458 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



inches in diameter be thought large enough, it will be necessary to 

 desist from topping by the end of August, because if shortened after 

 this time, they do not gain sufficient strength to produce large heads 

 of flower the following year. But should plants of 4 feet in diameter, 

 to produce from 300 to 400 heads of flower, be the desideratum, it 

 will be proper to continue topping and shifting occasionally till the 

 end of August in the following year, when the operation should be 

 entirely discontinued. According to the system here detailed, a plant 

 at this stage of its growth should occupy a pot 14 inches in diameter. 

 The branches of the plant extending considerably beyond the rim all 

 round, the lower ones from their own weight having become to some 

 degree pendulous, these appearances render a final shift very requisite. 

 A pot of 18 inches in diameter will hold a sufficient quantity of 

 fresh earth to enable the plant to form strong flower-shoots ; and 

 also by potting rather deeper than usual, the pendent branches are 

 supported by being allowed to rest on the surface of the earth, into 

 which they root freely, and become important auxiliaries to the prin- 

 cipal roots. The final staking may be delayed till the middle of 

 August, when all the main shoots should be properly supported. 

 As the shoots grow rapidly for some time before they come into 

 flower, the supports should extend a little beyond their tops, so that 

 when the flowers are about to expand they may have the advantage 

 of a tie at the neck : thus secured, they may be removed to the place 

 allotted for them, and whether this be the parterre, veranda, or green- 

 house, they will continue in flower for six or seven weeks, emitting 

 a rich fragrance and exhibiting an appearance of beauty that is 

 rarely attainable in any other pot plant. In conclusion, I may 

 remind the readers of ' The Gardener ' that the truth of the expression, 

 " All that is very fair is very rare," is never more evident than when 

 applied to the Kalosanthes coccinea. Thomas Beid. 



Chester. 



HARDY FRUITS-OCTOBER. 



Attention to gathering of Apples, Pears, and Nuts is now an important 

 matter. The fruit-room, or wherever storage is, should be dry, free from any 

 impurity, and vermin should be thoroughly eradicated, and no means of ingress 

 allowed them. The fruit are not to be taken before the usual indications are 

 perceived — the seeds becoming dark, the stalks T>arting easily from the tree, 

 and the colour well developed. The fruits should be carefully handled and 

 placed on the shelves, in drawers, or other quarters allotted to the keeping of 

 them. We see such a variety of ways and means adopted to the keeping of 

 fruit. Some of the large growers have them laid in heaps on floors, as some do 

 with potatoes. Other instances are, where each fruit is kept separate from its 



