replaced, and they were too ornamental to be relinquished. Then followed the white lily, and a variety of irises, all of which increased fast, and flowered abundantly. The peony I could never persuade to flower; in the first place, it does not blossom well until it has been for years settled in a garden, and I believe its beauty even then is greatly dependent upon the purity of the air. My buddlea was every spring covered with its golden balls, and grew so quickly that I scarcely knew what to do with it. I am surprised this beautiful shrub is not more common: it is perfectly hardy, even as a standard; it will remove well, even when it has attained a considerable size; it is very easily raised by layers; and there is an air of grandeur about it, both as to leaves and flowers, that raises it above the common flowering shrubs of our gardens. But we go on in the old-fashioned manner of planting our gardens: the same varieties of deciduous shrubs are taken, without considering with how much advantage their places might be supplied by those more lately introduced. The magnolia, for instance, grows quickly, and flowers abundantly in the city upon a south wall; and the arbutus is not at all particular with respect to situation. The bignonia grandiflora also does not withhold its scarlet trumpet-like blossoms in the immediate vicinity of a steam-engine. To return to my garden, the glory of which in the autumn was the lobelia fulgens, I managed it thus: I sank in the ground, up to the rim, a large and deep seed-pan; this I filled to about three quarters of its depth with rich soil properly mixed, and planted my roots. As soon as the shoots appeared, I supplied them plentifully with water, and from time to time added more soil. The plants grew luxuriantly, furnishing tall and thick stems, with large and highlycoloured blossoms; indeed, the gardener who had assisted me said that he had never seen finer flowers. The sweet-scented marvel of Peru throve well with me, and the tiger-flower also. Carnations and picotees I tried one year, but was so much disappointed in the result, that I gave them up, although very reluctantly, as I believe carnations do not require a very pure air; and I have fancied since, that my failure with them arose from some other cause than the smoky atmosphere. Dahlias, also, although they flowered very well, I gave up. The amaryllis lutea flowered well with me when once established, and the hemerocalias cerulea and flava did the same."

but it will not grow to so great a height in such a situa tion as it does in the country. There are many other plants which might be treasures in a town garden; experience, however, is the best teacher in this as well as in more important matters, and if a garden be stocked with the plants I have mentioned, experiments may be made as to others; should they all fail, the garden will still be gay."

To the foregoing we need only add, that much may be done to keep garden plots neat by frequent trimming and raking, and particularly by keeping the plots in grass close shaven. To be kept in the best trim, grass should be mown once a-fortnight.

FLORICULTURAL MONTHLY CALENDAR.

January.-Little can be done in the flower-garden except the weather be open and dry; but advantage ought to be taken of favourable intervals to render the plots and borders neat ; to protect by coarse screenings of leaf-mould fuchsias, China roses, and other choice shrubs; for though they may not perish by frost, the mulch tends to enrich the soil, when forked in.

Propagate, by division of roots, daisies and thrift: protect the beds of hyacinths, anemones, ranunculuses, and tulips, by a covering of coarse litter. Top-dress auriculas, using a compost of light loam and two yearold cow-dung, mixed with a twelfth each of sea or river sand, and rotten wood. Plant all the bulbous roots that are still out of the ground.

In heat, sow mignionette, annual stock, penstemon diffusus, gentianoides, and other half-hardy annual and perennial plants, using the propagation-pot, by which means the entire number of seedlings (allowing for previous thinning out) can be transferred, with roots undisturbed, to the plots or borders. Commence sowing in the last week, for hot-house culture, seeds of Gloxinia and Gesneria; these, if obtained from impregnated plants, may yield new and striking varieties. Sow also (broken up and mixed with sand) the berries of Psidium Cattleyianum; this plant is one of the choicest evergreens of the stove, or even green-house, for it is not tender.

February.-Attend to the foregoing general directions, and now cut turf for lawns; fork and clean the flower-borders. Plant anemones, gladiolus, perennial herbaceous roots; and transfer others, dividing the crowns, to multiply the species. In this way almost all such plants can be increased. For examples of this division of roots, select the primrose, single, double, and the polyanthus. Transplant the rooted layers of carnations, also the divided roots of campanula, lobelia, lychnis, mullpink, and dianthus sinensis. Sow in mild heat any annual flower seeds, and of auricula and mimula, in boxes or pans. We include the beautiful primula sinensis. Excite choice dahlia roots, placing them in hot-bed frames, or in troughs or pots of old tan, or any light moist substance, on the floor of a stove or vinery at work.

After condemning annuals in general, the same writer goes on to say-" I own I am willing to make some exceptions myself in favour of the coreopsis, and such brilliant flowers particularly; the French marigold, too, and the scarlet zinnia, I could scarcely give The lupinus mutabilis blossoms well in the town, but it is very liable to be destroyed by a caterpillar; the easiest method of preventing which is to strew a litle soot around the plant. The grub, I suppose, will not rise through this: I found it more effectual than tebacco, which I also tried. The scarlet colutia is much eaten by an insect: I found the same method succeed in this case. I had forgotten to mention that all bulbs of the narcissus and jonquil tribe flowered well with e: the primrose and polyanthus gave miserable-looking blossoms. I planted the double pomegranate against my south wall, and it grew well: I left the house before the plant was old enough to flower. I should notice one great recommendation which American shrubs possess to those who are likely to change their residence-they may be removed without danger at almost any size. Mine were planted in a border of common earth, in a hole filled up with peat and loam fit for them; and when a rhododendron, four feet in height, was removed, it was found that the roots formed a complete ball, none of the fibres having penetrated beyond the soil which was proper for them. The common and Portugal laurel may be removed when very large: I have my-gonia. self seen one of the latter, which three men and a boy April.-Plant dahlia roots, in richly-manured loam, could with difficulty lift, transplanted with success. Of hollyhocks, carnations, biennials and perennials: at course, it was carefully tended as to water. The scar- this season, every herbaceous plant is almost certain let lychnis does not mind the corrupt air of the town; to succeed.' Campanulas (the tall pyramidal), raised

March. Sow annuals, including balsam seed, collected from the best double flowers. Plant boxedgings, using much pit-sand; also evergreen shrubs of every description. Transplant autumn-sown annuals into pots, and protect them, till fresh-rooted, under glass; as Clarkia of every kind, Calliopsis, Enothera Lindleyana, mignionette, Schizanthus pinnatus, and porrigens. Sow in the last week, in the open ground, and at the same time, a pot of each in heat, or at least under glass, stocks, foxglove, China-aster, Clarkia, dahlia, campanula, larkspur, penstemon, amaranthus, tobacco, and all the hardy annuals. Take cuttings of hydrangea from the tops of the shoots. These, if the buds be full, sometimes will produce a fine flowerhead, and the effect is striking. Soil, pure heath mould, or leaf-mould and sand. Use small pots, as for pelar

height around it, for a couple of feet or so, in the form | after its polliniferous or male parent; and that, at the of a little hillock. Trees of larger size may be rather same time, it will acquire some of the constitutior. more elevated. This applies to soils of the ordinary peculiarities of its mother."" description; but in damp soils, the elevation should be still greater. When trees are set in a pit, which should always be a third larger in diameter than that of the extent of the roots, so that they may be all spread out to their full extent, without being doubled or turned round, they should be spread as regularly as possible, and the bottom should be made perfectly level; by this means, the roots will have a horizontal direction given to them, which they will afterwards maintain. The intention of this arrangement is to induce them to extend themselves near the surface, and to prevent their extending downwards into a bad or cold subsoil."

Propagation-Grafting.

Fruit trees may be propagated by seeds, layers, cuttings, budding, suckers, or grafting. By any of these methods, a material object of the culturist is to improve, or at least not deteriorate, the quality of the plant. In a state of nature, every fruit is inferior to what it will become by cultivation. This disposition to improve is taken advantage of by gardeners; and by attending to various circumstances in the economy of any individual plant, they are able to produce and propagate the best varieties. The principal means employed is to select such varieties as have attained a certain degree of perfection, and then crossing two of the most nearly allied, in order to produce an intermediate variety. The discovery of the sexuality of plants, as established by Linnæus, has rendered this a comparatively simple operation to skilled gardeners. The following is a short exposition of the method given by Mr M'Intosh, who quotes from other authorities:

Illustrating these principles by a reference to the propagation of varieties of apple trees from seeds, Mr M'Intosh observes, that “the kinds of apples that would be advantageous to cross by artificial impr nation appear to be those which have a great many qualities in common, and some different qualities. T it would be proper to cross the Golden pippin w other pippins, and even with some rennets, but it wo be improper to cross it with codlins or the larger grow ing kinds. The numerous varieties of pippins raised ty Knight and others, have been obtained by the abov rule. It is no doubt true that a small apple-say, f example, the Golden pippin-crossed with a much larg sort, will produce a variety sufficiently distinct from t other; but it is almost equally certain that this De variety will be of inferior quality to either; the lities of both parents,' as Mr Loudon has very just y observed,' of so very opposite natures being, as it wer rudely jumbled together in the offspring.""

Grafting-its Theory.

Grafting, which is a practice of great antiquity the union of two plants in a growing state, through medium of the circulating juices. It is now a w known fact in surgery, that if a piece of a finger whi has been accidentally chopped off be immediately plied to the stump whence it was severed, and ** wound properly bandaged, it will adhere and becz part of the living member as formerly. This, then, grafting in the animal economy, and it is analogera · the grafting of one vegetable on another. The dissimilarity is, that the piece of finger is restored to to own stump, whereas the vegetable union is between t distinct trees. But this is a point of no consequere for it is probable that if two persons, in equally g health, were to have a finger chopped off at the sa time, the pieces might respectively be changed, a each person might have on his hand the finger of neighbour.

"The means used in the process of artificially fecundating the stigma or female parts of the blossom of one flower with the pollen or male dust of another, have been beautifully described and explained by Knight and others. That eminent pomologist has obtained thousands of apple trees from seeds, many of which are of first-rate quality, by cutting out the stamens of the blossoms to be impregnated before their own pollen was Gardeners assign five reasons for grafting:-1. T ripe enough for the purpose, and afterwards, when the perpetuation of varieties of fruit, which could not stigma was mature, by introducing the pollen of the insured by sowing seed: 2. Increasing, with consi. other parent, either by shaking the pollen of it over the able rapidity, the number of trees of any desired st flower containing the stigma only, by introducing the 3. Accelerating the fructification of trees which are flower when deprived of its petals or coloured leaves, tardy in producing their fruit: 4. Improving the q or by transferring the pollen upon the point of a camel-lities of fruits: and 5. Changing the sorts of frui hair pencil from the one flower to the other. By these means he prevented the possibility of the natural fecundation of the blossom within itself, and thus greatly increased the chances of obtaining intermediate varieties by making use of two distinct parents.

This process is called cross-impregnation, and is in its nature highly curious. Dr Lindley describes the action as follows:- Pollen (the male dust) consists of extremely minute hollow balls, or bodies; their cavity is filled with fluid, in which swim particles of a figure varying from spherical to oblong, and having apparently spontaneous motion. The stigma (the female organ) is composed of very lax tissue, the intercellular passages of which have a greater diameter than the moving particles of the pollen. When a grain of pollen comes in contact with the stigma, it bursts, and discharges its contents among the lax tissue upon which it has fallen. The moving particles descend through the tissue of the style, until one or two find their way, by routes specially destined by nature for their service, into a little opening in the integument of the ovulum or young seed. Once deposited there, the particle swells, increases gradually in size, separates the radicle and cotyledons, and finally becomes the embryo that which is to give birth, when the seed is sown, to a new individual. Such being the mode in the pollen influences the stigma, and subseseed, a practical consequence of great imcessarily follows, namely, that in all cases tilisation, the new variety will take chiefly

one tree, and renewing its productiveness.

When a tree becomes old, but has still healthy and vigorous roots, and it is thought advisable to renew of improve its fruitful qualities, it is cut off across the lower part of the stem, and forms the stock on wha scions are ingrafted, which scions taking root, beca in time the fruit-bearing branches of the tree. A general principle, the sorts to be united require to considerably alike as respects disposition of wely fibre and sap and pulp vessels, so that no decided terruption may take place in the ascent or descent the juices. Yet, to effect any improvement in fructib cation, there must be a certain difference between varieties. For example, the wild apple tree, w bears only crabs, too sour to be eaten, forms one of best stocks on which a graft can be made; and for :: reason alone, it is grown by nurserymen from se The notice of this remarkable fact leads to a consid tion of what are the radical principles on which provement is effected by grafting. On this intres subject we offer, in the first place, the explanations Dr Lindley:-" In proportion as the scion and st approach each other closely in constitution, the effect is produced by the latter; and, on the contrar in proportion to the constitutional difference betwe the stock and the scion, is the effect of the former portant. Thus, when pears are grafted or budded the wild species, apples upon crabs, plums upon p and peaches upon peaches or almonds, the scion is, regard to fertility, exactly in the same state as if it