THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 1, 1860. 
71 
NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Angb.ecum ebueneuai var . tieens ( Greenish-flowered Ivory 
Angreecum .) 
Merely a less beautiful variety of the species.—( Botanical 
Magazine , t. 5170.) 
Vanda su avis , (Fragrant Vanda ,) 
Native of Java. Flowers white blotched with reddish-purple. 
— ( Ibid ., t . 5174.) 
Astelia Cunninghamii (Allan Cunningham's Astelia ). 
Curious half-hardy, rush-like plant. Native of New Zealand. 
—( Ibid ., t . 5175.) 
Richakdia hastata ( Halbert-leaved JRichardia ). 
Native of Natal. Received by Messrs. Veitch & Co., from 
the Cape. Flowers greenish-yellow.— ( Ibid ., t . 5176.) 
Ceanotiius Oeeganus (Oregon Ceanothus ). 
Hardy shrub. Imported by Messrs. Veitch, of the Exeter 
and Chelsea Nurseries, from Oregon, through their collector, Mr. 
W. Lobb. Flowers white, appearing in May.— ( Ibid ., t . 5177.) 
Azaba Gilliesii ( Dr . Gillie's Azara ). 
One of the handsomest of the Chilian genus. Leaves Holly¬ 
like ; flowers in elliptical-shaped heads of a golden colour arising 
from that of the numerous anthers. A cool greenhouse plant, 
probably hardy in the south of England.— ( Ibid ., t . 5178.) 
NEW BOOKS. 
British Butteeelies.*- —This is a capital manual of the 
British Butterflies, and is illustrated with a figure of every 
species. The work is uniform with “ Common Objects of the 
Sea-sliore,” “ Our Woodlands, Heaths, and Hedges,” and other 
similar works issued by the same enterprising publishers. 
Besides furnishing description and figures of every species, it 
supplies every information with regard to their habits, mode of 
capture, and preservation. We shall, from time to time, give 
extracts showing the kind*of information it supplies, and the 
manner in which the subject is treated. 
The Amateub Flobist’s Guide.! —The author of this work 
has been long known as one of the most successful and en¬ 
thusiastic florists of the midland counties, a district proverbial 
for the assiduity with which its population has for upwards of a 
century devoted them attention to the cultivation of florists’ 
flowers'. In the work before us Mr. Slater handles his subject as 
an old florist only can. He carries us back to days gone by, and 
treats us to much amusing gossip about old florists and old ! 
flowers ; traces the history and cultivation of each flower up to 
the present time, and descants in a masterly way on the now 
approved modes of treatment. Mr. Slater is not a mere grower, 
but a student of the structure and physiology of the subjects 
with which he professes to deal, and the following extract will 
afford a good specimen of the way in which the latter part of the 
work is done. Speaking of the Tulip he says— 
“ It is found, upon examination, that the bulb of the Tulip 
does not remain dormant when taken up, but is gradually 
making progress; and the assertion that the flower-bud is made 
before the foliage dies down, is proved by ocular demonstration 
to be false. Cut a Tulip bulb in July, and you will not perceive 
the slightest appearance of either the new bulb or the flower-bud ; 
but in the second week in August some progress will have been 
made. The germ is then small, only one-eighth of an inch in 
circumference and three-sixteenth part of an inch long. In 
September (the 20tli) the germ will then be nearly three-fourths 
of an inch long, and three-eiglitlis in circumference, and the 
flower-bud perfectly formed, and one quarter of an inch long. 
The appearance of the skin next the germ is quite white, and of 
a woolly appearance, caused, no doubt, by the juices of the skin 
next the young bulb, having been absorbed in nourishing the 
new growth, and contains scarcely any moisture, and is like the 
pith of a branch of Elder or a Rush when cut up the centre. In 
October the whole of the petals, stamens, and flower-stems are 
formed, and measure one inch long. From this period to March 
* British Butterflies. By AV, S. Coleman. Illustrated. London: 
Eoutledges. 
+ The Amateur Florist's Guide. By John Slater. London : Simpkm, 
Marshall, & Co. 
very little progress can be seen; but at the latter end of the 
month the two outer skins of the bulb will bo decayed, and the 
germ of the new one at the base of the flower-stem will have in¬ 
creased to about one-twentietli part of the size of a blooming 
root, and no stamens as yet perceived. In fourteen days from 
this period, not only will the stamens be seen, but also a streak 
of black up the centre of the anthers, which no doubt is the for¬ 
mation and concentration of the colouring matter for them; 
after this the stamens gradually increase from nearly one-sixteenth 
part of an inch to nearly them full size. In thirteen days (from 
April 13th to 26th) the beam in flamed flowers shows itself, and 
the anthers have then assumed their natural colour; yet the 
stamens are only one-eighth of an inch long, whilst the anthers 
have been from October their natural length, and perfectly 
white; and the new bulb is one inch and an eighth long, and 
two inches in circumference. The (new) bulb grows rapidly 
when in bloom, and still more so after the flower has been cut 
for exhibition, or when decayed and cut off, and the whole fine 
circles of skin (of the old bulb) have become totally decayed, and 
the flower-stem which was in the very centre of the bulb is now 
outside.” 
THE SCIENCE OE GARDENING. 
(Continued from page 56.) 
We have already considered the phenomena attendant upon 
the union of the scion with the stock in grafting, and we will 
now examine more in detail the various processes adopted in 
completing the operation. 
Grafting is a more difficult mode of multiplying an individual 
than budding, because it is requisite so to fit the scion to the 
stock that some portion of their inner barks must coincide, 
otherwise the requisite circulation of the Bap is prevented. No 
graft will succeed if not immediately grafted upon a nearly 
kindred stock—we say immediately, because it is possible that 
by grafting on the most dissimilar species on which it will 
take, and then moving it, with some of the stock attached 
to another stock still more remotely allied, that a graft may be 
made to succeed, though supplied with sap from roots of a very 
dissimilar species. Thus some Pear scions can hardly be made 
to unite with a Quince stock ; but if they be grafted upon a young 
shoot of a Pear that can be so united to the Quince, and this 
young shoot be afterwards inserted in a Quince stock, they grow 
as freely as if inserted in a seedling Pear stock. 
The reason for this unusual difficulty in the way of uniting 
kindred species arises from one or more of these causes. First, 
J the sap flowing at discordant periods; secondly, the proper 
! juices being dissimilar; or thirdly, the sap vessels being of in¬ 
appropriate calibre. 
It is quite certain that the ancient Romans were skilful grafters, 
for Cato (in his De Re Rustled), gives very full and accurate 
directions on the art. If it be true, as he asserts, in common 
with Varro, Palladius, Virgil, Columella, Pliny, and other writers, 
contemporary as well as more ancient, that they engrafted any 
kind of tree upon any stock, though of an entirely different 
genus, as the Apple upon the Plane, and the Vine or the Fig on 
the Cherry, then, indeed, is there another added to the list of 
lost arts. But there is just reason for concluding that the 
ancients never possessed the knowledge thus claimed—not only 
because it is denied by modem experience and science; but 
because wo know that by stratagem such unions may be made to 
appear as if effected, and none of the ancient writers on the soil’s 
culture were practical men. Moreover, in considering this 
question, it must not be forgotten that it was denied that such 
grafting was possible, even by some of their contemporaries. 
Columella, in his treatise on trees, has a chapter maintaining by 
argument the possibility of promiscuous grafting in opposition lo 
some other authors who denied its practicability. Arguments 
would have been needless if there were examples of success ready 
for reference. 
The objects of grafting are :—1st. To increase choice kinds of 
plants. 2nd. To increase the vigour of kinds too delicate. 3rd. 
To reduce the vigour of those which are too gross. 4th. To 
accelerato the period of fruiting. 5th. To adapt kinds to soils 
for which they would be unfitted on their own roots. 6th. To 
renew, or renovate, old kinds. 
These six points comprise all that we think it necessary to say 
on this head for ordinary gardening purposes, and we now 
proceed to give a series of illustrations of such modes of graft¬ 
ing as are essential in general horticulture. Many others arc 
