30 THE FLORIST. 



pot before the season arrives to prepare it for winter. About the 

 middle of August (if the weather is settled and fine,) place it in 

 a sheltered rather shady situation out of doors for a few weeks, 

 Vk here it will gain strength and check its growth in a great measure ; 

 but as soon as any sudden change in the weather takes place, such 

 as heavy drenching rains, lose no time in removing it into the green- 

 house, as nothing is so injurious to this plant as permitting the 

 mould to become wet and saturated at this season, when its roots 

 are in a state of torpidity. When in the greenhouse set it in a 

 light airy place, as close to the glass «as possible. Water through 

 the winter with great care, rather let it get too dry than too wet ; 

 but always act as near as you can upon the bounds of moderation in 

 each case, — neither too wet nor too dry. Here it will ripen its w r ood, 

 and soon begin to shew bloom-buds, and in April and May it will 

 expand its beautiful bloom. 



When out of flower, it should be judiciously pruned by cutting 

 back to a symmetrical shape, and then placed in a close pit, syring- 

 ing it overhead, and shutting up close early in the afternoon. It will 

 soon begin to throw out shoots with great vigour and strength. 

 When well broken examine its roots, as by this time it ought to 

 require another pot ; but by no means attempt to shift it after you 

 have pruned it back until it has broken again, as the severe check 

 upon the top, and disturbing the roots at the same time, would have, 

 in most cases, a fatal effect. By following this practice, and treating 

 the plant through the growing season by shifting it when in need, 

 and attending to the wintering of it, there will be no difficulty in 

 becoming the possessor of a splendid specimen, such as would do 

 credit to the mcst select collection. 



Camden Nursery, Camberwell. William Barnes. 



ON DRESSING FLOWERS. 



Twenty-six years ago come next June, I first saw a box of cut Pink 

 blooms to be taken to an exhibition, where a selection out of that 

 box gained the first prize. Afterwards I was admitted by the 

 nurseryman, near whom I had recently gone to live, into the arcana 

 of his art, and w 7 as witness to the " milliner's trickery," as your 

 correspondent Philip Havapek not inaptly calls it, and scrutinised 

 the form and nice adaptation of the instrument employed, and saw 

 the slow and laborious process by which, through its means, a Pink 

 is fitted to shine among its compeers, like a young lady at a ball. 

 And as I pondered over the matter, now marvelling at the skill of the 

 operator, now despairing of attaining to his tact, it struck me, as 

 it has struck your correspondent, that there is something very un- 

 natural in all this, and calculated to mislead the public by establishing 

 a deceptive difference between shown flowers and grown flowers. 



But as I have since considerably modified my opinion, and become 

 reconciled to the practice, it is fair to ask whether I can give a suffi- 

 cient reason for having done so. And this I will try to do. 



