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The seeds do not keep well, and should be sown as soon as pos- 

 sible after ripening. They ripen in Japan, which at present is the 

 only important source of seed, in October and November, and 

 sliould be ordered some time in advance, so as to obtain them as 

 soon as they are ripe. I find it a good plan to soak the seed in 

 water for twenty-four to forty-eight hours before sowing, agitating 

 tlie water occasionally. The best seeds, being heavier, will sink 

 to the bottom, and these should be sown thinly by themselves ; 

 the lighter ones should be sown thickly, as only a small percent- 

 age will germinate 



"The seeds should be sown in well-prepared beds of sandy 

 loam and leaf mould ; they should be sown from A to f inch deep, 

 making the bed firm, but not tight. The beds should be kept 

 shaded and just moist. Too much wet will cause the young seed- 

 lings to damp off, and if allowed to get too dry the germs will 

 quickly dry up and die. 



" We have been most successful when the seed has been sown 

 in boxes (made of ^ inch wood) l8 by 13 by 3i inches, filled with 

 the kind of soil described above. The boxes are handy to lift 

 about, and can be easily protected from heavy rain and strong 

 sun. Sheds made after the style of the old cinchona seed sheds 

 answer well for standing the boxes in, and if made light and airy 

 would do well to sow the seeds in direct, but care should betaken 

 not to allow the young plants to be 'drawn.' 



" We find it a good plan to prick out the seedling into supply 

 baskets as soon as they are large enough to handle comfortably, 

 or transplant them into beds, placing the plants 6 inches apart 

 every way, and keeping them shaded and watered until they 

 begin to grow, when they will bear the full light of the sun, but 

 will require to be freely watered in dry weather. 



" When the plants are from 9 to 1 5 inches high they are at their 

 best for final planting, but if the weather is unsuitable they may 

 be kept in the nursery till they are 2 feet high, or until good 

 planting weather occurs viz., dull showery weather. In such 

 weather they require very little shading, and soon take hold of the 

 soil. 



" Cuttings do not strike root readily, and only under certain 

 conditions will they be successful. If the prevailing weather 

 should be too dry they soon go off, and if too wet and cold they 

 decay before roots are formed. We have had batches of cuttings 

 with 70 per cent, beginning to callus over, and young shoots 

 forming, that have gone off after three or four days of rough wea- 

 ther — cold high winds and heavy rains — and others that have 

 gone the same way after a week of dry sunny weather. The 

 favourable conditions are equable heat, light, and moisture ; with 

 these, and wood for cuttings in a proper state, a large percentage 

 will strike root and make good plants. 



"The nursery beds for seeds as well as cuttings should be made 

 in a well-drained situation, and as near water as possible. The 

 beds may be any length, and from 3 to 4 feet wide. The soil for 

 cuttings should be composed as follows : one part good sandy 



