88 



THE FLOKAL WOBLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



cow, or sheep tiling, (about a pound by 

 guess, of the first, and half that quan- 

 tity of either of the other two, to the 

 two-gallon watering pot,) should be 

 used at least twice a week, but oftencr 

 if possible, until the flower-buds begin 

 to show their respective colours, when 

 it should be discontinued, and plain 

 water only be given until the au- 

 tumnal rains render even this unneces- 

 sary. 



"large flowers for exhibition. 



"Cuttings should be taken in the be- 

 ginning of November from the suckers, 

 or from the laterals of the flowering 

 stems. These should be rooted in 

 small pots, and placed in a cold frame 

 for protection through the winter : 

 shifted, as soon as the roots are fairly 

 formed, into larger pots ; and kept on 

 shifting from stage to stage until they 

 are ultimately settled in their blooming- 

 pots, which should not be less than 

 ' number sixteens,' and in the bottoms 

 of which, to the depth of four or five 

 inches, should be put layers of broken 

 potsherds or pounded oyster-shells to 

 insure good drainage. Care should be 

 taken not to allow the fibres to rise round 

 the pots too much before shifting, as this 

 very much injures the plants, and their 

 progress will he materially retarded if 

 they are not repotted at the proper 

 time ; moreover, the fibres must be as 

 little disarranged as possible in the 

 operation. 



"In April and May a south aspect is 

 desirable for the plants, but from the 

 middle of June to the Middle of Au- 

 gust they should be removed to a shady 

 6pot, where they will only get the 

 morning sun until eleven. Manure 

 water of a weak and cooling nature 

 should be used in the former months, 

 but its strength should be afterwards 

 increased until the flower-bud begins 

 to give indications of colour ; in no 

 case, however, should it be given until 

 the plant has been previously well 

 soaked with plain water. When the 

 crown divides itself, take oil' all la- 

 terals; and when the flower-buds are 

 well grown, disbud or cut out all but 

 the brightest and most shining, leaving 

 but one to each stem. Should any of 

 the blooms on breaking, show an eye, it 



is a sign that the plant has been over- 

 done with kindness. If the early 

 blooms are too soon for the late ones, 

 they may be retarded for a week or 

 nine days, and their back petals be pre- 

 served from decay, by gathering them 

 into a ball and tying them up with 

 some wadding, and then putting them 

 into a bag made up like a sugar paper. 

 Another plan is to pass the bloom 

 through a flowerpot, of which the 

 bottom has been previously chipped 

 out, and to cover it with a piece of 

 glass. This has the effect of not only 

 preserving the back petals, but of 

 bringing the centre ones up to the light. 

 In fact, it will make an incurved 

 flower of a reflexed one. 



"Many florists recommend, as arule, 

 for the increase of flower and foliage, 

 the growing in every instance of stan- 

 dard plants, which are formed by 

 planting the young shoots singly, and 

 stopping them when their stems have 

 reached the height of five or six inches. 

 By this means an increase of flower 

 is certainly gained, but always at the 

 expense of a A'ery slovenly and bare 

 appearance around the lower part of 

 the plant. Stopped specimens are very 

 well for filling up gaps here and there, 

 but flower-beds completely filled with 

 them look unsightly. 



" FOMPONES. 



"Pompones should never be stopped 

 at a greater height than six or seven 

 inches above the mould in their pots, 

 and should be treated as follows : — 

 Carefully take out the leader, (but 

 avoid above all things taking more than 

 you can possibly help,) by so doing 

 two or three extra breaks are gained ; 

 then when there are, say, six or seven 

 breaks to each shoot, commence peg- 

 ging them carefully down, in the same 

 manner as Verbenas and plants of that 

 description are pegged, taking care not 

 to snap them in the operation, as they 

 are very brittle, especially in and after 

 wet weather. Continue stopping their 

 laterals until the first of August, then 

 cease doing so, and place every branch 

 in the position in which it is intended 

 to flower. Avoid a preponderance of 

 sticks in the flowering-pots, hoops of 

 wire-work being far more graceful. 



