THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



105 



and effective style, and one we much ad- 

 mire. Some have the back trained per- 

 pendicularly, and the front shoots brought 

 below the rim of the pot, so as to form a 

 pyramid or half-circle. These are most 

 suitable for a lean-to stage, as they show 

 a large front. In forming, or first train- 

 ing for a specimen, bear in mind that as 

 the twig is bent so will the tree be in- 

 clined, hence the necessity of deciding 

 early upon the description of plant re- 

 cpiired. Plants grown as bushes, and in 

 larger pots than thirty-twos, soon require 

 considerable thinning, or they will become 

 weak. The time of propagation depends 

 on whether the plants are bloomed early or 

 late ; for the main stock, July may be 

 taken as the average time. Supposing the 

 plant to have done blooming, and the 

 wood to be well ripened, from full ex- 

 posure to the sun, and from three or four 

 days' dryness at the root, they are then 

 fit for cutting down. Upon the way they 

 are cut depends the form of the plant the 

 ensuing season, the object being to have 

 an uniform plant without much twisting, 

 and upon an established bottom, large or 

 small. After cutting down, place the plants 

 in an open place, shading for a few days, 

 until the ends of the shoots that have 

 been cut are dried over. Water but mode- 

 rately until there is a sign of fresh growth, 

 then give a slight syringing overhead and 

 shut up early with the sun, so as to cause 

 evaporation, which will much assist them 

 in making fresh growth. After the first 

 start, they are to be grown as slow as 

 possible through the autumn and winter 

 months. The next operation, after cutting 

 down, is to select cuttings of the strongest 

 and the best ripened wood, in lengths of 

 two joints, with a straight cut at the 

 bottom, a little below the lower joint, and 

 a slanting cut of a half-inch above the 

 top joint ; place them in the mould round 

 the sides of the cutting-pot, midway be- 

 tween the two joints. The mould should 

 be a compost consisting of loam three- 

 fourths, leaf-mould, or peat, one-fourth, 

 with a medium addition of sand. Give 

 them a gentle bottom-heat, and shade 

 lightly for two or three weeks, by which 

 time they will have struck, and should 

 then be taken to a cool house, and gradu- 

 ally hardened off so as to bear full ex- 

 posure to the sun and air. They should 

 then be potted off as soon as possible 

 before the roots get too long ; indeed, it 

 is thought by some that if they are merely 

 callused over, they are fit for potting off. 

 I, however, like to see a few fibres, but 

 not too long, the one excess being as ba.d 



as the other. After potting off, keep 

 them r.ither close for three or four 

 days, and shade from hot sun, then 

 give a full circulation of air at all 

 opportunities, avoiding easterly winds. 

 Attend to potting on until you reach the 

 sized pot intended for blooming ; gradual 

 shifts from one size pot to another are to 

 be recommended as preferable to large 

 shifts. If intended to bloom the plants 

 in forty-eight size pots, they should have 

 three changes from the cutting-pot, and 

 the crown, or centre bud should be taken 

 out in the second shift ; but if the growth 

 be then not far enough advanced, it should 

 be removed as soon as possible after the 

 last potting, keeping the plants rather 

 dry for a few days until fresh breaks appear, 

 otherwise weakness may be expected. If 

 intended to bloom in large sixties, no stop 

 is required, and if properly grown side 

 breaks will appear at the same time that 

 the crown truss is forming, thus supplying 

 a succession of bloom. For specimens, 

 commence with small plants of free growth, 

 allow them to attain the height of nine 

 joints, with two joints for a single stem, not 

 merely for the appearance but to diminish 

 liability to canker, which may be feared if 

 the breaks are allowed to rest upon the 

 surface soil ; also by constant pottings the 

 plants are liable to get some portion of the 

 bottom breaks below the surface of the soil, 

 particularly such as are known amongst 

 growers as of a "miffy" habit, that is, 

 of a delicate constitution and high breed, 

 as for instance Cloth of Silver, Modestum, 

 and Prima Donna, which require great 

 care to be taken as to their watering and 

 drainage. Suppose then that we have a 

 plant in a forty-eight size pot, eight or 

 nine joints high, ready for its first stop, 

 take the crown clean out, midway between 

 the two joints, keep the plant dry for 

 three or four days, unless the season of 

 the year should be hot and cause it to 

 flag, then a slight watering overhead 

 would aid the action of the sap in the 

 foliage. The first breaks will soon make 

 their appearance, provided the root action 

 be all right ; after the first breaks have 

 attained the length of six or seven joints, 

 they should have their first stop whatever 

 mode of training may be adopted. The 

 training usually followed is pegging the 

 shoot3 out ; I prefer tying a piece of bast 

 round the pot, close underneath the rim, 

 and bracing the shoots down to it, which 

 is a neat and ready system. When the 

 breaks have attained the length of six or 

 seven joints they may be stopped again 

 and tied out, The exact time of stopping 

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