1869.] THE PERSIAN LILAC, FOR EARLY FORCING. 41 



are connected with the inner plate. There is but a small space left for water 

 between the two iron plates which form the boiler, and as the action of the fire 

 takes immediate effect on the inner surface and tubes, the water must be made to 

 circulate very rapidly. The boiler may be seen here, both at work and other- 

 wise." 



Ashburnham Park Nursery, Chelsea. J. Wills, F.R.H.S. 



THE PERSIAN LILAC, FOR EARLY FORCING. 



JLMOST every garden establishment in the country is expected to furnish 

 a constant and abundant supply of cut flowers during the entire season ; 

 and there is, generally speaking, little difficulty experienced in realizing 

 this expectation during ten months of the year ; but during the remain- 

 ing two, namely, January and February, even those who can command every 

 appliance sometimes find a difficulty in meeting the demand. 



This consideration induces me to call attention to the beautiful sweet- 

 scented shrub which I have named, whose flowers are so suggestive of the balmy 

 breezes of returning spring, that they seldom fail to secure for it the position of 

 a general favourite. It has, moreover, the great advantage of being more easily 

 forced than almost any other shrub ; so much so, that it may be had in flower 

 at almost any time. In fact, so accommodating is this plant that a bush of any 

 manageable size may be taken up from the shrubberies, potted, and placed in a 

 warm house, and successfully forced into flower. 



Great advantage will, however, be found in having a number of plants 

 prepared and kept for the express purpose of forcing. Any time during the 

 winter let a number of strong suckers be secured from the shrubberies, or an 

 old bush may be taken up and pulled to pieces, selecting a number of rods with 

 a few fibres attached to them ; cut these into lengths of about nine inches or a 

 foot, and clear off any suckers or buds from amongst the fibres and from the 

 lower part of the stems, the object being to form dwarf standard plants with 

 «lean stems about six or nine inches in length. Plant them in rows at about two 

 feet apart each way, and during the first summer stop some of the strongest 

 shoots, to induce them to form compact, well-balanced heads ; and some time 

 during the succeeding winter or spring cut each shoot back to within two 

 inches of the stem. During the following summer they may be expected to 

 form compact round heads, consisting of many shoots, and nearly every shoot 

 terminated by an inflorescence. In the course of the ensuing winter the plants 

 may be taken up, carefully potted, and successfully forced into flower as required. 



Some sixteen years since I prepared a number of plants in the manner I have 

 described, and a portion of them have been forced successfully every winter since 

 that time. The same plants, however, are never forced two winters in succes- 

 sion, but all are transplanted every spring, having their roots at the same time 

 slightly reduced, the suckers, if any have been formed, removed, and the shoots 



