494 THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



which should be allowed to run in a horizontal direction as far as it is 

 thought prudent to prune the plant back to the following year. If 

 run about a yard on each side, and then allowed to go upright, the 

 foundation is laid the second season for a plant to furnish a space of 

 four yards of roof. The plants can be extended on this principle until 

 they fill the whole of one side of the house, or as far as it is necessary 

 to extend them. I filled the side of a span-roofed house, 40 feet long, 

 with three plants, the third season from striking the cuttings. Two 

 plants now occupy the space on each side of the house : one would 

 have covered it before now, but two are preferable if a continuous 

 supply of bloom is required. One plant can be retarded while the 

 other is pushed forward. By this system the house will not present 

 such a grand display as if the whole was literally covered with bloom 

 at one time. This is a matter for individual cultivators to determine, 

 according to their taste and circumstances. 



The soil most suitable for Allamandas is rich loam, with a seventh of 

 manure or small bone-dust, and sufficient sand to make the whole por- 

 ous ; they require a rich soil to grow them well. In potting, the 

 pots should be well drained; the drainage being covered with a layer 

 of rotten manure before placing in any of the compost, which must be 

 pressed firmly into the pots. Allamandas require potting as firm as 

 it is possible, which causes the wood to be short -jointed, and the 

 quantity of bloom greater than if loosely potted. When the plants 

 are young, and are being grown on, they can be potted from time to 

 time without reducing the old ball. But when in pots sufficiently 

 large, and it is not necessary to increase the size, the ball can be 

 reduced to one-half, and placed back again into the same size of pot. 

 When placing plants in the same pots, sufficient room is left for a good 

 mulching of cow or other manure, when the pots are well filled with 

 roots. This assists the plants greatly, and the roots quickly 

 lay hold of it. It is wonderful what a large amount of growth 

 Allamandas will make in a 20 -inch pot. This size would be large 

 enough for a plant to grow in to cover the side of a house 40 feet long, 

 and have a distance to travel of 16 feet or more up the roof of the 

 house, and produce thousands of large blooms. 



While growing, these plants require liberal supplies of water. At 

 first, after potting especially, when the roots have been considerably 

 reduced, they must be carefully watered, giving more as they develop 

 in growth. When they have to cover such a large space as alluded 

 to above, they will require, during hot weather, water at least three 

 times a-day. When the pots are full of roots, and have been top- 

 dressed, manure-water must be freely given every time the plants are 

 watered, or" the blooms soon diminish in size. Soot-water every alter- 

 nate watering is very beneficial to them : not only does it keep the 

 foliage a fine dark hue, but adds brilliancy to the flowers. Water 

 must gradually be withheld as the season for resting the plants ad- 



