 
t. 4800.) 
Calycanthus occidentals ( Western Calycanthus). 
This beautiful hardy plant has not received the attention 
it deserves. It was introduced by Mr. David Douglas, from 
California, in 1831. A wall favours its flowering. Its 
blossoms are large, and dull crimson coloured. The wood 
is fragrant.— (Ibid. t. 4008.) 
Myrtus bullata (Blistered-leaved Myrtle). 
This has been known as long since as Captain Cook’s 
voyage, when he was accompanied by Banks and Squander 
as Naturalists; but it was not successfully cultivated here 
until recently. At Kew it is kept in the Greenhouse, 
blooming there in June and July; but in Devon, Cornwall, 
some part of the Isle of Wight, and iu the Channel 
Islands, probably it will prove capable of open ground cul¬ 
ture. It is a native of the Northern Islands of New 
Zealand, where it attains the height of from fifteen to 
twenty feet. With us it will be of a much lower growth. 
Its flowers are white, but rosy at the tips of the petals.— 
(Ibid. t. 4809.) 
This hardy annual is a great acquisition. Its deep blue 
bell-flowers are very striking. It was first discovered in 
California by Dr. Coulter, but seeds first reached this 
country from Mr. W. Lobb, who sent them to his employers, 
Messrs. Veitch. They exhibited blooming specimens at 
Chiswick in the summer of 1854. It was first described by 
Dr. Harvey, in the London Journal of Botany, v. 312, and 
named by him after F. Whitla, Esq., distinguished for his 
support of the Belfast Botanic Garden. Dr. Harvey 
thought there is a second species, and named it W. minor ; 
but it seems to be only the grandijlora grown under circum¬ 
stances unfavourable to its developement.— (Ibid. t. 4813.) 
TABLE SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF RAIN 
DURING JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, 
AND APRIL, 1855. 
LOCALITY. 
Jan. 
and 
Feb. 
March 
April. 
Total, 
each 
locality 
England. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
Greenwich. 
2.36 
1.46 
0.09 
3.91 
Nottingham .... 
1.91 
0.82 
0.83 
3.56 
Hawarden. 
1.70 
1.65 
0.45 
3.80 
Exeter . 
2.01 
2.03 
0.61 
4.65 
Ireland. 
Dublin . 
3.93 
1.44 
0.55 
5.92 
Cork . 
2.53 
3.05 
1.30 
6.88 
Portarlington.... 
1.57 
3.10 
0.88 
5.55 
Armagh . 
2.18 
2.58 
2.22 
6.98 
Sligo . 
1.77 
2.27 
1.62 
5.66 
Scotland. 
Glasgow. 
0.57 
1.04 
1.10 
2.71 
Annat Perthshire. 
1.98 
3.61 
1.74 
7.33 
Average 
fall dur¬ 
ing four 
months. 
in. 
3.98 
0.19 
5.02 
Ceanothus Lobbianus (Mr. Lobb’s Ceanothus). 
Another hardy blue-flowered Ceanothus from California. 
It was found there by Mr. W. Lobb, and sent by him to 
Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter and the Chelsea Nurseries. It 
blooms in June and July, and well deserves a place in the 
flower-garden.— (Ibid. t. 4810, but numbered 4811 by mis¬ 
take.) 
Bougainvillea spectabilis (Showy Bougainvillwa). 
Although this most showy plant bloomed for ten years 
I successively in a stove of the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, 
j and at Chatsworth during 1844, for the first time in Eng¬ 
land; and although in the June of 1854 it bloomed in a 
Vinery, belonging to Mrs. West, at Clfristchurch, Hants, yet 
few have been so fortunate as to see it. The Vinery is really 
only a Greenhouse, for the grapes are ripened without fire- 
heat. It is there trained in a fan form against the back 
wall. The brilliancy of the plant arises from its bright 
rosy bractes or flower leaves, and they are so numerous 
that “the tree seems on fire with them.” The plant at 
Mrs. West’s is five years old, and the roots cramped in a 
comparatively small pot.— (Ibid. t. 4811, but numbered 
erroneously 4810.) 
Eschsciioltzla TENUIFOLIA (Slender-leaved Eschscholtzia). 
This was discovered by Mr. David Douglas, in California, 
Average amount of rain in the United Kingdom from 1st 
January to 30th April, 1855—5.0G inches.— (Allnut’s Irish 
Land Schedule.) 
PROPAGATING FRAME.—CAMELLIA IN THE 
OPEN AIR. 
I HorED, from what you said regarding Mr. Walton’s pro- 
pagating-frame, we should, before this, have had a more 
minute description of it. May we yet hope for it ? I am 
very anxious to try it at once. (We shall be glad to receive 
the description.) 
I have„a semi-double scarlet Camellia which is just 
coming into bloom, after having stood the last winter without 
the least protection. We are within a few miles of Brighton, 
entirely on the chalk, and the Camellia stands about 300 
yards from the cliff, sheltered from the west by a wall from 
which it is distant about five feet, but with a full south and 
east exposure. It has been there eight years, is stunted in 
its growth, and has lost much foliage last winter, but has 
bloomed every year. Probably it would not have stood 
such a winter when less seasoned.—A Subscriber from 
the Beginning. 
