324 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 24, 1858. 
the Avenue of the Sphinxes, were again arranged 
! most artistically for effect. The Alhambra Court was 
luxury personified ; the Camellias and Fuchsias, the 
Myrtle hedges, the spouting of water, and the cooling 
touch of the marble floor, were enough to fix all the 
senses to the place. Acacia clecurrens was in full 
bloom and beauty; but, with the exception of the 
Fuchsias, the water plants, and the furnishing for the 
marble basins, there were not many hind of plants 
then in bloom, their blooming season being past. 
In dig of era decora, however, was in bloom, every 
plant of it, standards and all; showing what a valuable 
conservatory plant it is. Indeed, no good conservatory 
should be without it, either as a pillar plant, or to be 
trained like a Peach tree, or like Plumbago Capensis. 
A greenhouse Geranium, very much like Touchstone 
in the bloom, was also a rare example of that race, 
being at home in-doors at this season of the year. 
The border for the climbers in the Colonnade had 
been reduced to fifteen inches, the rest being bordered 
i over, to make “ right of way” to the greatly increasing 
numbers that visit the Palace this season. Passion 
Flowers, Fuchsias, Scarlet Geraniums, Veronicas, 
Solanum Jasminoides, Sweet Clematis, Heliotropes, 
Lophospermums, Maurandyas, Calempelis, Loasa tri¬ 
color, Clematis Hendersonii, and Plumbago Capensis, 
were the chief that were in flower ; Acacia grandis has 
i reached the top, which is twenty feet high, if not more, 
i Altogether, there is a great deal to learn about beds, 
and different arrangements of flowers, at the Crystal 
j Palace this season, and, if the weather holds up, many 
of the beds will keep on improving for a long time yet. 
j, D. Beaton. 
THE MINIATURE GREENHOUSE. 
(List of Plants—continued from page 311.) 
Mesembeyanthemum. —Avery hardy tribe of plants, 
well adapted for the miniature greenhouse, which re¬ 
quire to be kept just from frost only, and dry in 
winter. Many of them flower freely :— 
M. australe (southern). 
— clavellatum (small-club-leaved). 
— crassifolium (thick-leaved). 
— densum (bearded). 
— floribundum (bundle-flowered). 
— hirtellum (small-bristly). 
— reptans (creeping). 
— acutum (acute-leaved). 
— albidum (white-leaved). 
— bellidifiorum (daisy-flowered). 
— bifidum (two-cleft). 
— brevicaule (short-stemmed). 
— caninum (dog’s-tooth). 
— canum (hoary). 
— crassicaule (thick-leaved). 
— deniiculatum (tooth-leaved). 
— diminutum (diminished). 
,, cauliculatum (small-stemmed). 
—felinum (cat). 
■—fissum (cleft). 
— grandijiorum (large-flowered). 
•— lucidum (shining). 
— lupinum (wolf). 
— niagnipunctatum (large-spotted). 
■— moniliforme bracelet-shaped)'. 
— minutum (minute). 
*— nobile (noble). 
•— obconellum (small-conical). 
■— obtusum (obtuse). 
— octophyllum (eight-leaved). 
— pis forme (pea-shaped). 
— pulchellum (pretty). 
M. punctatum (dotted-awl-leaved). 
— pygmceum (pigmy). 
— quadrifidum (four-cleft). 
— rostratum (beaked). 
— spectabile (striking). 
— testiculare (testicular). 
— tigrinum (tiger). 
— truncatellum (small-truncated). 
— vulpinum (fox). 
Rochea.—A genus allied to Crassula. 
I?, biconvexa (doubly-convex), 
— coccinea. This was formerly Crassula coccinea. 
■— cymosa (cymed). 
—jasminea (jasmine-like). 
Sedum.— All this genus will do well in tiny pots ; 
they will require watering pretty freely when grow¬ 
ing, and shading from the summer’s sun. 
S. album (white). 
— Anglicum (English). 
— Fwersii (Ewer’s). 
— pectinatum (comb-leaved). 
— Sieboldii (Siebold’s). 
Sempeeyivum (houseleek).—A good tribe for our 
purpose:— 
S. arachnoideum (spider-webbed). 
— globiferum (globe-bearing). 
— montanum (mountain). 
— ccespitosum (tuffy). 
— V 0 lyphyllum (many-leaved). 
— villosum (shaggy). 
Stapelia.—A large genus of grotesque, free-flower- 
ing plants, requiring moderate heat in winter, and 
scarcely any water. I have selected the following as 
being most suitable for small pots :— 
S. acuminata (pointed). 
— cactiformis (cacti-like). 
— canescens (hoary). 
S. ciliata (hair-fringed). 
— gemm flora (gem-flowered). 
— hispidula (rather bristly). 
— mutabilis (changeable). 
— picta (painted). 
vetula (slate). T. Appleby. 
DROUGHT—ITS EFFECTS ON FRUIT TREES. 
The present summer has proved somewhat notorious 
for heat, and, I may add, for its concomitant, drought, 
m most quarters, and offers a fair opportunity, amongst 
gardeners, to compare notes. The most common j 
effects arising from dry summers are as follows :— 1 
Insects, fruit casting, fungi, short growths, small fruit, \ 
and well-ripened wood. 
As to insects, the red spider revels in a dry heat, as 
we all know ; and, indeed, many other smali enemies 
succeed similarly. And why? That most of these 
pests devour the highly elaborated sap, and not the raw 
matenal, is certain ; and this it is which renders them 
so pernicious and destructive, for they consume the 
very material which is already prepared for the pur¬ 
pose ol^ assimilation,—whether as to the fruit of the 
current season, or the buds, wood, and roots, as to sue- ! 
ceedmg years. This fact may be observed in many 
plants, being by no means confined to fruits. Indeed, 
insects beingfound principally on the barkof thefoliage, 
where, we are given to understand by the light of J 
science, the real alimentary matter may be found of 
itself, proves that these worthies perfectly understand ! 
their vocation. In fact, all the inferior animals, in- i 
sects, Ac., seem to me to be gifted with very high 
discriminatory instincts. There are no better judges 
ol what is good, than rats and mice. The blackbird, 
too, a keen and artful dodger, can readily tell a Marie 
Louise Pear from a BeurrS de Capiaumont; and also a 
