THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 85 



POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA AND EUPHORBIA 

 JACQUINIFLORA. 



BY J. W. STLVEE, 



Head Gardener, The Laurels, Taunton, Somerset. 



[HE relationship of these plants is close enough to admit 

 of their being here linked together, without an apology- 

 being required for the act. Both belong to the same 

 natural order, Euphorbiacece, bloom at the same time, 

 and have bracts in one case, and flowers in the other, 

 of the same bue. To praise them beyond their deserts appears diffi- 

 cult, because the brilliant display they are capable of producing in 

 the winter, when nearly all the other stove plants are at rest, is 

 something wonderful. They are, however, seldom seen in good 

 condition in gardens of considerable pretensions, and in small 

 gardens they are very rarely met with at all. This state of things 

 is, no doubt, mainly owing to a want of knowledge of their require- 

 ments, and believing this to be the case, I am induced to offer a few 

 practical remarks on their cultivation. It must, however, be under- 

 stood that they are penned expressly for the guidance of amateurs, 

 and others whose knowledge of them is of a limited cbaracter. 



Let us first consider the pretty Euphorbia jacqiiiniflor a. This 

 plant has a natural tendency to become leggy, and if tbe cultivator 

 does not use his best endeavours to counteract this bad habit, he 

 will have plants resembling willow wands, surmounted at the top 

 with a few flowers and leaves. One of the most frequent causes of 

 their becoming leggy, is due to their being propagated too early, and 

 another cause is due to their being placed too far from the glass 

 when in full growth. We usually strike the cuttings here in May, and 

 the results are such as to show that it is a most suitable period for the 

 work. Asbort stubby side-shoot should be selected; if not obtainable 

 otherwise, the tops of the leading branches are taken off. In either 

 case, insert the cuttings in small 60's, at the rate of three to each, 

 and put them rather close together in the middle of the pot. They 

 will strike much quicker if the pots are plunged in bottom-heat, but 

 it is necessary to add that they will strike very well indeed without 

 that assistance. Directly they are nicely rooted, place them near 

 the glass, and do not shade them, excepting in the brightest weather, 

 as an abundance of light is essential to keep the wood short-jointed, 

 and to insure its being well matured by the end of the season. 

 When the pots are well filled with roots, and not before, shift them 

 into six-inch pots, without dividing or otherwise disturbing them. 

 They will only require one shift, as this size is quite large enough 

 for them to flower in, and it is also very convenient if they are 

 required for table decoration, for which purpose they are well 

 adapted. Red spider is rather partial to the foliage; therefore, to 

 prevent the possibility of that pest doing any mischief, give them 

 the advantage, during the summer, of a moderately moist atmosphere, 

 and syringe them overhead once or twice a day. A very high 



