THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 14. 
3h2 
beds, devoted entirely to this plant, but the want ot a 
good yellow, like the Calceolaria, is sadly felt. However, 
I with the Unique, Variegated, and Scarlet varieties, there 
is a tolerable show, or rather there will be, if drier 
weather sets in, for latterly, as J have before observed, 
the season has been more advantageous for the growing 
! than the flowering of this class of plants. One variety 
1 am rather disappointed in, the White llorse-shoe class, 
as Hendersonii and Boule de Niege ; for when in beds 
they are dull and weedy looking, while the Scarlet Ivy- 
leaved is an acquisition, and the Flower of the Day is a 
real gem. I could say the same of Golden Chain, but it 
is so shy a grower, that 1 hardly know what to make of 
it. Peat evidently suits it best. Moores Victory, and 
Rouge et Xoir have also been good, but the White and 
Scarlet Unique are inferior to Rollisonii, for general 
display, while Tom Thumb still reigns king amongst the 
dwarf Scarlets, but for novelty of shape Harkaway is 
i not without its merits. The general class of greenhouse 
varieties do not do well, but the old Prince of Orange 
| (sweet-scented), Hair Helen, and some other sweet- 
i scented varieties, l plant for cuttiug for nosegays, and, 
of course, some of the Lucia rosea breed, and several 
j beds of Mangle's Variegated. 
Calceolarias. —The present season has not been so 
favourable for Calceolarias as I expected it would be, 
for the half-herbaceous kinds are far from being so fine 
as they were last year. I mean C. Sultan, and others, 
that I suspect this fine variety is going off like Kentish 
Hero, and others, which we seldom now see in perfection. 
Neither have the more hardy shrubby kinds done so well 
as on some former occasions, and the bright yellow 
section, as Amplexicaulis, have certainly done very badly, 
but as I always mix thesi with a more robust variety, 
the evil is not so much felt. C. ShanMeyana, Kentish 
Hero, and some other of an intermediate class, have 
done worse than any, they partaking more of the her¬ 
baceous character)' while a bed of seedlings from C. 
Sultan was very gay at one time, but a blank of flowers 
has since succeeded, which, however, is promised to be 
followed by another flowering season. They have all 
been gCud, but not better in habit than their parent. 
Not having time to enumerate all the varieties of 
bedding plants, suffice it to say, that Petunias have done 
better than usual. Cupheas not so well. Verbenas have 
been good, and the same may be said of Lantanas, 
whilo, perhaps, the most showy plant I have had in 
beds is one but little grown in many places, the Double- 
white Feverfew, which, flowering early, is an acceptable 
accompaniment to the flower-garden, and though it goes 
out of flower by August, a little management in the 
way of planting the beds not wholly at once will keep 
up a tolerable succession. I usually plant white 
Petunias with it, if the bed be entirely a “ white one; ” 
but the plant is best adapted for a mixed bed, when in 
June and July it is very showy. Salvias I plant but 
few of, neither have I many Gaillardia, nor Ageratum, 
except in mixed beds, for I find the number of plants 
adapted for massing is much fewer than many people 
make them, while, in a mixed bed, any number, or 
almost anything will do ; while at the same time some 
plants suited for massing do not do well in a mixed 
bed—Verbena for instance. J. Robson. 
Dr. Allman has been nominated to the vacant 
Chair of Natural History at Edinburgh, in the room of 
Trof. Edward Forbes. Dr. Allman will commence his 
lectures in November. 
RHYNCOSPERMUM JASMINOIDES CULTURE. 
This charming plant is a climber, with white, sweetly- 
perfumed flowers. 1 call it the Stephanotis of the 
greenhouse, on a small scale, the leaves and flowers 
being smaller than that plant. It was, when first intro¬ 
duced, cultivated in the stove, but has proved hardy 
enough for the greenhouse, and as greenhouses are more 
plentiful than stoves, it may be more extensively grown. 
Every one that has a greenhouse, however small, ought 
to procure a plant of this pretty flower. It is not diffi- ; 
cult to cultivate, though it requires a somewhat pecu- j 
liar treatment, which peculiarity 1 will endeavour to ! 
describe. It is a native of China, from Shanghai, and 
is rather a new plant, having been introduced about . 
nine or ten years. 
Description. —A twining evergreen shrub, with oval¬ 
shaped leaves, smaller and thinner than the Stephanotis. 
Flowers pure white, produced in neat bunches, at the 
ends of the young shoots. Each flower is about the 
size of a sixpence, and is beautifully curled at the edges. 
As it is a slender-growing plant, it is a proper subject to 
train to a trellis of almost any form. The finest plant 
I have seen was one exhibited by the Messrs. Fraser, 
nurserymen, at Lea Bridge. That plant was trained on 
a pillar-shaped trellis, five feet high, and half-a-yard 
through, which it completely covered, from the pot to 
the summit, and had on it, I may venture to say, a 
thousand blossoms. It does not require, however, to 
be of so large a size before it blossoms. I have had 
plants blooming when six inches high, in four-inch pots. 
This spring, I had a plant of it in a six-inch pot, not 
more than half-a-yard high, that was so full of flowers 
that the leaves could scarcely be seen. The season of 
blooming extends over several mouths, namely, from 
April to August. I have plants now showing bloom. 
This long season adds to its merit. 
Soil. — Like the Stephanotis, this plant requires a 
rich, open, light soil. Turfy peat, vegetable-mould, and 
light, sandy loam in equal parts, forms a compost in 
which it will grow and flower well. Add to it a liberal 
addition of sand, and drain the pot well. 
Potting. — The best time for this operation is in 
March, just before the plant begins to grow. If it is in 
a six-inch pot, and has healthy roots, it may be repotted 1 
into a pot two inches wider, and no more, for this is one i 
of the peculiarities of this plant, that it will not bear a 
large shift and bloom freely. When in a large pot, a 
young plant will make long, strong shoots, but none, j 
or very few flowers; hence it is necessary to keep it ! 
underpotted. It then sends forth numerous side-shoots, 
and every one of these produces at its point a bunch of 
flowers. 
Watering. —When growing rapidly, this plant re¬ 
quires a moderate supply of water, but by no means 
should it be slushed. Give just enough to keep it 
advancing, and no more. In September, lessen even 
that, and in the dark months of winter keep it compa¬ 
ratively dry. The great object to be aimed at is to ' 
prevent a too great luxuriance in growth, and to induce 
it to stop growing entirely in winter. This is another 
peculiar point of culture this plant requires. As I said 
above, it produces its flowers at the ends of the shoots ; 
hence it is desirable to cause as many shoots to spring 
forth as possible. This it will do, if a rest is induced 
during winter, and this cessation of growth will be 
attained if the soil in the pot is kept nearly dry in 
winter, and the temperature lowered to from 40° to 45° 
—the usual heat of a greenhouse. When the spring 
weather arrives, the plants will have accummulated 
vigour or strength, and the then increased heat, fresh 
soil, and more moisture at the root, will cause almost 
every bud to break and produce a head of flowers. 
Training. —It will flower well on a flat, circular, 
