143 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 8 , 1857. 
to leaf, and are apt to become long-jointed. Now, the 
elements that conduce to this habit are, rich soils, too 
much air moisture, and a want of light. These evils, 
therefore, must be avoided. For compost, nothing is 
so good as a plain, strong loam ; this, with sound 
drainage, will be found to grow them shorter-j ointed, 
and more compact; and will enable them to withstand 
an hour or two of drought without suffering. In all 
their stages, they require full exposure to sunshine ; 
and when approaching the blooming condition, simply 
I a cool and an airy situation in the house. 
Ageeatums. — These are very useful as winter 
| flowers; at least through November and December. 
They are best from cuttings struct in July : which, 
I with proper cultivation, will become nice stock plants 
| by the month of October. They must be frequently 
j pinched, in order to render them bushy, and may be 
Anally established in five and seven-inch pots. The 
| stopping, or pinching, must cease after the beginning 
of September ; and all they require after, is a cool 
situation on a greenhouse shelf, or in a frame. 
Gesneea zebeina.—T his is a stove plant of great 
beauty, much admired for its zebra-like foliage, as also 
its brilliant scarlet flowers. The plant sinks into a 
i state of perfect rest after the manner of the Gloxinia 
family ; and the dry roots must be taken out of the 
old and dry soil in March, and repotted. This plant 
requires a generous soil; one composed of equal parts 
of sound loam, old manure, a free peat, and some silver 
sand, will suit it well. The chief thing is to give it 
plenty of heat; few plants enjoy more. To grow it in 
high perfection, with vivid colouring, from 70° to 80° 
are necessary. Another point is, to allow it plenty of 
air moisture. Bottom heat is of great importance, 
too, especially in the earlier stages of its growth ; 
70° to 80° if possible. Most of this tribe enjoy a partial 
shade; or, at least, are averse to intense sunlight, which 
is apt to deface the foliage. All possible care should 
; be taken at all times not to injure the latter ; tliere- 
I fore, when moved, cautious handling is necessary, 
i When in blossom they will do very well in the very 
I warmest spot of a greenhouse, although an inter¬ 
mediate house would suit them better. 
Cytisuses.—T his famfiy is well known as a most 
useful winter shrub; some kinds very fragrant, and 
being evergreens, they are particularly desirable. They 
are propagated with facility by cuttings in the spring, 
j But these cuttings, with every appliance, will require 
I a second season’s growth to make them into nice little 
plants ; or, in other words, to commence blooming 
j fairly. They become annually finer, and, of course, 
j larger ; until, of course, in a few years they be¬ 
come too large and too coarse for ordinary purposes. 
1 Their soil may be two parts a sound loam, and one 
part peaty material. Their culture otherwise is very 
simple. They are essentially greenhouse plants, but 
j will endure low temperature readily: absence of frost, 
! however, is requisite. But to have them blossom 
through the winter, a little coaxing at the proper 
period is requisite. The best plan I have found out 
j concerning them, is to treat them on a similar principle 
to such things as Camellias, viz., to force them into 
early growth, pinching away freely all the while ; and 
after accomplishing this, to turn them out of doors, in 
a half-shady situation, at Midsummer ; housing them 
again by the middle of September: this I say with 
regard to winter blossoming. But they must not be 
coddled; they must have a light situation, with a 
moderate temperature. Perhaps C. racemosus is one 
of the most useful; but there are several species so 
much approaching each other, that they are a little 
awkward to distinguish. I may add, that they are 
very useful for bouquets. R. Eerington. 
THE POLES. 
{Continued from p. 130.) 
Some years ago, this place could boast many of the 
finest specimens of Orchids in the country, as might 
bo seen at the London exhibitions. They were parted 
with to make room for other things, chiefly Ferns, to 
which the north side of the square is principally de¬ 
voted ; and a magnificent appearance they presented. 
I will first glance at a few of the finest specimens, 
and then merely enumerate a number of the most 
striking and attractive. Among the first I would 
specify a plant of Asplenium nidus, the bird’s-nest 
Fern, from seven to eight feet in diameter, with fine 
healthy fronds, four feet long and nine inches broad. 
Two fine plants of the rather hardy tree Ferns from 
New Zealand, Cyathea dealbata and C. medullaris; 
the fine New Holland Fern, Diclcsonia antarctica, four 
feet by seven feet ; Drynaria coronans, four feet 
through ; and a nice plant of Drynaria qiiercifolia, 
rather rare in collections. A fine plant of the Didy- 
mochlcena pulcherrima ; a nice plant of the rare Dictyo - 
glossum crinitum, the Acrostichum crinitum cf some 
gardens ; a beautiful plant of Goniophlebium subauri- 
culatum, I think, with fronds fully six- feet long ; fine 
masses of Platycerium grande, alcicorne, stemmaria ; 
a fine plant of Pteris hirta, and one of Pteris scaberula, 
two feet in diameter. A very large plant of Poly - 
podium aureum ; and a beautiful plant of Cycas circi- 
nalis, a good neighbour for fine-foliaged Ferns. If 
these were rather the most conspicuous, there were 
also fine specimens of Adiantums, of Cheilanthes, such 
as hirta, micromera, tenuifolia, microphylla, spectabilis, 
and viscosa; of Cibotium Parometz, and Scliiedei; 
Davallia polyantha, dissecta, ornata (new), elegans, 
and pulchella ; Gymnogramma chrysophylla, pulchella, 
monstrosa, sulphurea, tartarea, lutea alba, Peruviana, 
rufa, Javanica, &c. ; Gleichenia microphylla, spel- 
uncai; Nothoclcena Dclcloniana, nivea, lanuginosa, Ma¬ 
rantic, vestita, trichomanoides, chrysophylla; Mohria 
thurifraga ; Marattia cicutcefolia, and many others ; 
along with a great variety of Mosses too numerous 
to mention. All were in the highest state of luxuri¬ 
ance ; and, independently of these kinds regularly 
sown, seedlings of all characters were appearing 
everywhere, where the spores could obtain moisture 
and shade. 
In the stove was a nice plant of Musa Cavendishii 
in fruit. There, and in the houses at the kitchen 
garden, a good collection of all the most showy Or¬ 
chids, including almost every variety of Vanda and 
Aerides, fine-grown masses of Billbergia, such as 
thyrsoidea, iridifolia, and the most beautiful of them 
all, Morelliana, with many beautiful stove plants, and 
iEschynanthus, &c., in hanging baskets. 
Behind this square of houses, but concealed by them 
and the shrubberjq were low, narrow houses devoted 
to Ferns, Orchids, and greenhouse plants ; also potting 
sheds and compost sheds ; access to all which could be 
easily obtained from the yard of the offices, &c. And 
thus a fine combination was made of effectiveness, 
utility, room, and comfort, with nothing to strike the 
eye of the visitor but the effect as seen in the larger 
houses. 
Wending our way to the kitchen garden, the walk 
being frequently broadly arched with climbing Roses, 
we pass through a rough piece of ground that may be 
called a pinetum, as here are congregated the most 
interesting varieties of Pinus, Abies, Picea, Cupressus, 
Taxodium, Araucaria, Juniperus, &c. The plants, as 
yet, are mostly young ; but the greater part are grow¬ 
ing vigorously. The grass was left rough and unmown, 
though the walks were kept in excellent order. This, 
ere long, will be a very striking feature in the plaee ; 
