144 THE GARDENER. [March 



they must not on any occasion be allowed to suffer for want of water 

 at the root, for in such a position they are apt to be neglected. 



It also makes a beautiful exhibition-plant when grown to a large 

 size, and tied out to very neat, small stakes, something in the same 

 way that we would recommend for double Petunias. Cuttings of the 

 half-ripened wood will strike very freely in a gentle bottom-heat, with 

 plenty of moisture j and after they are well rooted, they should be 

 potted off singly into 2h or 3 inch pots, and kept close and shaded for 

 a few days from bright sun, after which gradually inure them to a light 

 and airy position near the glass. 



The soil best adapted for them is equal parts of turfy peat and loam, 

 a little sharp sand, and plenty of broken pieces of charcoal to keep the 

 soil open. 



In potting, be careful to drain the pots well, and use the soil a little 

 finer for young stuff than for larger plants ; and as soon as the cutting- 

 pots are full of roots, shift on into such larger-sized ones as may be 

 deemed necessary, and stake and tie the plants into proper shape. 



When making their growth, they should be freely watered at the 

 roots and syringed overhead on fine afternoons, keeping up that degree 

 of humidity which is so essential in the cultivation of stove-plants in 

 general. This, however, must be varied according to the existing state 

 of the weather, as a degree of humidity may be indulged in on fine 

 sunny days which might prove dangerous in dull rainy weather. 



The plants should also be fully exposed to the sun at all times ; and 

 as very fine large specimens can be grown in comparatively small pots, 

 we would recommend caution, when potting, not to overpot them, as 

 they are apt to turn yellow in the foliage and die off. 



Specimens should be reduced at the root annually, and put into the 

 same size of pot again with fresh compost, taking care not to hurt the 

 roots when reducing the ball. 



A very weak solution of guano and soot water may be given once 

 or twice a-week, when the plants are making growth and in flower, 

 with very beneficial results. " Dundonian." 



SCOTTISH HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 



The monthly meeting was held on the evening of Tuesday the 4th ult., in 

 the hall, 5 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh — Mr M. Dunn, president, occupied 

 the chair. There was an unusually large attendance. A paper was read from 

 Mr John Cail, The Gardens, Inverary Castle, on "The arrangement of Trees, 

 Shrubs, and Climbing Plants in Ornamental Grounds. " After a few remarks 

 upon the growing popularity of these plants, which, he observed, was not with- 

 out good reason, seeing that they possessed such a great variety of outline and 

 beauty of form, the author went on to describe some of the principles neces- 

 sary to be acted upon in order to insure success in their grouping in the 

 pleasure-grounds. First of all, it was essential for planting to consider care- 

 fully the character and capabilities of the ground to be operated upon. The 

 clumps should be laid out so as to secure a wavy or irregular outline — over- 

 crowding to be carefully avoided ; and in the dispositions of the various sorts 

 in planting, care should be taken that each may have sufficient space to admit 



