THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April G, 1858. 
tobacco smoke, and both the others with sulphur dusted over 
the leaves. To make sure of a good blaze of bloom, do not 
allow any buds to open till about five or six weeks before the 
exhibition day. It will require care and skill so to arrange 
the shoots, that every part of the trellis may be furnished 
with blooms. 
The following are the best varieties to bloom in pots : — 
Amandine Luther , blush white, crimson eye. 
Prince of Wales, ruby crimson, lemon eye. 
Sir Joseph Paxton, light rosy-crimson ; very fine. 
Crimson King, decidedly the best crimson. 
Emperor, shaded rose, with very large dark centre. 
General Simpson, pale carmine ; fine form. 
Geant des Battailes, rich crimson, darker centre ; fine. 
Peine des Amazons , blush white, deep rose centre. 
Glorie de France, salmon pink ; beautiful and novel. 
King of Poses, pale rose ; delicately beautiful. 
Mrs. Turner, lilac white, with lavender centre. 
Mrs. Halford , the best white out. 
Standard Bearer, blue purple, with large white centre. 
Syrian Prince, rich purple. 
Noel, bright violet, with dark centre. 
Cupid , pale rosy-purple, with a striking large white centre. 
Fine Bedding Verbenas eoe 1858. 
Posy Gem, the best rose colour, w'ith a dwarf close habit. 
Evening Star, pale orange red, large yellow eye, excellent 
habit; one of the best in cultivation. 
Prince of Oude, deep rich purple, close habit ; very good. 
Oardinalis, intense scarlet, and of a close creeping habit. 
Miss Trotter, deep scarlet, old Melindris habit; continuing 
very late in bloom. 
Celestina, light blue, small white eye ; very beautiful. 
These six varieties ought to be immediately procured, by 
everybody that has a large extent of bedding-out to do this 
season.— T. Appleby. 
CUSCUTA? CALIFORNICA. 
Raised from seeds received from Mr. Hartweg, and said to 
be collected in fields near Sonoma in California. 
This little parasite clings by its delicate thready stems to any 
branch or leaf within its reach. Its minute flowers are at first 
in close heads, but as it grows older they separate, and 
eventually form short loose racemes ; their colour is white, and 
their smell very agreeable. Although Professor Choisy regards 
it as a true Dodder, it probably ought to constitute a new 
genus ; for it has but one style, the peculiar scales within the 
corolla of the genuine Cusctitas are deficient, and the upper 
part of the flower-stalk is fleshy and transparent. In the ac¬ 
companying cut, 1 represents a flower magnified; 2, a corolla 
laid open ; 3, a pistil; and 4, a cross section of the ovary. 
The seeds should be sown along with those of some soft- 
stemmed annual in pots; and when strong enough, and 
before it destroys the annual plant which it first grew upon, 
some soft-wooded shrub, such as Lotus Jacobcea, or Pelar¬ 
gonium, should be brought within its reach; it will soon 
adhere and grow freely upon it. 
It is a free-blooming little parasite, more curious than orna¬ 
mental.— ( Horticultural Society's Journal.) 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Gesneea cinnabaeina ( Vermillion-flowered Gesnera). 
This has also been called a Ncegelia. It, is a native of the 
Cliiapos Forests, in Guatemala. It was discovered there by 
Ghiesbrecht.— ( Botanical Magazine, t. 5036.) 
Dendkobium pulchellum (Showy Eendrobium). 
Purplish-lilac flowered. It is a native of the forest of the 
Silliet Hills, in India.— (Ibid, t, 5037.) 
Hydrangea cyanema (Purple-stamened Hydrangea). 
Discovered by Mr. Booth, in Bliotan. Imperfect flowers, 
white.— (Ibid. t. 5038.) 
Cattleya Aclandi^] (Lady Acland's Cattleya). 
Introduced by the late Lady Acland from Brazil. Flowers 
in April; yellow green, richly blotched with dark purple.— 
(Ibid. t. 5039.) 
Eugenia luma (Pointed-leaved Eugenia). 
Introduced by Messrs. Yeitch, from the colder parts of 
Chili, whence it "was sent by their collector, Mr. W. Lobb. It 
is a hardy, beautiful shrub, with white flowers in profusion. 
Blooms in June, July, and August.— (Ibid. t. 5040.) 
Dasylirium glaucophyllum (Glaucous-leaved Easy- 
lirium.) 
Sent to Kew Gardens from Real del Monte, by Mr. Repper. 
—(Ibid. t. 5041.) 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
CHRISTMAS ROSE CULTURE. 
“ Can you help me in regard to the cultivation of the 
Christmas Rose ? I have petted three plants for the last three 
years ; that is, allowed them sole possession of a very nice 
piece of ground, keeping all other plants from overrunning 
them. This winter I had five blooms on the three plants, and 
those of a dingy lilac colour, anything but ornamental. When 
in Devonshire, at Christmas, I saw in a friend’s garden a really 
beautiful mass of these flowers, as white as Snowdrops. Can 
you tell the secret P ”—Kate. 
[Time and perfect repose are the only two elements essen¬ 
tial to the perfect development of the Christmas Rose, in any 
common garden soil. Young plants of it, and, more especially, 
if recently divided, seldom give the true colour, or much 
flower. A Christmas Rose twenty-five years old is still a very 
young plant. If your soil is light, water it in April and May. 
The great defect in the cultivation of the Christmas Rose, is 
dividing the root in the autumn, and transplanting the plant 
in winter, when in bloom, or soon after. It should never be 
touched but during the last half of June.] 
VIOLET CULTURE. 
“ Will you oblige me with some information respecting the 
management of double Violets ? Mine have become scraggy, 
woody plants, with little promise of either foliage or flowers. 
They were, three years ago, most luxuriant, blooming abun¬ 
dantly. They stand on a cool border.”—A Subscriber. 
[You allow your Violets to starve; that is all that is the 
matter with them. Make a right bed for a fresh set of plants, 
