Mr. Weir's Dieffenbachia, Dieffenbachia Weirii, is a very beautiful and distinct stove plant with ornamental foliage, belonging to the natural order Aracene. It is a native of South America, where it was discovered by Mr. Weir, a collector in the employment of the Royal Horticultural Society, of London, in whose honor the specific name was bestowed upon it.

It is considered to be one of the finest of the Dieffenbachias, and as it is a plant that is known for the beauty of its foliage, it can be safely recommended as a very distinct and desirable foliage plant. It is of dwarf habit, the oblong ovate foliage being of a bright green color, thickly blotched and spotted with pale yellow, and should be grown in a moist atmosphere in order to bring out its true character. When well grown it forms an excellent and very attractive plant, alike suitable fordecorativeor exhibition purposes.

This Dieffenbachia is a plant easily cultivated, requiring a compost of light loam and well-decayed leaf mould, in about equal parts, with the addition of a little sharp sand, to render the compost a porous or open one, and it is necessary to have the pots well-drained; if they are filled with one-third of drainage, it is none too much. In potting use porous or soft-baked pots, and be careful not to overpot the plant. During its season of growth, which is during the summer months, it should be given a temperature of from 650 to 750, a light partially shaded situation, as close to the glass as possible, and a liberal supply of water, both overhead and at the roots. In the winter months it should be kept rather dry and cool, a temperature of from 550 to 6o° proving amply sufficient.

When first introduced, this plant was very highly prized, but of late it has been sadly neglected, the reason being that its juice is said to be very poisonous, and that the plant has an awkward and unsightly appearance when at rest; but I should consider these objections of little or no account. The reputed poisonous character of the plant can be avoided by the exercise of a little care when handling it; and its appearance, by removing it to a less conspicuous place, as its season of rest approaches.

Propagation is effected by cuttings, and if the cane is split through the centre in the spring, and the pieces placed in the sand and given a brisk bottom heat, an abundance of young plants will spring up in the course of a few weeks. When well-rooted, the young plant should be carefully potted into 3-inch pots, and kept close for a few days until they have taken root. If they are repotted as often as necessary, and liberally cared for, nice specimens will soon be obtained.

The generic name was given in honor of Dr. Dieffenbach, a German botanist, and the specific name in honor of its discoverer. Queens, N. Y.