July 10. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 255 
pots. Indeed, some that I was short of have been done 
already ; these, I anticipate will, by being thus early 
established, make excellent plants for next year for the 
same purpose. They will be placed on coal ashes, at 
a sullicieut distance from each other to allow them air 
and space to form stocky plants ; they will make strong, 
good plants, either to plant out in beds or borders early 
in the autumn, or for potting in early spring, to bloom 
in pots, as their parents have done. 
1 have been, perhaps, somewhat prolix in describing j 
this metiiod of growing this lovely flower to bloom in 
pots; but I was anxious so to describe it that the 
veriest tyro in flower-culture may understand bow to 
succeed in growing them. 
Layering the Pansy is the very best way of propagat¬ 
ing it; it is the quickest and most certain. Layers, 
in dropping weather, will root in six weeks, and now is 
the very best time to layer any choice varieties in the 
beds or borders, and the layers themselves will produce 
flowers if allowed to remain in the border later in the 
autumn than they would do if not so operated upon. 1 
have had plants so layered more than a foot in diameter, 
and close to the ground. So managed in beds in the 
flower-garden, they continue healthy and longer in bloom 
than any flower I know. T. Appleby. 
Supposed Meteoric Stone. —Sir Roderic Murchison 
announced at the last Meeting of the Royal Society, 
that the supposed meteoric stone found in the trunk of 
a tree at Battersea proves to be no more than a piece of 
manufactured slag, or furnace refuse. 
TRITON IA AUREA. 
The Golden Tiutonia. 
It is very often a subject of complaint that we have 
very few plants to ornament the greenhouse or conser¬ 
vatory during the later months of summer, August and 
Sptcmber, for instance. Formerly, this was the case. 
I remember, in my young days, that we had to resort to 
such things as Balsams, Browallias, Cockscombs, 
and other annuals. Even the Campanula pyrami- 
dalis, was cultivated for this purpose. We had no 
Japanese Lilies, and but few Fuchsias to fill the green¬ 
house stage and the conservatory border. Now, the 
case is very different. If the gardener has the means 
to purchase plants, and labour allowed to grow them 
properly, the greenhouse, &c., may be kept gay with 
flowers from January to December. To do this effectu¬ 
ally, he will require a considerable-sized cold pit, and 
a forcing-house, to bring into early bloom such things 
as Roses, Deutzias, Lilacs, and other forced shrubs; 
and also forced bulbs, Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, 
Violets, and Lily of the Valley. All these, however, 
require a foresight, and a considerable amount of 
labour and close attention on the part of the gardener, 
and the employer who requires his houses to be so 
furnished, should be liberal in allowing means to pur¬ 
chase the plants, the pots they require, and the neces¬ 
sary pit and forcing - house, together with sufficient 
hands to assist the gardener to manage and bring them 
to perfection. A very useful book might be written on 
the subject, and might be named The Forcing Flower 
Gardener’s Directory, which would not only direct the 
operator, but would show his employer what a great 
amount of means and labour is required to fill the 
greenhouse and conservatory with flowers all the year, 
but more especially during the first months of the year. 
1 set out, however, with stating that the months of 
August and September are as difficult as any to supply 
with flowers in doors. It is true, we have the noble 
and gay Lilium lancifolium, and its varieties of pure 
white and spotted flowers ; but we need more variety in 
colour. The plant I have chosen, at this time, to write 
about supplies flowers of a very bright deep orange. 
As it is easily cultivated, multiplies freely, and can be 
kept through winter in any place where the frost cannot 
reach it, I think it is worthy of being grown in every 
garden where there is a greenhouse, however small. 
History and Description. — Tritonia aurea is one 
of the numerous tribe of Cape bulbs. It is separated 
from the well-known genus Ixia, by having its stamens 
inserted in the tube instead of the base of the petals. 
It has. long, sword-shaped leaves, supported on a stem 
rising two to three feet high. The flowers are produced 
on a branching spike, which rises above the foliage. 
The flowers are large, and of rich orange colour, 
lasting in bloom through August and part of Septern- j 
ber. It was introduced from Caffraria, by Mr. Back¬ 
house, of York, in 18J8, and is as yet by no means 
common; though a good blooming bulb may bo pur¬ 
chased for Is. fid. 
Soil.— The compost that I have found it to grow best 
in consists of turfy peat, leaf-mould, and sandy loam, 
well mixed with silver-sand, but not sifted. It should 
be, when amalgamated together, of a light, porous cha- 
I racter, so as to permit the roots to. run easily and freely 
amongst it. 
Potting. —The proper season for this operation is I 
just before the bulbs begin to grow, which generally 
t happens towards the end of February. If delayed till 
the shoots appear, there will be danger of breaking 
them off; therefore, in turning out the old ball from 
the pots, great caution must be used to see if any shoots 
are commencing to grow. The shoots spring from the 
sides of the bulbs as well as the crown, and such are 
exceedingly brittle. Pot them rather deep in the new 
soil, that is, fully two inches below the surface. If a 
large specimen is desired, several strong bulbs may be 
planted in a large pot. 1 have seen a specimen, in the 
j Botanic Gardens, at Birmingham, managed by my 
friend, Mr. Catling, the talented curator there, with 
| eight or ten strong bulbs in a pot eleven inches 
diameter, each producing one or more spikes of flowers, 
and growing three feet high, forming a truly splendid 
object. The old soil, as a matter of course, should be 
done away with, and the bulbs carefully picked out 
| from amongst it. 
Culture. —As soon as they are potted, give a gentle 
watering, just to moisten the new compost, and then no 
more till the shoots appear above the soil, when a 
second supply may be given. The pots containing the 
bulbs should be placed in a cold pit, and kept cool and 
grown slowly—the object being not to force them into 
bloom too early. Too much heat causes weak shoots 
and small flowers, besides bringing them into bloom 
before the natural season. As the plants advance in 
growth, water may be given oftener, and in greater 
i quantity. The syringe, too, should be used freely, 
thoroughly wetting the leaves to prevent the increase of 
the Red Spider, which insect seems very partial to this 
plant; I have seen the leaves turned quite yellow with 
its feeding upon the juices; but severe syringing will 
prevent its increase, and keep the plants green and 
healthy. As the season advances, the plants may be 
placed out-of-doors, in a sheltered situation, till the 
blooms appear. This exposure will be of great benefit 
to them, causing them to grow more robust, and the 
rains that may fall will effectually keep down the 
Red Spider; but in the absence of rain, due supplies 
of water should be given at the root, and the leaves 
frequently syringed. By this management, this fine 
plant may be grown to great perfection. As soon as 
the first blossoms expand, remove the plants into the 
