The best broccoli I am acquainted with, for a gentleman's garden, is Knight's Protecting; the heads of which are compact, clear white in colour, and of excellent flavour. Being closely enveloped in the heart-leaves of the plant, the young heads are protected from late spring-frosts, by which other white varieties are often discoloured: it, however, is tender, the last severe winter having destroyed nearly all my plants. Seeds may be obtained from Messrs. Backhouse. At the North Riding Horticultural Society's meeting (July 28.), some Beans were exhibited, which were greatly superior to any I ever saw. They were of a new sort, called New Long-pod, originally obtained from a London seed shop (Field and Child, I believe, is the name of the firm). The pods were straight, and well formed, each containing from seven to ten seeds. Kiplin, Sept. 17. ART. XI. Critical Remarks on the Pot Culture of the Grape Vine. By WILLIAM GREY, Gardener to Sir M. W. Ridley, Bart. IN my correspondence, in last November, with Mr. Mearns, who was then gardener at Welbeck, he informed me that the three-years-old wood of the vine rooted more freely than wood of any other age; communicating, at the same time, several other interesting remarks on the vine, which induced me to give the pot culture of it another fair impartial trial, notwithstanding I had written against and condemned the system. I have a range of flued melon-pits here with four divisions: one of the divisions I prepared with tan, or spent bark, for the reception of thirty pots of coiled vines. In January last, I selected prunings; viz., white muscadine, Miller's Burgundy, black cluster, and black Hamburg; and, agreeably to the hints given by Mr. Mearns, I was careful of having the three-years-old wood coiled into the pots; the latter end of February being the time that the vines I had the cuttings taken from had taken their rest, and were coming into action. I then plunged the pots into the pit previously prepared for them, in a mild, growing, bottom heat; taking the sashes off all the day, to keep the shoots above the soil as cool as possible, in order to prevent the eyes from pushing until the bottom heat had put the wood coiled in the pots in action to push out roots and support the young shoots and branches. All went on to my wish; as I found, by the time the eyes broke forth into leaves, there were fine vigorous roots in the pots. I then kept the sashes on in the daytime, giving air the same as in forcing-houses: several of them showed fruit, with from four to eleven bunches upon one coiled shoot. The plants which were not fruitful, I took out of the pot, to give more room and light to those in fruit, and to satisfy myself in the argument between Mr. Mearns and Philosopher, regarding the roots pushing only from the eye joints. It will be recollected that Mr. Mearns contended that roots issued more freely between the eye joints. I turned the barren plants out of the pots, and found Mr. Mearns had been perfectly correct, as there were plenty of vigorous roots between the eye joints, more so than from the eyes. I brought all my young men in the gardens to witness it, as they had read with great interest (in Paxton's Horticultural Register) the debate between Mr. Mearns and Philosopher; but were at a loss to know which was right, not having had an opportunity of seeing any proof of it before. Philosopher must submit to Mr. Mearns on that subject, as Mr. Mearns's observations must have been practical, and Philosopher's only imaginative. The vines that had bunches on them I kept plunged in the tan-bed, where they set their fruit well. The berries swelled to a good size, according to the sorts; and they are now quite ripe; but I am certain not one of the bunches will be required at my master's table, as I have abundant crops, on established vines in borders, of the muscat of Alexandria, Frontignan, Hamburg, &c.; several of the bunches two and three pounds weight, and the berries the size of small plums. I would advise those who have not given the coiling system a trial, never to attempt it; as I am certain the best of success will be disappointment to the cultivator, and perhaps insults from the employer. The shriveling of grape berries is very important. Several methods have been pointed out for its prevention; yet I never observed the malady decrease. Over-cropping a vine, a damp bottom, and the foliage being destroyed by red spider, certainly have a tendency to bringing on shriveling. My opinion, from practical observation, is, that light crops suffer most. If the flowers, when coming into blossom, do not expand over all the bunch in less than twenty-four hours (be the crop ever so light), that bunch will shrivel. When vines expand their blossoms in a lingering state, as a shoulder one day, the other shoulders the next day, and the extremity of the bunch the third day, such bunches are sure to shrivel, as the berries that set first begin to swell immediately, and so keep the lead. They form the seed stone before the last-set berries; and, when swelling off, and colouring to maturity, the first-set berries rob the last-set ones, and cause them to shrivel and decay. The best method I ever found to prevent shriveling is, to keep a high moist heat when the vines are coming into blossom, so as it may all expand at once; and, in thinning, to cut out all the small berries, leaving those on the bunch as near a size as possible. I will comment at greater length on shriveling in a future Number. Blagdon, Northumberland, Sept. 13. 1837. [We shall be most happy to receive this promised communication, as we consider the subject a very important one, and one that appears at present (notwithstanding the attention it has excited) to be very little understood.] ART. XII. On the Spot, or Canker, on Cucumbers. By JOHN WIGHTON, Gardener at Cossey Hall. THIS disease in cucumbers is occasioned by the beds being cold and damp, as the following observations will prove :-When the weather is sunny, and the beds warm, the plants will never be found thus diseased; but only when they become cold and damp. I have taken diseased plants out of damp beds, and placed them in a pit warmed by fire; and the plants soon returned to a healthy condition. Many gardeners consider plants diseased in this manner to be liable to infect others: this, however, is not the case; it is the bed, and not the plant, which communicates the disease. This I have proved by experiments; having put healthy plants in the same bed with those which were diseased, and found them speedily infected; whereas, when I had taken all the diseased plants out of a bed, and replaced them with healthy plants, these also quickly showed the disease. On the other hand, I have placed diseased plants beside healthy ones in a warm bed, and the latter remained uninfected. The soil does not cause the disease; for I have taken soil in which diseased plants had grown, and placed in it other plants some of these I have put into a warm bed, and others into a bed from which the soil came. The result has been, that the plants in the cold damp bed soon showed the canker, but not the others. Many suppose light soil to be the cause of canker. This is so far true, as plants in light soil require more frequent watering; and this, in time, chills the beds. Canker follows, not, however, as a consequence of the soil, but of the cold. The canker has never appeared in my pits heated by fires, except when I have given the plants much water, and when this has been followed by dull weather. It has uniformly disappeared after applying a little additional fire-heat. The real cause of canker is, that the dampness and coldness of the beds impede the growth of the plants, and cause them to break out in spots. If the beds were warmer and had less moisture, the tendency to ooze out and become diseased would go off with the growth of the plants. The disease is commonly found in low and damp situations; and I have seen much more of it since I have resided in Norfolk than I ever did before. With a view to ascertain its true cause, the foregoing experiments were made; there being much difference of opinion on the subject among gardeners.- Cossey, Feb. 10. 1837. ART. XIII. Floricultural and Botanical Notices on Kinds of Plants newly introduced into our Gardens, and that have originated in them, and on Kinds of Interest previously extant in them; supplementary to the latest Editions of the "Encyclopædia of Plants," and of the "Hortus Britannicus." Curtis's Botanical Magazine; in monthly numbers, each containing eight plates; 3s. 6d. coloured, 3s. plain. Edited by Sir William Jackson Hooker, LL.D., &c. Edwards's Botanical Register; in monthly numbers, each containing eight plates; 4s. coloured, 3s. plain. Edited by Dr. Lindley, Professor of Botany in the London University. Sweet's British Flower-Garden; in monthly numbers, each containing four plates; 3s. coloured, 2s. 3d. plain. Edited by David Don, Esq., Professor of Botany in King's College, &c. Paxton's Magazine of Botany, and Register of Flowering Plants; in monthly numbers; large 8vo; 2s. 6d. each. Bateman's Orchidàceæ of Mexico, &c.; in parts; imp. folio; 17. 1s. 6d. each. LEGUMINO SE. +1241. THERMO'PSIS 10,465 fabacea Dec.; Hook. Bot. Mag., 3611. Synonymes: T. rhombifolia Rich.; Thermia rhombifolia Nutt.; Cytisus rhombifòlius Pursh ; "I think," says, Sir W. J. Hooker, "there can be little doubt of the correctness of the above synonymes. Now, that I have seen the living plant, I have no hesitation in referring it to the Thermopsis rhombifòlia of Dr. Richardson. Thus it appears to have a very extended range, being found in the north-eastern parts of Asia; and in north America, on both sides of the Rocky Mountains; but no where, as it appears, on the east side of that vast continent. It was introduced to this country through the Horticultural Society, having been sent by Mr. Douglas from dry channels of mountain torrents, in the valleys of the Cordilleras, near the Columbia River. It is cultivated in the greenhouse of the Glasgow Botanic Garden, where it flowers in May but Dr. Lindley speaks of it as a good herbaceous plant, readily increased by the division of its creeping roots; and it will probably prove quite a hardy plant." The stem is herbaceous, erect, simple, or branched only upwards, somewhat angular, and quite glabrous below. The leaves are trifoliate, petiolate; leaflets obovate, approaching to rhomboid, distinctly veined; glabrous above, and slightly downy beneath. The raceme is composed of several yellow flowers, about the size of those of the laburnum. (Bot. Mag., Oct.) Rosacea Potentilleæ. 3349. HORKE`LIA *fúsca Lindl. dusky A cu 2 jn.au W. Br. N. Amer. D co Bot. reg. 1997. The plants of this genus are all erect and herbaceous, re sembling some potentillas in their general aspect; but with flowers collected into heads, unguiculate petals, a campanulate calyx, and 10 stamens, often with ovate petaloid filaments. They form a transition from Potentilla to the genus Sibbáldia, and thus assist in establishing a graduated series of structure between the most highly developed forms of Rosàceæ, and such imperfect forms as we find in Sanguisórbeæ. (Bot. Reg., Oct.) Asclepiadeæ. THE PHILIBERTIA. *PHILIBERTIA Kunth. Treatise on Botany.) *gracilis D. Don slender A el 6 jn Y. W. Buenos Ayres 1836 C s.1 Swt. Br. fl.-gard. 403. (In honour of M. Philibert, author of an elementary A perennial herb, clothed with soft spreading hairs. Stems filiform, twining. Leaves opposite, stalked, cordate, acuminate, soft; green on both sides; 14 in. long; the posterior lobes rounded and spreading. The plant was raised by Dr. Neill of Canonmills from seeds collected by Mr. Tweedie between Buenos Ayres and Tucuman. The plant was kept all winter in a vinery, trained to a rafter, where it did not appear to suffer from being occasionally exposed to a little frost, very little fire having been employed. (Swt. Br. Fl.-Gard., Oct.) Scrophularina. 2468. LOPHOSPERMUM *scándens D. Don (Lin. Trans.,'xv. 353.) climbing [Swt. Br. fl.-gard. 401. or 10 jn.o P Mexico 1835 C s.l A scandent perennial herb, clothed with soft, spreading, articulated, viscid hairs. Leaves alternate, stalked, cordate, acuminate, serrated, with broad mucronulate teeth, palminerved and reticulately veined; from 2 in. to 3 in. long, and from 11⁄2 in. to 2 in. broad; dark green above, paler and less hairy beneath. Corolla funnel-shaped, 2 in. or more in length, of a dull purple, with the tube white on the under side. "It is with no little satisfaction," says Professor Don, "that we present to our readers a figure of the original species of this highly ornamental genus." The plant was first introduced, in 1835, to the Liverpool Botanical Garden. In habit, it comes near to L. atrosanguíneum; and in the form of its flowers it is exactly intermediate between that species and L. erubescens. (L. scándens Bot. Mag., 3037. and 3038.; Swt. Br. Fl.-Gard. 68.) (Swt. Br. Fl.-Gard., Oct.) Verbenacea. 1755. PE TREA *Stapèlia Paxt. Stapelia-flowered or 20 jn L ? S. Amer. A twining stove shrub. Leaves oblong, rather acute; veins on the under surface, especially the principal, very prominent, rough on both sides, and of a yellowish-green colour. "When trained to the back wall of a stove trellis, or up a rafter, it is very ornamental, even though not in flower; but in a state of flowering, although the corolla is rather fugitive, it is, in consequence of the less fugacious nature of the calyx, and the pen |