25 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 13, 1858. 
Take hold of each frame by its long sides, and with a slight 
upward jerk you will be able to remove it entirely, leaving a 
perfectly rectangular block of cuttings on the slate. Each 
slab is in its turn carried off to the beds, the mass divided with 
a trowel, and the plants set out; the boxes and slates being 
stowed away till next season, without fear of breakage. In 
practising this plan we find the following advantages :— 
The roots do not get matted. 
There is less difficulty in watering. 
Great saving of space, and absence of a multitude of smash¬ 
able little pots. 
Though space is economised, each plant has a larger pro¬ 
portion of rooting room, than by the old system. 
Reduction of work is particularly noticeable during the 
bedding season, when time is valuable. 
Instead of carrying six plants at a time, sixteen or more can 
be transported with safety. 
Some of our readers may have adopted boxes with fixed 
wooden bottoms. These are preferable to pots, but—besides 
far greater durability—those described above are manifestly 
superior in all respects.— Edward A. Copland, Chelmsford. 
P.S.—At a time when wild flowers are scarce, we have a 
magnificent bouquet from the poor-man’s-garden now gracing 
our table. It consists of a glass dish filled with mould, in 
which twigs are fixed covered with the scarlet cups of Peziza 
coccinea. The whole imbedded in feathery mosses, and covered 
with an inverted bellglass. These present a gorgeous spectacle. 
The brilliancy of the scarlet (a colour not to be imitated) con¬ 
trasted with the varied green shades of the moss is most 
effective. Some of the bells are more than an inch in diameter. 
I should not have mentioned this, but no one here seems to 
have been before aware of the existence of a beautiful plant 
which, in the warm room, has retained its splendour for a 
fortnight.—E. A. C. 
ZYUrOPETALUM BRACHY'PETALUM. 
This species was originally brought into notice by Mr. 
Waterhouse, of Halifax, in the year 1840, and is little known. 
It is one of the handsomest of the species, having brownish 
sepals and petals, a little marbled with green, and a deep 
bluish-violet lip veined with white. The crest of the lip is 
clearly striped with blue, and the column is streaked with dull 
dark purple. M. de Jonghe states that it had been found by 
his collector Libon, in 1847, on the Peak of Itabiri, in the 
province of Minas, in Brazil.— ( Horlicul . Society's Journal .) 
Blandfordia grandiflora. —At the meeting of the 
Australian Horticultural Society, which met at Sydney in 
February, two specimens of the Blandfordia grandiflora were 
exhibited, and attracted some attention. This plant grows 
five feet high, and is to be obtained on the mountains of 
Wollombi. 
NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Enkyanthfs reticulatus. Zindl. Nat. ord., Bricacea. 
—Native of China. Stem shrubby, branching irregularly. 
Leaves alternate, on short petioles; obovate, acute; veins 
beautifully reticulated, smooth, coriaceous, dark green. In¬ 
florescence terminal; umbellate, bracteated. Bracts linear, 
lanceolate, red. Peduncles long, deflexed, smooth, dark red. 
Calyx divided into five short, acute teeth, smooth, red; closely 
adhering to the base of the corolla. Corolla campanulate, 
with five brightly transparent nectaries at the base. Limb 
of five short, obtuse, reflexed segments ; beautiful pale rose 
colour. Stamens ten, with thick subulate filaments. Style 
also thick, surmounting an ovate, green ovary. 
An old and most desirable species, and but rarely met with 
in private collections. The reason of this is difficult to con¬ 
ceive, as the plant is superiorly adapted for decorating the 
greenhouse or conservatory at a very dull period of the year ; 
its time of blooming being winter, and it is by no means 
difficult of cultivation. Turfy peat two parts, good light 
loam one part, and plenty of sand to render the whole free 
and open, form the most suitable compost. The drainage 
must be very perfect. It might succeed very well planted 
out in a cool conservatory. Propagation by cuttings is a 
slow operation, but if they are made of the young wood, 
partially ripened, they will succeed pretty well. They must 
not, however, be excited with heat. 
Acacia argyrophylla. JTooJc. Nat. ord., Leguminosee. 
—Native of the Swan River, and introduced into this country 
by Mr. Drummond. Shrubby, compact in habit; about 
three or four feet high. Branches angular ; the younger ones 
covered with fine silky down. Leaves (phyllodia) alternate, 
on short petioles; obtusely obovate, or oblong; margins 
swollen; both surfaces covered thickly with close, shining, 
silvery down. Inflorescence in axillary, globose heads. Pe¬ 
duncles short, usually bearing two heads of flowers each. 
Stamens very numerous, of a rich yellow colour. 
One of the most distinct and beautiful species of this 
deservedly popular genus. Fine foliage, compact habit, and 
profusion of richly-coloured flowers, at a season when such 
are particularly valuable, because scarce, are points of supe¬ 
riority rarely possessed by individual species of any genus, in 
the high degree represented in this one. Good, strong, 
fibrous loam, with a little peat and sand, are the compost it 
prefers. Propagation effected by cuttings of the young wood, 
and by seeds. It blooms in February, March, and April; 
also, not unfrequently in the autumn months, when it con¬ 
tinues throughout the winter to flower more or less profusely. 
Goldftjssia isophylla. Nees. Nat. ord., Acanthacea;. 
—Native of the East Indies. Introduced by Dr. Wallich. 
Compact dwarf shrub. Branches slender, quadrangular; 
swollen at the joints. Leaves opposite, narrow, lanceolate, 
much attenuated both at the base and apex; margins dis¬ 
tantly and slightly serrate; smooth, dark green. Inflorescence 
axillary. Peduncles short. Bracts several, placed near the 
base of the calyx ; small, green, ciliated. Calyx small, divided 
into four or five ciliated segments. Corolla funnel-shaped, 
deflexed, plaited; limb divided into five reflexed lobes, emar- 
ginate, pale blue. Stamens four, two long and two short. 
Style awl-shaped. 
Not a very striking plant, but desirable, on account of its 
free, winter-blooming quality. It is best suited with a com¬ 
post of a loamy nature, rich, and not stiff in texture. Easily 
propagated by cuttings. 
Acacia Riceana. Uensl. Nat. ord., Leguniinosa .— 
Native of Yan Pieman’s Land. Shrubby, erect, about three 
feet high, with slightly pendulous branches. Leaves alternate, 
spreading horizontally, subulate, thick, rigid, mucronate, very 
dark green. Flowers in solitary and axillary spikes. Peduncles 
about an inch in length, each bearing several flowers. Calyx 
divided into three or four segments ; obtuse. Corolla of three j 
or four petals, larger than the calyx. Stamens very numerous, 
pale yellow. ! 
A very desirable species, blooming freely in March and j 
April. It prefers a good loamy soil, with a little peat and 1 
sand, and with attention to stopping, and tieing-out, can be 
made very handsome. Seeds, which it produces freely, are 
the least troublesome, and surest method of propagation.— 
S. G. W. 
