JUNE. 167 



grow very thickly together. I have, therefore, been careful to keep 

 the shoots nicely distributed, and have regularly removed as many of 

 the old leaves as could be done without causmg the plant to look bare ; 

 and I think it advisable that the foliage should be rather freely thinned 

 out, if only for the chance of having the leaves left larger and more 

 vigorous than would be the case without thinning ; and my plant has 

 certainly been much more handsome since I have practised thinning 

 its foliage. The little specimen bloomed nicely late in autumn, carrying 

 some twenty trusses, which continued in beauty for some six weeks. 

 As soon as the last of the flowers had disappeared, it was placed close 

 to the glass on a shelf in the stove, and very sparingly su[)plied with 

 water at the root ; but, instead of its remaining dormant as I antici- 

 pated, it seemed very much inclined to grow, and was in consequence 

 more freely supplied with water at the root than I had intended that it 

 should be during the winter. After blooming, something like a third 

 of the plant was cut out to afford cuttings, but it is as compact again as 

 ever, and is now covered with flowers, having upon it something like 

 thirty trusses. I did not look for it to go on blooming through the 

 winter, and have been looking for signs of exhaustion, fearing that 1 had 

 been over-driving a willing subject, but no symptom of the kind is 

 perceptible, and 1 think it all the more valuable for having deceived me 

 this way. And I see no rei^'son to doubt but that with kind treatment 

 the plant will bloom for months in succession during the winter. But 

 it will doubtless be advisable, when the object is to increase the size of 

 the plant, not to let it bloom too freely, and to place it in a sufficiently 

 low temperature to prevent growth for some three months after bloom- 

 ing, and I think it may be wintered safely enough in a temperature of 

 about 50°. For soil I have used rich fibry peat, turfy loam, and leaf 

 soil, in about equal proportions, mixing it liberally with silver sand, 

 and in this the plant seems to do perfectly well. Young plants I have 

 tried in peat and sand, thinking this might improve the colour of the 

 foliage, but without any apparent improvement. Propagation is easily 

 effected by means of cuttings, which root freely enough under ordinary 

 treatment, but shoots for cuttings should be secured off the main stem if 

 possible, as the runners do not seem to make as good plants. As to 

 raising it from seed, my plant has not exhibited any signs of producing 

 any ; but if seed can be obtained, there can be no doubt that the plants 

 would be more vigorous than those from cuttings. X. Y. 



PROTECTION OP FRUIT TREES. 

 Having perused the very elaborate papers on the protection of wall 

 trees by Mr. Saul, and having had during the last twenty years a 

 tolerably good share of practice in the management of wall trees, my 

 experience compels me to dissent from some of the opinions expressed 

 by your correspondent at Stourton. 



Now, it matters not whether we prosecute our investigations in 

 acquiring a knowledge of the laws that govern either the animal or 



