150 
THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
rose will bloom but once. This is certainly erroneous, as 
I have tested bulbs with special care to ascertain their 
capacity to bloom continuously for a succession of years, 
and the spikes were produced regularly. However, a 
marked diminution in quality was plainly perceptible. 
For open-air culture, the old double-flowering variety, or, 
as it is sometimes known, the Double Italian, is perhaps 
unsurpassed for general cultivation in open air. The 
Pearl, introduced a few years since, is not so tall, but 
with larger flowers, and is better adapted for house 
culture. The single form is pretty for cut-flower 
work, reminding one of orange blossoms both in ap¬ 
pearance and fragrance.— Josiah Hoofies, in New York 
Tribune. 
THE TROPTOLUM. 
T HIS plant is one of the many exceedingly useful yet 
sadly neglected old garden favorites. We cannot 
see why it should not be more generally cultivated, unless 
it is that so much real beauty can be obtained at so little 
cost, the general impression being that anything to be 
valuable must be expensive. We are pleased to note that 
within the past few years a new impulse has been given 
to the cultivation of this favorite flower by the production 
of hybrid varieties, of a dwarf, free-blooming habit, which 
are well adapted for bedding plants, while the climbing 
sorts are admirably adapted for covering trellises, or for 
any purpose where climbing vines are required. This 
genus comprises about forty species, nearly all of which 
are confined to the mountainous regions of the western 
side of South America, from New Grenada to Chili. 
The tropaeolum seems naturally to divide into several 
classes. First, we have the tuberous-rooted species, 
which are only adapted for greenhouse culture. Promi¬ 
nent in this class are T. azureum and T. tricolorum. 
Next we find those with large, round leaves and showy 
flowers, often coarse growers, but very ornamental, mostly 
varieties of T. majus. Again, those with small, rounded 
leaves and delicate, symmetrical flowers, the habit of the 
plant being rather climbing than trailing; and lastly, a 
class of bushy, erect habit, with regular flowers, and gen¬ 
erally profuse bloomers. 
These classes, except the first, often run into each 
other, and in individual plants it is frequently difficult to 
tell where they belong ; nor have the numerous seedling 
varieties of the last few years tended to remove the diffi¬ 
culty, for they are so confused by hybridization that it is 
almost impossible to determine their true position. It is, 
however, of but little consequence what their position 
may be botanically, so long as they accomplish the putj^ 
pose for which flowering plants are grown. 
The general cultivation of the tropaeolum is very sim¬ 
ple. The tuberous-rooted species, which are green¬ 
house plants and winter bloomers, require a light friable 
soil, with a liberal mixture of fine sand. They should be 
potted in the autumn in well-drained pots, placing the 
tuber on the top of the soil, or pressing it but partly 
under the surface. Water thoroughly, and then place 
in a moderately warm situation. The crown will soon 
send out a stem, often as fine as a hair, which, as it 
grows, must be carefully trained to a trellis. In a few 
weeks flowers will appear, and the plant will soon be¬ 
come a mass of bloom. The blossoms do not resemble 
in the least the garden species, but are delicate, curious 
and beautiful. 
Those of T. azureum are of a beautiful blue, resem¬ 
bling double violets, and are delightfully fragrant. The 
discovery of this species in 1844 overturned a pet botan¬ 
ical theory. It had, with some show of reason, been 
asserted that no genus, where the general color was 
yellow or red, could have a blue flower, but this species 
cf tropaeolum is a striking exception to the rule. 
The general treatment of all the tuberous varieties is 
plenty of air, light and water, with frequent syringings 
when in growth, to keep down red spider, and the with¬ 
holding of water when the plants are at rest. They are 
increased by cuttings, which root readily in pure sand; 
also by seed, which vegetates freely if the hard outer 
shell is carefully removed. 
The large growing tropaeolums, or, as they are com¬ 
monly called, nasturtiums, are varieties of T. majus. 
They are very showy; and as they are very democratic 
in their habits, succeeding everywhere, they should be 
very generally planted. The colors are various and the 
species occur under a variety of names. The flowers are 
found of every shade of yellow, orange and red. and of 
all combinations of these colors, in spots, blotches, shad¬ 
ing or bands, upon both light and dark grounds. As in 
case with all the garden tropaeolums, the plants succeed 
Nastu..tium “Empress of India.” 
