320 THE ELORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the stand before-mentioned, the pot slipped down, and the old drainage taken away. 

 The roots, if matted, must be carefully disentangled, as much of the old soil being 

 removed as can be done without injury to them. Then some of the new compost 

 must be put into the fresh pot, just sufficient to bring the surface of the old soil to 

 within about half an inch of the top, and having carefully placed the plant in the 

 middle, and at the proper level, the new soil is to be filled in around it, care being 

 taken to press it down quite firmly. After this operation has been performed, a 

 little higher temperature and extra shade should be given to the plants, to prevent 

 them suffering from the slight check which repotting naturally must give them, and 

 to encourage them to put forth fresh roots more quickly. The only difference in 

 shifting or repotting large and small plants is, that in the case of the latter, the 

 plant can remain in the hand of the operator, and the stand need not be brought 

 into use. Those plants which have strong coarse roots may have a large shift each 

 time, but care must be taken not to overpot those having fine and delicate roots, as 

 it is far better to repot twice, or three times, than to risk the health, if not the life, 

 of a plant by overpotting. 



" Little more need be said upon this subject, save that the sieve, so necessary to 

 some cultivators, should be utterly discarded, and the soil prepared by being chopped 

 into pieces with a spade ; by the time it is mixed together it becomes sufficiently 

 fine, and needs no sifting. Those plants which bloom better when kept in small 

 pots, and which are not to be shifted, should, at the period when others are repotted, 

 have the surface of the soil in their pots stirred, some of the worn-out material being 

 removed, and replaced with new." 



Received. — The Gardener's Magazine, The Student, The Treasury of Litera- 

 ture and Ladies' Treasury, Our Own Fireside, The Gospel Magazine, The Botanical 

 Magazine, Yerschaffelt's Illustration Horticole, Old Jonathan, the American 

 Horticulturist, The Gardener's Record. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Standard Rhododendrons. — S. A. — These are generally obtained by grafcing 

 upon tall stems of R. ponticum, which may be easily obtained from seed. Standards 

 of R. ponticum can be obtained by growing them with a single stem until they 

 reach the desired height, when the growing point can be nipped out, and the shoots 

 which break just below allowed to form a head. It requires much skill in com- 

 bination, witli proper conveniences, to be successful in grafting rhododendrons. 



Name of Plant. — H. C. P., Weymouth — The plant received is Hypericum 

 dubium. You should have sent us a flowering specimen. 



Abutilon striatum Culture. — C. II. Maclean, Clapham. — This is by no 

 means a difficult subject to handle, as it usually flowers freely enough with ordinary 

 greenhouse treatment. It will also flower freely in the open air. The plants in the 

 subtropical garden at Battersea Park have flowered superbly throughout the 

 summer. Cut the plant back in the winter, and, as soon as it begins to start into 

 growth, take it out of the pot, and, after reducing the ball of soil considerably, 

 but without injuring the roots too much, repot in the same size again. The same 

 pot may be used again, if you give it a thorough washing, and allow time to get 

 partly dry previously. Good turfy loam, with either a small proportion of leaf- 

 mould or rotten manure, and a little sand, will form an excellent compost. Pot 

 firm, and, after the roots get established, water liberally without soddening the 

 soil, and keep the foliage clean. The plants should also be kept near the glass, 

 and receive full exposure to the light and air. By observing these simple rules 

 we have no doubt a larger measure of success will be met with next year. 



Subscriber, Haverstock Hill. — There are no reasons, except bad management, 

 to prevent the plants flowering freely. Perhaps the young growth is cut back every 

 fortnight or three weeks, with the idea of compelling the plants to bloom, whereas 

 it has an opposite effect, and a lot of useless wood is produced instead. Perhaps 

 you shade too much, for light is an important agent in connection with the produc- 

 tion of flowers. The plants you mention, if the roots are in good trim, will flower, 

 even if they have no attention beyond keeping the foliage clean, and the roots 

 supplied with water. 



