70 THE GARDENER. [Feb. 



sharp knife, and the foliage clipped or cut from off a portion of the 

 lower end of the stem. Six-inch pots are large enough in which to 

 place the cuttings. Fill the pots, after crocking them well, to within 

 an inch or so of the rim, with good peat, rubbed through a half-inch 

 riddle, using some of the rougher portions on the top of the crocks, 

 so as to secure thorough drainage — some silver-sand may be mixed 

 along with the peat — press all firmly into the pots, and smooth it off 

 level, then fill up with pure silver-sand, water through a fine rose, 

 and then the pots are ready for the cuttings. Take a bell-glass a size 

 smaller than the pots, and press it on the sand so as to make a mark, 

 then proceed to put in the cuttings within this mark, so that they 

 may be clear of the glass when it is put over them. Put the cuttings 

 in firmly, and give another watering through a fine rose, to settle the 

 sand about them ; and after the cuttings have dried a little, put on 

 the bell-glasses. They may be placed in a house having a tempera- 

 ture of about 50°, and shaded from bright sun. The glass should be 

 taken off and wiped dry inside every morning ; and they must be 

 watched for mildew, and dusted slightly with sulphur on its first 

 appearance. After they have formed roots, pot them off singly into 

 small thumb-pots, using nearly equal parts of peat, rubbed through a 

 fine sieve, and silver-sand; and, indeed, in all subsequent stages of 

 their culture, nothing but good fibry peat and silver-sand should be 

 used; only, as the pots increase in size, the compost should be rougher, 

 so that when they come to be in pots larger than 6 inches, the soil 

 should merely be broken in pieces with the hands, and not sifted at 

 all ; and at this stage a few small pieces of charcoal will be an 

 advantage in helping to keep the soil open. The pots should always 

 be carefully drained, not so much by putting in a large quantity of 

 crocks thrown in any how, as in having them carefully put in, and a 

 layer of sphagnum moss over them. 



The great object during the first three or four years of their growth 

 is to get a good foundation laid for the future specimen plant ; this 

 must be secured by frequent pinchings, and tying out the young 

 shoots so as to get them into proper form. If this is not properly 

 attended to at first it can never be done afterwards. They should 

 never be shifted into larger pots until the ball is thoroughly per- 

 meated with the roots. On the other hand, they should not, in a 

 young stage, be allowed to become pot-bound. The shifting is always 

 a critical time with them ; and many plants give way at this time or 

 soon after, which shows the necessity of carefulness in the operation. 

 The soil should be in a nice state as regards moistness, not too dry, 

 nor yet wet enough to be sticky. After they are shifted, give a good 

 watering, frequently repeated, until the whole mass is soaked through, 



