342 THE GARDP:NER. [Aug. 



tives of some families belonging to the animal kingdom, — the latter, as 

 a rule, being in a highly satisfactory condition as regards their health 

 and power of reproducing their kind, whatever may be the condition 

 of the former. Boronias should have an airy position as near to the 

 glass as possible at all times of the year. When bright sunshine 

 occurs during the summer months they should be slightly shaded, 

 but continued shade at any season is not beneficial to them. 



As soon as the flowering season is over, the necessary ])runing or 

 cutting-back of the plants should take place. Those species of a habit 

 of growth similar to that of B. Drummondii should be cut well back 

 annually. By so doing the plants are kept well furnished with shoots, 

 thereby giving to them a bushy and well-formed appearance. In the 

 case of B. serrulata, it is sufficient to pinch out the points of the shoots 

 annually, after the flowering season is over. This species does not 

 make as long shoots annually as most of the others ; hence it is only 

 necessary to nip out the points of its shoots until such time as the 

 plants are of the desired size — then of course it should be treated simi- 

 larly to the others in the matter of pruning or cutting back of its 

 annual growths. After the plants have been pruned they should be 

 placed on their side, and well washed by means of a syringe. If at the 

 time the cultivator entertains any suspicion that there is scale or 

 mealy-bug lurking about them, he should use at first paraffin and 

 water, in the proportion of two wine-glassfulls of the former to one 

 gallon of the latter, heated to a temperature of 95°, and kept thor- 

 oughly mixed together during the time of application. Let the mix- 

 ture remain for a few minutes on the plants, and then give them 

 a thorough syringing with pure water. This will clear them of the 

 paraffin and the greater number of insects, supposing any of the 

 latter were present on them previous to the application. After 

 undergoing cleaning in the way just referred to, the plants should 

 be placed near to the glass in a cold pit or frame, and duly attended 

 to in the matter of admitting air and supplying them with water at 

 the roots. In this position they will soon commence to push forth 

 fresh growth ; and whenever this is observed they should, if in the 

 cultivator's opinion they recxuire it, be re-potted. When doing this 

 much care ought to be taken, as, like all hard-wooded plants, Boronias 

 will not thrive satisfactorily unless the soil about their roots is main- 

 tained in a thoroughly sweet condition ; hence it is highly important 

 to supply an adequate amount of efficient drainage at first. After the 

 plants are repotted, they should be again placed in a cold frame or pit, 

 and the latter kept rather close and shaded for a week or two, until 

 the roots have laid hold of the fresh soil. They should remain in 

 this position up to the end of September, and during the time air 

 should be admitted freely to them both day and night. By the first 

 week of October they should be placed in their winter quarters, 

 and, as before indicated, in a position as near to the glass as 



