T1IB COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Decehbeb 7, 1358. 
151 
Peduncles longer than the petioles, pilose. Calyx green, of five 
acute, ovate sepals. Tube of the corolla inflated at the base, and 
Contracted near the middle ; quite nude within the tube. Limb 
of fivo spreading ovate segments, pure white, covered on the face 
with long, white, villous hairs. 
A very fine stove twiner, bearing a striking resemblance to the 
Inucli-favoured Steplianolis Jlonbunda in the form and colour of 
its flowers, and strongly like it, but not so agreeably scented. 
The leaves have rather a strong fetid smell when rubbed between 
the fingers. It flowers during September, October, and No¬ 
vember. When the flowering is well over, it should be gradually 
brought to rest. About the middle or latter end of March, the 
roots should be carefully examined, to ascertain if they are in 
healthy condition or not. When diseased, or dead, portions may 
be cut away, and the plant repotted in rough fibry peat and loam, 
with a good portion of rough, clean sand. The drainage must 
be carefully secured. A short time after potting, it should be 
plunged in good bottom heat, and water given according to its 
increasing luxuriance. It strikes from cuttings, but not freely. 
Indigofeba decora, Lindl. Nat. ord., Leguminosce. Native 
of China.—Habit somewhat straggling, shrubby. Branches, in a 
young state, rather glaucous. Leaves unequally pinnate, with from 
seven to eight pairs of exactly oval, slightly mucronate, smooth, 
fresh green leaflets. Inflorescence in long, slightly curving, 
horizontal racemes. Calyx membranaceous, distantly five-toothed. 
Standard nearly flat, slightly keeled, rose - coloured. Wings 
narrow, lanceolate, slightly ciliated, pale rose. Keel narrow, with 
the upper margin somewhat villous. 
A very handsome greenhouse plant, flowering profusely iu the 
early summer months, and sometimes also in autumn. It re¬ 
quires a compost of turfy loam, with a little peat and sand. 
Propagates freely enough from cuttings of partially ripened spring 
shoots. 
Adamia yersicolor, Fortune. • Nat. ord., Hydrangeacece. 
Native of China. —Habit dwarf, frutescent. Younger branches 
covered with brownish down. Leaves oblong, acute, sharply 
serrated, narrowed at the base into a short petiole ; midrib and 
veins prominent below. Inflorescence paniculate, ramified in a 
cymoso manner. Peduncle and pedicels downy. Calyx ad¬ 
hering by its sides to the ovary, shortly five-toothed. Corolla 
usually of seven petals, lanceolate ; in the bud white, changing, 
on expanding, to clear violet, and becoming paler with age. 
Stamens numerous, bright violet. Pistils three, also blue. 
This fine plant is not so much patronised by lovers of beautiful 
flowers as its merits deserve, which is the more surprising, be¬ 
cause it is sure to give satisfaction if treated in the proper way. 
It may, by forcing or retarding, be had in bloom at any season 
of the year. After it has done flowering it should be brought to 
rest, which, if it happen in late spring, or summer, may be accom¬ 
plished in any cool place, covered with glass ; but, in autumn or 
winter, it i3 better to be done in the intermediate house. After due 
rest has been given, the branches should be well shortened back, 
the roots examined and reduced, giving, at the potting, good 
turfy loam, a little leaf mould, a little moderately-decomposed 
cowdung, and plenty of sand. » The drainage should be carefully 
attended to. The plant may then be placed in mild bottom heat, 
to start, applying water carefully till it begins growing, when it 
will take copious supplies of it; and will bo benefited by an 
occasional dose of liquid manure. The bottom and atmo¬ 
spheric temperatures should increase with the strength of the 
plant, till it begins to flower, when, to induce it to last longer 
in bloom, they may be lowered. It will fail to please after the 
third year’s growth from a cutting, as, with increasing age, it 
naturally becomes “ leggy ” and bare at the bottom ; but, as it 
roots freely from cuttings, there is no difficulty in keeping up 
creditable plants.—S. G. W. 
A DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF POTATOES. 
(Continued from page 115, Vol. XX.) 
Prolific First Fruit.— Sent out in 1857, by Mr. James 
Goble, seedsman, &c., Bicester, Oxon. This is a White Kidney. 
Excellent eye, handsome tubers, moderate growers, and good 
cropper. 
Scotch Don. —This variety was, a few years back, a great 
favourite in Scotland; but, I believe, it is now nearly extinct, 
in consequence of being so liable to the disease. It is, however, 
a very excellent Potato. Full sized, good eye, heavy cropper, and 
a good keeping variety. Rather a strong grower. 
Chesterman’s Seedling. —A very good second early variety, 
similar in shape to the Lapstone Kidney. Nice even eye, large 
size, and moderate haulm. 
Dr. Nelson’s Favourite. — This Potato was brought into 
notice in 1853, by Messrs. Sutton, the well known seed growers, 
of Reading, Berks. I believe it was presented to them by the 
Rev. J. Nelson, D.D. This I consider a very good-flavoured 
Potato. Tolerable eye, full-size tubers, moderate haidm, a good 
cropper and well suited for a general crop. 
Chapman’s Kidney. —This variety was sent out about 1844, 
by Mr. Chapman, market-gardener, of Brentford End, and was 
at one time a great favourite. It is still a good variety, having but 
one fault—viz., being very liable to be attacked with the disease. 
Globe (Martin’s). —This is a kind of Regent in appearance. 
Rather yellow flesh, large size, rather deep eye, moderate grower, 
and productive.. 
Matchless (Daw’s). —This is a White Kidney Potato. Even 
eye, not a luxuriant grower, very productive on some soils, and 
a good keeping variety. 
Early Surprise. —This is an excellent variety. Nice even eye, 
beautiful clear skin, full size, similar in shape to the Fluke, 
rather flat, not very luxuriant grower, but productive. 
Cornish Kidney. —This variety is, perhaps, not quite so well 
known as it deserves to bo. Upwards of 300 acres are annually 
grown in the neighbourhood of Penzance, for the London and 
Bristol markets. It is a White Kidney. Tolerable even shape, 
moderate grower, and good cropper; something similar to the 
Earbadoes Kidney. 
Mutche’s Early. —This variety, although not large, is very 
prolific. A weak grower; sometlnng in appearance like the Early 
Frame. A good early Potato. 
Snowball, or Flourball (Rilott’s). — This is a very ex¬ 
cellent Potato. Fine flavoured, very white flesh, requires careful 
boding; full size, tolerable eye, moderate haulm, and good 
cropper.— Edward Bennett, Perdiswell. 
(. To be continued .) 
FAILURE OF THE CALCEOLARIA. 
It is unfortunate, but it seems nevertheless true, that Cal¬ 
ceolarias are becoming less useful, than they were a few years ago, 
as ornaments to the flower garden. On all sides there is an 
outcry against them. Whole beds of them die off, or become 
so broken and gapped by plants dying out, as to disfigure the 
whole arrangement of which they were a part. It is difficult to 
account for this. 
The past summer has been a dry one, and that of 1857 equally 
so, and the Calceolaria liking a cool, moist soil, its faflure has, by 
many, been traced to this source. But I am far from certain that 
such is the case, for in moist situations it has been equally un¬ 
successful. Neither is fresh soil a renovator. There seems some¬ 
thing difficult to account for in this. But wo have certainly 
examples by us of a like nature. 
Many years ago, the blue Anagallis formed one of the prettiest 
beds in the flower garden,—compact, healthy, and symmetrical in 
habit, with abundance of flowers of a colour and duration which 
we have nothing now to equal. But some insidious disease crept 
in, and ten or a dozen years ago solitary plants began to die off 
in the middle of the summer, followed by others. This evil in¬ 
creasing, led to the plant being abandoned by the flower-gardener, 
and it is seldom met with now; and it is to be feared the Cal¬ 
ceolaria is following in its trail. 
Last year, there were great complaints of the Calceolaria dying 
off in Lancashire, where it seldom lacks moisture ; and this year, 
I am told, it is equallly bad. I could point out many flower 
gardens where this plant failed this season. But with me its 
failure has been of a different kind to what it has been in other 
places, as I do not think a single plant of the shrubby kinds has 
died off during the summer; but they have flowered in a very 
unsatisfactory manner. 
The plants were struck in a cold pit in the autumn, and stood 
there all the winter, and were planted out from thence into the 
beds at the end of April, the plants being bushy and strong. The 
first batch of flowers was pretty good and abundant; but, dry 
weather setting in, there was but a very imperfect succession, and 
the beds never looked well the whole summer afterwards. The 
kinds of yellow grown were aurea Jloribunda, viscosissima , am- 
