178 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



then proceeded by cutting a notch, at 

 about midway between the main stem and 

 the point where tlie bi'auch had been cut 

 back, in size and depth to suit tlie size of 

 the cutting or scion I was about to put on 

 in a slanting direction across the branch, 

 making it about one and a half inches 

 long, and in such a dii'cction that the 

 growmg point of the cutting took a some- 

 Avhat upward direction, wliilst the base of 

 the cutting would point in a direction 

 downwards, so as easily to be thrust into a 

 suspended phial of water. The notch being 

 made, I took the cutting, and at about 

 twelve inches from the growing point pared 

 away the bark and wood on each side, so as 

 to make it fit very nearly the notch in the 

 stock. The part of the cutting below the 

 junction being left at any length it chanced 

 to be, it was then closely bound witli a 

 short piece of tlie tape above named, and a 

 phial of water suspended so as to get the 

 base of the cutting into it ; and as long as 

 tlie cutting was fairly in the water, the 

 length left below the point of junction was 

 deemed immaterial. 



When all was completed, the wet 

 mat was suspended for several days in 

 front of the plant, so as to shield all 

 the scions from the sun, and kept 

 moist by frequent syriugings, taking it 

 down sometimes during the night or 

 dull weather. In a fortnight, the ban- 

 dages of most of them were loosed, and 

 in a fortnight after taken entirely away, 

 the bottles removed, and the part of the 

 scion below the point of junction cut clean 

 away, and the shoots of the parent plant, 



which had been kept in check by pinching, 

 cut quite away so as to force the sap into 

 the scions, several of which have been in 

 flower ever since. The above is given as a 

 case in point, but many other things are 

 capable of the like result with as little 

 trouble. 



The conditions to be observed in in- 

 arching one variety upon another is, that 

 the two vai'ieties to be brought toge- 

 ther belong respectively to the same 

 family botanically, that the stock at least 

 is in a state of free growth, that the scion 

 be so is, perhaps, not so absolutely neces- 

 sary, as the free flow of sap from the stock 

 will force its way into the sciou, and set it 

 growing, provided its ownnatural branches 

 be stopped and pinched back so as to turn 

 the (low of sap in the direction of the 

 scion ; also that they be preserved from the 

 dessicatiDg infhienceof sun and au', whilst 

 the junction is incomplete. Tlius it fol- 

 lows that inarching cannot be elTected so 

 readily, if at all, out of doors, as it can 

 within, wliere the above conditions can be 

 better secured. The operation is extremely 

 interesting, and, knowing the pleasure cul- 

 tivators feel in the possession of specimens 

 bearing several varieties, I would recom- 

 mend those desirous of their possession to 

 make the attempt upon anything they 

 think at all likely to succeed ; under as 

 favourable circumstances as they can com- 

 mand, they will soon be emboldened to 

 proceed with confidence. As the passion- 

 llower and many other things are in free 

 grow^th, such may, doubtless, yet be ope- 

 rated upon. 



THE GAEDEN IN THE BOW- WINDOW. 



Lodging in a farm-house last year, I was 

 puzzled by the absence of green-fly from 

 the hostess's collection of cinerarias, cal- 

 ceolarias,- geranium cuttings, and other 

 plants, which she keeps in eonmioa pots in 

 an old-fashioned deep-seated window. 



I find the freedom from our pest has 

 continued through all the blights of the 

 spring, and that her neighbours are accus- 

 tomed to envy the cleanliness and verdure 

 of her geraniums. 



Making inquiries with a view to my own 

 pet window here, I find there is no smoking 

 allowed in that sanctum ; so it can't be 

 her nephew's tobacco. She never washes 

 the leaves of her plants. The house, 

 standing in pure country air, and away 

 horn, the dusty lane, there is no occasion, 

 she says, to clean them. 



I find, however, that she imports "lady- 

 birds"' from the garden every autumn, 

 meaning the little black and red spotted 

 beetles, sometimes called lady-cows, to 

 eat off the female gi-een flies " which come 

 in at the wiudovt^." 



And she has a deep jar into -which 

 every spring she puts the carefully dried 

 pellets of sheep's dung from the field 

 where the ewes and lambs are feeding. 

 And she puts water to this manure, not 

 boiling, nor yet cold. And she waters all 

 her plants with it sparingly^ once a week. 

 She says she makes a strong enough mix- 

 ture to look like strong black tea, and 

 covers it from the air. I cannot discover 

 any other peculiar management. Certainly 

 I never saw such a healthy set of plants. 

 She has no skill in cutting and shaping 



