114 
THE FLORIST'S JOURNAL. 
expanded when the plant was quite small, being not more than 
four feet in height and but five or six months old. It produced 
in the auturnn of the year in which the seed was sown a multi¬ 
tude of flower-buds, which, however, by an infortuitous circum¬ 
stance, were prevented opening ; should this trait prove to be 
permanent, it will form a desirable and distinguishing character 
of the plant. It has hitherto been grown in a pot and attached 
to a cylindrical wire trellis, nor, from its very dwarf confined 
manner of growing, does it appear likely to require more space 
either for its roots or branches. A station in the stove, for which 
it is often difficult to provide suitable occupants, seems to be 
exactly the place for it, namely, the bottoms of pillars, the 
upper portions of which it is always easy to fill, from the natural 
affinity which all plants bear to the light, in their eagerness to 
reach which, and the warmer atmosphere of the top of the 
house, they frequently scramble upwards, leaving their stems 
destitute not only of flowers, but even of foliage. In such 
situations we fancy the present plant will be found useful. 
We are proud of this opportunity to acknowledge some of the 
kindness we have received from the gentleman after whom it is 
named, J. H. Schroder, Esq., of Stratford, a most liberal and 
judicious patron of the science. 
In the continued hybridising of this genus, the most promising 
and important line of operations will be found in the obtaining 
of hardy varieties for the embellishment of out-door scenery. 
P. ccerulea is the only one to be seen cultivated in the open air, 
and this, though delicately beautiful, does not possess sufficient 
colour to render it an object of much interest; could the bright 
glowing tints of some of our stove species be inducted on the 
robust hardy character of ccerulea , no better climber need be 
wished. The great obstacle to this most desirable consumma¬ 
tion is the difficulty with which the species named can be 
induced to form and ripen its seed when exposed to the chilling 
influence of our usual autumnal weather ; still it does sometimes 
produce seed, and probably, was attention paid to the setting of 
the earlier flowers, the barrenness complained of would be 
removed. It is quite evident, to obtain new varieties sufficiently 
hardv for the proposed purpose, ccerulea must be made the 
maternal parent, for it is well known that if hybrids are not a 
degree more tender than the plant from which the seed is 
obtained, they are, with but few exceptions, quite as impatient 
