82 



THE FLOEAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. 



hollow in an old tree stump, where it will 

 have room to spread, and support in evei'y 

 direction for its branches. In any case the 



soil should consist of rotten wood and 

 gritty peat, or rotten wood and leaf-mould 

 thoroughly decomposed. 



CULTIVATION OF THE CHOEOZEMA. 



This is one of the most heautiful and in- 

 teresting of the New Holland genera, heau- 

 tiful as many of them are, and being all of 

 them worth the cultivator's attention. Tiie 

 soil which I should recommend for tliis tribe 

 of plants to he grown in, should be two 

 parts turfy peat, one jjart light loam, and 

 one part sand, with a little well rotted 

 manure. The whole should be well mixed 

 together, and cut with the spade, but should 

 not by any means be sifted, as sifting, in 

 my opinion, destroys tlie most valuable por- 

 tions of tlic soil ; and instead of the soil 

 heing jjorous, as it ought to be, it is ren- 

 dered small and close. The more open the 

 soil, tlie firmer will the plants grow, and 

 the longer they will continue to grow with 

 vigour ; so that the stronger the fibre, and 

 the more that is in the soil, the better for 

 the health of the plants. In Nature there 

 is no such thing as sifted soils ; for when- 

 ever we find the soil close and unporous, we 

 never find the plants in a healthy condition; 

 hut when the soil is light and porous, we 

 find the plants always healthy and strong. 

 To those v;ho wish to grow fine plants, I 

 should recommend wide and shallow pots, 

 as plants of this sort never go deep into the 

 soil, especially if they can liave plenty of 

 surface room to run in. Many plants of this 

 tribe are often lost by having too great a 

 depth of soil ; they extend their roots as 

 well as they do their branches. The plants 

 when they have plenty of surface room for 

 their roots, are generally low and busliy ; 

 hut when they are short of surface room for 

 roots, they are weak and spindling, and 

 almost destitute of leaves or branches. 

 When potting, a few large potsherds should 

 be laid at the bottom ; and over them should 

 be laid some turfy peat or the roots of the 

 common fern, as it will form excellent 

 drainage, and also prevent the soil from 

 getting among the potsherds ; and the roots 

 at the same time would have to run amongst 

 the loose pots or drainage. Great care 

 should be taken in watering, especially in 

 the autumn and winter, as the plants are 

 then done growing, and the roots are in a 

 state of repose. If much water is given at 

 that time, the roots will rot, and the plants 

 will become sickly, and very often go off ; 

 and if they live, after the points of the 

 roots are rotted off, it will be a long time 

 before they recover themselves. I should 

 therefore advise those who have the care of 



plants of this description, to be careful how 

 they ixse the water-pot in the autumn and 

 winter ; but in the spring and summer 

 they may have plenty of water. If the 

 plants are well drained, I should never 

 advise any person to turn them out of doors, 

 but to keep them in the house or pits, and 

 give plenty of air night and day if the 

 weather is mild; for if they are turned 

 out of doors they often get scorched with 

 the sun or drenched with the rain, which 

 are both very destructive of the health of 

 plants. 



Tlie best time to propagate this genus ot 

 plants is in the spring and summer, that is 

 when the young shoots have made about 

 four or five leaves, or rather joints, that is, 

 of the large le.aved species ; those shoots 

 destined for cuttings should be slipped off 

 with the finger and thumb, as that brings 

 the lower joint along with the cutting. 

 Any bark that adheres to the cutting from 

 the old wood should be taken off with a 

 sharp knife ; and the little knob which 

 forms the end of the cutting, will form the 

 roots Avhen the cutting is put in the pot. 

 With regard to the small-leaved, or rather 

 heath-leaved species, the cuttinf; should be 

 taken oft" when the young wood is about an 

 inch and a-half long; they should be taken 

 off in the same manner as is recommended 

 for the larger leaved species. In the pot in 

 which the cuttings are to he put, at the 

 bottom should be placed soine potsherds, 

 and over them should be some tuvfy peat or 

 moss, to prevent the sand from getting 

 amongst the potsherds. The pot then 

 should be filled up with very fine white 

 sand, and gently watered, then pressed 

 lightly down ; and when it is firm and well 

 settled down, the cuttings should be in- 

 serted. All round the edge of the pot 

 should be left as much room as will admit 

 of a hell-glass being put on. They should 

 be gently watered overhead before the 

 glass is put on ; they then should be placed 

 in a gentle bottom-heat, and the glasses 

 dried every morning so as to prevent any 

 damp lying about the plant. A little 

 w\ater should be given to them when they 

 want it ; great care should be taken with 

 the shading of them, for if the sun touch 

 them they will not recover it soon ; the 

 cuttings will strike in a short time, and 

 when they are well rooted they should be 

 potted ofl" immediately into thnmb-pots, 



