i8Si.] NOTES ON WINTiiR-FLOWERING PLANTS. 247 



lifting and root-pruning them they may be made so. When this is done 

 (October is the best time for doing it), all fibry roots should be care- 

 fully saved, and in planting kept well up. Strong clean roots should 

 be well shortened in. The result of this will be a moderate fruitful 

 growth above and a mass of fibry roots below. When the trees begin 

 to fruit, the calls made on their energies will do much to keep down 

 the tendency to over-luxuriant growth. Below, however, the roots 

 will be apt to grow strongly, and so produce unfruitful growth. When 

 this is so, root-pruning must again be resorted to. When the trees 

 attain some size, however, it may be wise to lift the roots of only one 

 side of the tree one year, and the other the next. In the case of old, 

 unfruitful, neglected trees, it is best to carefully find the strong roots, 

 and, instead of cutting them back, lay them just under the surface. 

 This operation is necessary to produce healthful trees, and to keep 

 them healthy, on all thin soils with a bad subsoil. When the roots pene- 

 trate bad soil, diseased unhealthy trees are the result. Root-lifting 

 is a sure cure — or rather a sure preventive. 



{To he continued.) 



A. H., H. 



NOTES Oi^ WINTER-FLOWERING PLANTS. 



The present month will be gladly welcomed by all who grow plants 

 extensively for the production of flow^ers during winter, especially 

 where house and pit room are somewhat limited. In northern districts 

 a number of plants that will do out of doors during the summer 

 months cannot be placed outside until all fear of frost is over, which in 

 many seasons is not the case until June is well advanced. This, in the 

 majority of cases, occasions fruit and plant houses to be overcrowded 

 with plants during the spring months, — such, at least, is the case here 

 at present. Rhododendrons of the early-flowering type will have com- 

 pleted their growth if gradually pushed forward after flowering. The 

 batch of R. praecox that flowered first have already their buds a good 

 size, and later batches are comparatively well advanced. These should 

 be hardened off and plunged outside. This variety will bear a con- 

 siderable amount of hard forcing in autumn ; but its flowers some- 

 times open irregularly, and are colourless and soft, thus being ren- 

 dered useless for cutting, as they quickly droop after being severed 

 from the plant. No autumn forcing is needed when the growth of the 

 latest batches is completed this month, as the flowers naturally unfold 

 early in the season, and are of a fine colour and good substance, 

 with very lasting properties when cut. This and other early kinds, 

 such as R. nobleanum, do better in pots than when planted out after 

 flowering. When kept in pots they annually set a good quantity of 

 buds, and force both better and easier. This is not the only advantage, 



