Nearly all the varieties of this lovely genus deserve to be ranked with the most beautiful and useful ornamental plants which our glass houses possess. Their flowers, of many delicate and pleasing shades of color, are produced in great abundance for months in succession, and the plants themselves are mostly of compact growth and easy culture. While in a growing state, all the varieties require the assistance of a rather warm and moist atmosphere, but during their flowering season, they may be removed to a cooler and drier situation, such as a close green-house or conservatory, where they may be said to be indispensable during the summer and autumn months.

As all the Achimenes increase rapidly by means of their scaly tubers,'artificial propagation is almost unnecessary, except in nurseries, where it is perfectly understood. I shall, therefore, merely state that cuttings of the young wood, treated in the ordinary way, and placed in a brisk bottom-heat, will root freely. Taking it for granted that there is a supply of tubers at hand in early spring, they should be separated from the soil in which they have been wintered, and planted in shallow pots or pans, (the latter are preferable,) well drained, and filled with light sandy soil to within two inches of the top. The tubers should be laid rather thickly and regularly upon the surface, and covered with mold to the depth of an inch, or as much more as the pan will hold.

Water should be sparingly applied, only just sufficient should be given to keep the soil in a moist state. If active growth is desired without loss of time, plunge the pots or pans in a gentle bottom heat. When the plants are about three inches high, they should be carefully lifted from the soil, and potted in seven inch pots, placing twelve or more plants in a pot, according to the sized specimens that may be wanted. After potting, place them in a close and rather warm atmosphere, till they have become fairly established; a temperature of 60° at night, allowing it to raise 10 or 15° with sun heat in the day time, will be found the most congenial to the plants at this stage of the growth. As soon as they are established in their pots, air should be freely admitted on all favorable occasions, and the plants kept near the glass. If ail goes on well, they will soon fill the pots with roots, when a final shift will be necessary. The size of the pots for this shift should be regulated by the size which it is desirable the plants should attain; ten inch pots will be sufficiently large where moderate sized specimens only are required: but for very large masses, twelve or thirteen inch pots may be used.

Some first rate cultivators prefer deep pans for Achimenes, but these are better suited for plants to be flowered in a moist, warm house, than for those intended to be removed to the green-house or conservatory, during the flowering season. About twelve plants may be placed in a ten inch pot. It will be necessary to maintain a moist atmosphere, and keep the house rather close till the plants can lay hold of the soil; and water must be carefully supplied during this time, but the syringe may be used freely, if the weather happens to be bright. As soon as the plants start into free growth, after potting, air may be more freely admitted, and a slight shade during the forenoon of sunny days, will be found beneficial. Varieties of the habit of pedunculata, should be stopped as soon as they are established in their flowering pots; and if it is intended to train them in a formal manner, ail the kinds should be staked before the shoots have become entangled. The stakes should be cut off the height to which the variety is likely to attain. They should be so arranged as to form the frame work of a handsome specimen, and the shoots should be kept carefully tied as they advance in growth.

When it is supposed that the pots are filled with roots, an occasional watering with clear manure water may be given. Indeed I regularly water my Arhimoaos with weak manure-water, from the time they are well established in their flowering pots, till the blooming season is over, and I think that the plants are greatly benefitted by this treatment. If it is intend ed to remove the plants to cooler quarters while they are in flower, they should be judiciously and carefully prepared for the change, by giving more air, and gradually lowering the night temperature as much as circumstances will allow. When removed, they should be placed in the warmest part of the house to which they have been transferred, and guarded from currents of cold air; but if they can be kept in an intermediate house, the flowers will be larger, and the blooming season will be prolonged; still, a close kept conservatory will supply a suitable temperature, at least during summer and early autumn.

* From the London Gardeners' Chronicle.

When they have done flowering they may be thrown to the rubbish-heap, merely preserving about two pots of each variety for stock; these should be kept sparingly supplied with water, and if they can be removed to a warm dry house, the ripening of the tubers will be better secured than under other circumstances. Water must be altogether withheld as soon as the leaves assume a sickly appearance, and when the tops die down, the pots may be removed to any dry situation, where they will be free from frost, and where they may remain till the tubers are wasted for starting next spring.

For soil, take light sandy turfy loam, peat, leaf-soil, and thoroughly decomposed cow-dung, in about equal proportions, to which add as much sharp sand as will ensure a free percolation of water through the whole materials. The loam and peat should be used in a rather rough state; and the dung should be broken up and intimately mixed with the sand before it is added to the compost. All the Achimenes are very impatient of stagnant moisture at their root; therefore secure perfect drainage by using plenty of potsherd, or lumps of charcoal; indeed, when pots are used, they may be one-third filled with draining materials. Alpha.