THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 139 



shoots are separated and potted in small pots and are set aside in 

 cold frames for a month or two. They are then transferred to a 

 warm house, and the varieties to be grafted are put in the same 

 house with them. They begin to grow almost immediately, and as 

 soon as there are signs of movement their heads are cut off, and the 

 scarcely bursting shoots of the varieties are grafted on them by side 

 or cleft grafting ; usually the first, for there is not enough wood for 

 cleft grafting. As soon as the grafts are tied on, they are placed in 

 a steady and quite moist but gentle heat, and stock and graft grow 

 together almost immediately and with considerable speed. We find 

 it very difficult to keep the plants clean so long as they are subjected 

 to artificial heat ; indeed, we have had our stock thoroughly foul 

 with green-fly on several occasions when pushing the growth. "We 

 can only advise fumigation the moment the fly aj^pears, and the 

 smart use of the syringe over the leaves at all times that the state of 

 the plants and weather will allow. When they are in flower the 

 syringe must not be used. A golden rule to get rid of all vermin in 

 spring, is to put them out of doors as soon as it is safe to do so ; 

 this makes an end of vermin completely. Ours, that had been win- 

 tered under glass, were put out on the 12th of April, and will remain 

 out till October next. 



[Fertilization of the female flowers is such a simple process tliat 

 we hope all our readers will include it in the round of their garden 

 recreations. It is best if male and female plants are in flower at 

 the same time and in the same house. In this case the pollen can 

 be removed from the stamens of the male flowers daily (mid-day is 

 the best time), with a dry and soft camel' s-hair pencil, and at once 

 applied to the female flowers. To pass the brush lightly over the 

 stamens first, and then lightly over the female flowers, is all suffi- 

 cient. If the male flowers first, which it is apt to do, having been 

 so hard forced in the nurseries for increase of stock, the pollen 

 should be brushed ofl" daily into a tin box (or into a box of any kind 

 lined with tin-foil), and when the flowers of the female are ex- 

 panded, it must be transferred to them from the box by means of a 

 camel's-hair pencil. Some precautions must be taken from the first 

 to prevent a waste of pollen, for whatever falls on the mould inside 

 the pot may be considered lost for ever. Mr. Crute, who has 

 exhibited the finest specimen berried aucuba, covers the soil of the 

 pot containing the male plant with tin-foil just before the flowers 

 open, and when removing the pollen from the flowers, takes care 

 also to sweep up any that may have fallen on the tin-foil. I lay 

 some small squares of glass over the soil, which answers pretty well, 

 but Mr. Crute's method is the most neat and complete, and is, there- 

 fore, recommended. The pollen may be kept for a great length of 

 time if cool and dry. 



The berries of the aucuba swell slowly, and do not ripen till 

 nearly mid-winter, unless the plants are constantly kept under glass. 

 "When ripened, the appearance of the plant, if the berries are plentiful, 

 is truly magnificent, but to display the berries well it is advisable to 

 remove a few of the uppermost leaves. In the month of March is 

 the best time to sow the berries. They require no preparation, but 



