gation and cultivation of the Erythrina Crista-gálli. In my opinion, the more the cultivation of a plant or plants is known, so much the better for the cultivator; because there are but few people that will purchase a plant the management of which they know nothing at all about. I am also of opinion that the more this knowledge is extended, the greater the taste becomes; and, as the taste increases for plants, their value increases in the same proportion. Now who would be without a plant of the Erythrina Crista-gálli? perhaps few of your readers are aware that there is as little trouble attending the growth of this beautiful plant, as there is with that of a dahlia, and which, I hope, I shall be able to show, if I can make myself rightly understood. About the latter end of February, or the beginning of March, I pot the old plants in a very rich light soil, giving them a good watering, to settle the earth about their roots. I then place them in any convenient part of the hothouse, and, in two or three weeks from this time, they will have made shoots from four to five inches, which is sufficiently long enough for cuttings. Observe how many cuttings you have ready to take off; but, before taking them off, you must have as many three inch pots [No. 1] in readiness to receive them, as they should not lie any length of time after being separated from the parent stem: the shoots being young and full of sap, they soon flag, and once flagged, it is ten chances to one if ever you are able to recover them. : The soil which I prefer is one half leaf mould, and one half pure pit or river sand. The above sized pots being filled with this compost, I take a small piece of round wood, or, which is more handy, the point of my finger, and make a hole in the centre of the soil in the pot. This I fill with pure sand I then proceed to take off my cuttings, observing to cut them close below a joint or eye, allowing all their leaves to remain. I then take a piece of round wood, and make a hole in the centre of the sand, to the depth of one inch and a half, placing the cutting therein; and with my two thumbs, I press the soil as firm as possible, this being the principal secret of putting in cuttings. I then place them in a hot-bed, which has been made up a few days previous. Observe never to allow the bottom heat to get below 70°; it can very easily be kept up to this by putting fresh linings around the frame. I would observe that they will not be at all injured, if a little steam should get into the frame, providing it is not too strong. Great care is also necessary to keep them shaded from the sun, as also to sprinkle them, every morning, with water of the same temperature of the bed, if need require, and never at any time to give air, except when at work in or about the frame. In the course of three or four weeks, the plants will be sufficiently rooted to bear removing to the hot-house, placing them in the shade as much as possible for two or three days, and exposing them gradually to the sun and air. In the course of two or three weeks further time, they will require to be shifted into five inch pots [No. 3], and in which they should remain, either for sale, or until the weather will admit of their being planted out in the open border. The proper time for this is about the latter end of May, or beginning of June; the ground they are to be planted in should be a mellow, light, rich earth; and, as to situation, I should prefer the south border, where they will be sheltered from the north wind. They will require to be planted two feet apart each way. This done, you are at no more trouble with them (except tieing them up when required), until the approach of frost. They should then be cut down, and the roots dug up in the same manner as those of the dahlia, and placed away in any convenient part of the greenhouse, covering them with a little mould, and in this state allow them to remain during the winter. Yours, Wilmington, S. C., Dec. 23, 1835. JAPHET. În The Erythina Crísta gálli is a plant almost wholly unknown in this neighborhood. A species of this genus, in Mr. Lowell's collection, supposed E. pícta, is the only one we have observed in flower here. New York and Philadelphia, it is frequently to be met with in great splendor. We hope the above excellent remarks will be the means of directing attention to this plant; and if a supposition that it is difficult to manage, has been the reason of its being so neglected, we hope that the ease with which our correspondent states it can be grown, will dispel such an error, and induce every amateur and gardener to possess a plant. Its terminal racemes of coral-colored papilionaceous flowers have a most gorgeous appearance, either in the hot-house or open border. E. pícta (?), which has flowerd every season at Broomley Vale, planted out upon the border, in front of the hot-house, is well known for its beauty; but it is much inferior to E. Crísta gálli.-Conds. ART. IV. On the neglected State of Cottage Gardens, with Hints for their Improvement. By R. MURRAY. O, who that loves with curious eyes to trace At morn, when flowers their fragrance breathe around, Nor feel, as he inhales the balmy air, And views the world of loveliness that's there, And fancy's vista open to his mind? [The name of the author of the above lines is not known to your correspondent.] GENTLEMEN : In this free and happy country, where every man's person and property are protected, why is the cottage garden neglected? I was in hopes, after your valuable Magazine was commenced, an immediate impulse would be given to all classes of citizens, to cultivate and improve, to the best advantage, the small spots of ground connected with cottages; but another year has been suffered to roll on without any change taking place. Wherever you take your walk, you will see numbers of beautiful cottages, with miserable appendages; yes, so much so, that the small spots of ground in front are so thickly covered with weeds, that you can scarcely gain admittance, without wetting your feet in damp weather; whereas, if those spots of ground were cultivated with economy, they might yield wholesome food, and a cooling shade for the inmates, and, as your correspondent Junius observes, would give "additional value to property." It likewise creates an attachment to home, and encourages sober and industrious habits in all the members of a family. It would likewise give them an opportunity to display their taste and skill in floriculture. It is well known that there are many tradesmen and manufacturers in Great Britain that excel professional gardeners in growing florists' flowers, such as the carnation pink, polyanthus, &c.; and might not men in the same sphere of life in this country, where property is more equally distributed, not excel in the same flowers, if they would make the trial? Allowing the trial to be made, the next step to improvement is to establish a society for competition, and let the productions for the year's competition be made known to the members every last meeting of the year. They should by all means guard against giving their prizes in money: a piece of plate, whatever the value may be, will be found to give a greater stimulus to others to form themselves into societies for the same purpose. It has likewise the tendency to keep alive the same taste in the offspring, and perpetuate the memory of the deceased parent; and, in a very short time, you would find societies for the same purpose established in every village throughout the country. But I must remind you of one great impediment to the general cultivation of cottage gardens, which your correspondent Junius seems to have overlooked, this is, the long hours that the laborer has to work, which, you must allow, deprives him of one mo ment's time to cultivate his little garden, however desirous he may be to do so, without encroaching on the sanctity of of the Sabbath. But this is an evil that can be easily remidied, if gentlemen, that are anxious for the spread of horticulture, and the beautifying of the country, will allow those men in their employ, that may be possessed of a garden, two or three hours in the week to cultivate them; such men would not only be friends to humanity, but patrons of art and science; for I am sure that such a slight sacrifice as I have mentioned, would be amply compensated to the wealthy class of citizens, in having the privilege of visiting the numerous cottage gardens that would be found wherever they would choose to take their walk. The mere anticipation of seeing the intelligent mother instructing her children under the honeysuckle bower, and the industrious father engaged cleaning and tying up his bed of florists' flowers, would give a degree of pleasure to the evening's recreation, that at present they have no conception of. Yours, &c., ROBT. MURRAY. Waltham, Dec. 24, 1835. ART. V. Beautiful Plants growing wild in the Vicinity of Boston. By E. B. KENRICK, Watertown. (Continued from page 17.) All these plants are perennial, unless intimation is given to the contrary. CLEMATIS. Clématis verticillàris Dec. Atragène americàna Sims. False Virgin's Bower. An elegant, climbing, woody vine, with large flowers. The stem is six angled, and gives off opposite axillary buds, out of each of which proceed two leaves, and a fine purple flower. The leaves are each of them ternate, or in threes, like clover; and they climb by the convolutions of their stems. Leaflets heart-shaped, nearly whole, and even on the margin. Petals four, acute, oblong-eggshaped, eyelashed, and an inch or more in length. Seeds crowned with hairs, not plumose.-Mountains; Brooklyn, Connecticut, and in Vermont.-May, June. Clématis virginiana L. Traveller's Joy, Virginian Virgin's Bower. A hardy, climbing, woody vine. It is a general favorite, and may be easily trained so as to form delightful bowers and festoons. It gives off, at intervals a pair of opposite leaf stems, which twine around objects of support, serving the purpose of tendrils; each stem bearing three heart-shaped leaflets, variously toothed, and lobed. The flower stems grow out of the shoulders of the leaves, and bear clusters of white, sweet-scented blossoms. The most remarkable and showy appearance of this plant, is when in fruit; the long, feathery, curly crowns of the seeds appearing almost like tufts of wool. Sometimes the cultivated plant does not produce these curly crowns; the Virginian virgin's bower therefore has a claim over its sister species. -Low grounds; very abundant on the banks of Neponset river, Milton.-July, August. CLETHRA. Clethra alnifolia Alder-leaved Clethra. An elegant plant, forming a bush from four to eight feet high. Leaves alternate, about three inches long, and from one to two broad, wedge-formed, or inverted egg-shaped, acute, coarsely sawtoothed, smooth and green on both sides. Flowers small, white, lilac-scented, with a five-leaved calyx, and five roundish oblong petals, disposed in a spike-formed raceme.-Low, damp or wet soils; Cambridgeport, &c.-July, August. CORNUS. Plants of this genus have a four-toothed calyx; a fourpetaled corolla proceeding from the upper part of the germ; likewise a fleshy drupe or fruit, with a two-celled nut or stone, commonly termed a berry. Córnus álba L. White-berried Cornel. A shrub, sometimes growing about ten feet high, with smooth, slender, spreading, reddish branches. Leaves ovate or egg-formed, broad, acute, hoary underneath. Flowers white, in cymes, the flower-stalks, like those of elder, radiating from one centre, but afterwards being subdivided variously. The fruit is bluish white. In rich ground, the plant sometimes blossoms twice in a year.-Low, damp grounds; Roxbury, Cambridge, Newton, &c.--June. The Córnus alternifolia l'Herit. Alternate-leaved Cornel, sometimes called Osier. A showy, handsome shrub, sometimes eighteen feet high, but commonly much lower. branches are warty, very spreading and wavy, forming a flattish, umbrella-shaped head. Leaves ovate, sharppointed, whitish beneath, and either alternate, or standing about the twigs without order. Flowers white, in clusters, with flattish tops or cymes. Fruit or berries purple.Swamps, shady woods; near Nonantum Hill, Newton.June. Córnus circinata l'Herit. Broad-leaved Cornel. An erect, |