92 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



most beautiful appearance at all seasons, and especially when in flower. 

 For ordinary decorative purposes pot specimens have the best effect 

 when formed into regular pyramids with an even distribution of furni- 

 ture from top to bottom. A good specimen should measure four feet 

 in height from the rim of the pot, and four feet through at the base, 

 tapering thence regularly to the summit. "When grown for plunging 

 out of doors to form autumn groups, a columnar style of training will 

 be the best, or say an outline approximating to a Lombardy poplar, as 

 this allows of placing the plants close together, and a better effect is 

 produced than by plunging specimens broad at the base. 



To grow fine specimens, the soil should be good turfy loam enriched 

 with a third part of decomposed hot-bed manure, and with an admixture 

 of broken crocks or bricks to keep the soil open. The young plant 

 should be trained perfectly straight so as to secure a strong leader, 

 from which in subsequent growth a regular disposition of side branches 

 will proceed. From April to August the plants are to be shifted to 

 larger and larger pots as they require them ; they ought never to be 

 thoroughly pot-bound until they have attained their full size, and are 

 wanted to flower finely; but, on the other hand, each shift should be 

 slight, as over potting at any stage is nearly as bad as allowing them to 

 become pot-bound. After the middle of August there should be no 

 more repotting, but in the month of April all the specimens should be 

 turned out of their pots, the balls reduced, and much of the 

 old soil be removed, and repotted again either into the same or into pots 

 one size larger. As in the spring they do not evince much activity of 

 growth, they may be pruned back when repotted. This should be done 

 in a way to cause a regular disposition of shoots according to the form 

 required, and as they break freely from old shoots and from the stem, 

 ugly specimens may be pruned very severely, and if kept shaded and fre- 

 quently syringed, with only a little water at the root, will soon throw out 

 abundance of shoots, which the cultivator can keep or remove as may be 

 needful. At the beginning of June all fast-growing plants which it is 

 desired to form into compact specimens should be stopped; that is, the 

 points of the shoots should be pinched out ; this will cause them to 

 produce side shoots, and there will be ample time for these side shoots 

 to be fully matured before the close of the season. 



The following varieties are the best in cultivation— Andersoni, grows 

 freely, and flowers abundantly ; the variegated leaved variety of Ander- 

 soni is extremely beautiful and more tender than the green-leaved 

 kind. Anne de Beaujen, bright rose and white ; Devoniana cceridea 

 multiflora, dark violet and white; Gloire de Loraine, blue and white, 

 beautiful habit ; Imperatrice Eugenie, amaranth ; Mammoth, violet and 

 white ; Mult[flora, dark violet and white ; Rubra elegantissima, violet 

 purple ; Rubra splendida, rich crimson. 



FLOWEK SHOWS IN APEIL. 



Royal Botanic Society's Second 

 Spring Show, April 8. — The lovely 

 weather brought a full tide of visitors 



to the second spring show ; and al- 

 though the arrangements were on the 

 usual limited scale of "spring meet- 



