THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 28, 1857. 259 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Weather near London in 
1856. 
— 
D 
M 
D 
W 
JULY 2S—AUG. 3, 1857. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.&S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
28 
Tu 
Chervil (Chserophyllum). 
30.064—29.980 
79—50 
S.W. 
08 
20 a. 4 
53 a. 7 
10 15 
6 
12 
209 
29 
W 
Fennel (Anethum). 
30.194—30.146 
82—51 
S.W. 
— 
21 
51 
10 29 
8 
6 
10 
210 
30 
Th 
Sea Lavender (Statice). 
30.244—30.213 
87—50 
w. 
— 
22 
50 
10 50 
9 
6 
8 
211 
31 
F 
Flax (Linum). 
30.227—30.161 
90—52 
s. 
—- 
24 
48 
11 18 
10 
6 
5 
212 
1 
S 
Coral-rooted Twayblade. 
30.149—30.093 
88—56 
E. 
— 
25 
46 
11 a.59 
11 
6 
2 
213 
2 
Sun 
8 Sunday after Trinity. 
30.052—30.029 
92—52 
E. 
— 
27 
45 
morn. 
12 
5 
58 
214 
3 
M 
Saffron (Crocus Autumn). 
30.066—30.022 
89—55 
S.E. 
— 
28 
44 
0 55 
13 
5 
54 
215 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twentv-eieht vears. the average hio-hest. and lowest. 
temperatures of these days are 74.7°, and 51.8 , respectively. The greatest heat, 92°, occurred on the 1st, 
on the 28th, in 1854. During the period 91 days were fine, and on 105 rain fell. 
in 1846 ; 
and the lowest cold, 38°, 
NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Aristolochia Thwaitesii. Nat. ord., AristolocMacea:. 
—This curious plant is a native of Ceylon, and was 
first introduced into this country by Mr. Thwaites, whose 
name it hears. Main stem rhizome-like, from which 
arise numerous simple stems about two feet high, 
covered with grey-coloured, thickly-set, short hairs, and 
foliaged from base to apex. Leaves between lanceolate 
and spathulate; margins entire; veins very prominent; 
under side very downy, and of a grey colour; upper 
surface dark green, and less downy than the under; 
about seven inches long. Flowering stems about six 
inches high; leafless, but producing a small bract 
opposite each flower; grey and downy. Flower a long 
twice-bent tube, contracted in the middle, yellow out¬ 
side, and inside very dark purple. The pedicels are so 
long and slender that the flowers rest on the surface of 
the pot, and in this position each individual flower bears 
considerable resemblance to the neck of a swan. 
This plant presents at once two very desirable qualities; 
for, besides being sufficiently beautiful to please the taste 
of such as delight in harmony of colour, it also possesses 
the worth to secure the attention of those who desire 
curious form. It flowers very freely, and is easy of culti¬ 
vation. Copious drainage is the most essential point to 
I be kept in view in its culture, because the plant is ex- 
j tremely impatient of stagnant moisture at the roots. It 
I thrives very well in a compost of nice fibrous peat and 
loam—of the latter two parts, and of the former one 
! part, with sand enough to make the whole porous. By 
| judicious stopping the plant branches freely, and ordinary 
stove treatment is best suited to develope it well. It is 
quite an acquisition to our stoves, and should have a 
place in every collection in which beautiful as well as 
curious interest is desired. 
Begonia laciniata. Nat. ord., Begoniacece .—Native 
of the East Indies, and first introduced into this country 
by Dr. Royle in 1855. It flowered first in Britain at 
Kew Gardens last winter. Stem creeping, covered 
thickly with deflexed, short, white hairs. Leaves 
obliquely cordate, zoned on the upper side with dark 
and light green, and the under side deeply marked with 
bright crimson ; margins deeply and regularly laciniate. 
Flowers in rich, dense panicles on long, stout pedicels; 
pure white, but tinged with crimson hairs on the outside 
of both calyx and corolla. General habit low, close, 
and creeping. 
Begonias are quickly becoming a justly-esteemed 
genus of plants. They afford such beautiful flowers, 
and such a variety of charmingly - tinted foliage of 
pleasing and varied form, that they must have a place 
in the interests of horticultural people. This species 
is a very valuable addition to the list of the beautiful 
genus to which it belongs, and when it becomes better 
known it will be esteemed as well for its fine foliage as 
for its beautiful flowers, and the flowering as it does in 
winter renders this species still more valuable. A 
shallow pot is the best in which to cultivate this plant. 
The drainage must be plentiful and well secured; for, if 
stagnant moisture is allowed to lodge among the roots, 
the leaves shrivel up and turn brown in the margins, 
and the flowers drop off*. The compost it thrives best in is 
a light, very fibrous loam one part, and two parts rough 
leaf mould, with a small portion of sand, and all roughly 
broken up together. Plenty of moisture should be 
given both at the root and overhead; but it must not 
be stagnant, else the plant will suffer. 
Amphicome Emodi. Nat. ord., Bignoniacece .—Native 
of North India. An herbaceous plant, almost, if not 
quite hardy. Stem about a foot and a half high, 
glabrous, branched. Leaves long, pinnate, with from 
five to seven pairs of opposite, cordato-ovate leaflets on 
very short petioles, smooth ; margins lobed and crenate. 
Peduncles terminal, leafless, or only with two or three 
wedge-shaped bracts. Flowers large, very handsome, 
at first corymbose, but gradually, as the age of the flower 
increases, it becomes racemose. Corolla between funnel- 
shaped and campanulate; orange colour, shading off 
into pink towards the margin. 
This is really a fine and useful plant, being a gem in 
itself, and flowering at a season when there is little, 
without the expense and trouble of forcing, to grace the 
greenhouse and keep it gay. It has a high claim on the 
attention of amateurs and gardeners. It is very easy of 
cultivation, a good free loam, plenty of drainage, and 
careful attention to the watering, with the protection of 
a cool frame in winter, being all that is necessary in pot 
culture; and it is quite probable that it would stand 
unharmed, with slight protection, our southern winters 
out of doors.—S. G. W. 
GERANIUMS. 
Three collections of English seedling greenhouse 
Geraniums of this season have been shown to me by 
three different raisers, a private gentleman and two 
private gardeners, one of whom is very well known as a 
duke’s gardener for many years. None of these came 
through our office, but were sent here direct with letters 
which were neither marked “ public ” nor “ private.” If I 
were to publish these letters, or any one of them, I might 
give offence to the writer ; and, on the contrary, having 
not even referred to them yet, the parties may have felt 
disappointment. The best thing which I can do, therefore, 
is to explain the Act of Press Parliament which bears on 
the question, and after this to act up to the letter of the 
law. The law is this:—All letters whatsoever, upon 
any subject, which are sent to an Editor, or to any 
one on his staff, if that one is known publicly to be 
“ connected with the press,” may be printed and pub¬ 
lished to the world in full or in halves, provided always 
that such letters are not marked “ private ” at the top of 
the first page. Suppose an officer of the Guards writes to 
me to ask if this is a good time to sow herbaceous Calceo¬ 
larias, to be planted out next May, for filling up the open 
spaces between the Verbenas, the Petunias, Calceolarias, 
No. CCCCLXI. Vol. XVIII. 
