188 THE FLORIST. 



growth, as often as may be deemed necessary ; and during the 

 same period, repeatedly " stopping" the young growths, till the 

 ground-work of what you intend each plant to become is formed. 

 But never " top" and repot at the same time. Let each plant be 

 well established before you " top" it, and never repot till the plant 

 has broken again. These are golden rules in general plant-culture, 

 especially among hard-wooded plants. Be liberal in your treatment 

 to the young plants throughout their growth, and meet the bloom- 

 ing season with well-ripened robust shoots, and a well-filled pot of 

 roots : a magnificent display of bloom will follow. But of soil. 



Don't, because it is a succulent, starve it with mortar-rubbish 

 and brickbats. Secure a thorough drainage, and then employ a 

 compost, such as you would for a Geranium. Don't dry up the 

 plant in winter. If you once let the heap of soil become perfectly 

 dry, a great portion of the foliage will turn brown and fall off, and 

 leave the plant a scarecrow rather than an ornament to your green- 

 house. Bloom it with foliage of a twelvemonth's growth. During 

 the summer of its growth, you may use guano-water with great ad- 

 vantage, and again when the plant is rousing all its energies to per- 

 fect its blossoms. In winter, merely keep the soil damp, and the 

 temperature above freezing. I should have observed before, that 

 after the plants have done blooming, and previously to pruning them, 

 withhold water for some days, otherwise they " bleed" much, and the 

 young growth is weakened and retarded. If you desire to bloom 

 the same plant every season, you must preserve the growths which 

 have not bloomed this year, to produce blossoms in the ensuing 

 one. But two sets of plants are more satisfactory, if you have 

 room. The plant in question is, I believe, propagated extensively, 

 and employed as a bedding-plant, with excellent effect, by Mr. 

 Beaton, Sir William Middleton's gardener. Of course, for such a 

 purpose, a different routine of management must be observed. I 

 have used them as single plants in a mixed garden, for which pur- 

 pose they are desirable. 



George Lovell. 



REMARKS ON BRITISH FERNS. 



NO. vr. 

 [Continued from p. 184.] 



ATHYRIUM. 



A. FiLix FCEMiNA. For many j^ears this truly elegant British Fern 

 was referred to the genus Aspidium ; but as a nearer approach to 

 perfection in generic arrangement, it was thought proper to remove 

 it to that of Asplenium, in consequence of the length of the sori or 

 clusters of reproductive organs. And now it is considered, and I 

 think very justly, to correspond better in generic character with 

 Athyrium, which, however, is decidedly identical with Allan todia ; at 



