2 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



all. They should undergo an examination immediately they come to 

 hand, and if the pots are well filled with roots, shift them into a 

 larger size at once ; if, however, they are not well rooted, defer the 

 repotting until the middle or end of February. In either case they 

 should he placed in a light and airy position in the greenhouse, and 

 he watered cautiously. A fortnight or so after they have been re- 

 potted pinch out the points of the young shoots to assist the forma- 

 tion of bushy specimens, and when it becomes necessary train out 

 the side-shoots by means of neat sticks. Those intended for exhibi- 

 tion must have the branches brought close down to the rim of the 

 pot, and be kept down as much as possible during the first year ; 

 but the growth of those intended for conservatory decoration will 

 merely require tying out to admit a free circulation of air amongst 

 the branches, and for securing a regular well-balanced outline 

 when they are in flower. Upright growing plants with heads 

 of bloom about twelve or fifteen inches in diameter are the most 

 useful for the conservatory, and therefore excessive training must be 

 avoided. 



As they go out of flower remove them to the open, and place 



the pots upon a bed of coal-ashes, and if practicable shade them for 



a few days to allow the wood to become slightly hardened before they 



are exposed to the full influence of the sun. Henceforth they must 



have free exposure to the weather, and in a fortnight or three weeks 



the wood will be matured sufficiently to allow of their being cut 



down. The soil should also be kept as dry as it is possible to keep 



it without allowing the leaves to flag. In pruning, cut back the 



young shoots to within two or three buds of the old wood, according 



to their respective positions, but the chief aim must be to give to 



each a symmetrical appearance. Excepting in unusually wet seasons 



they should remain in the open, until taken indoors for the winter, 



but in wet seasons they should be placed in a cold frame, and the 



lights drawn off at all times, excepting when they are required to 



protect the inmates from the rain. No water must be applied to 



the roots from the time they are cut down until the younq growth is 



about half an inch in length, but they will receive much benefit from 



a sprinkle overhead in the afternoon of a dry hot day. When the 



young growth has attained the abovementioned length, turn them out 



of the pots, remove nearly if not quite all the old soil, trim the roots 



slightly, and put each in a pot one or two sizes smaller than that 



which it has previously occupied. Return them to the position they 



previously occupied, and water very sparingly until they are well 



established in the new soil. Even then, no more water must be 



applied than is absolutely necessary to maintain a steady growth. 



Early in September remove to the greenhouse for the winter, and the 



only attention required to keep them in health will be to supply 



them with water when necessary 7 , and to keep the foliage free from 



green-fly, which, by the way, are very partial to them. 



Some time during January of the following year, repot all that 

 require a shift into pots two sizes larger ; that is, those occupying 

 three-inch pots should be put into the six-inch size, and those in five- 

 inch into pots eight inches in diameter. Potted as here advised, no 



