iSyi.] PLANTS FOR ROOM DECORATION. 473 



from time to time, with our esteemed Editor's permission, I have found 

 very useful in my own circumstances; and believing that many others 

 may find them likewise useful, I pass on to describe their treatment 

 for the purposes of room and table decoration. 



Sedum faharia. — This is one of the handsomest of the stone crops, 

 and perfectly hardy, but very late in flowering — so late, in fact, as to 

 be useless in cold late places, except it is assisted by a little artificial 

 heat in spring. It ordinarily grows to the height of about 18 inches, 

 and in that gross condition would be unfit for our purpose. It is too 

 leggy, too high for its breadth in single-stemmed plants, if not dwarfed 

 by some means ; but when brought down to half its natural height 

 without any diminution of breadth, it assumes a very neat and sym- 

 metrical appearance. This is very easily done in the following way : 

 Assuming that there are some old stock plants on hand, let them be 

 divided about the end of March into single crowns ; choose as many as 

 may be required of the strongest crowns, and pot them in rich light 

 loam, and some manure well decayed. Plunge them, after potting, in 

 sand or coal- ashes, in a cold frame, and encourage growth by every 

 means, but slowly, giving plenty of air, and keeping the plants near 

 the light. In the first or second week in May, plant them out in 

 difi'erent aspects, some w^arm and early, and others cold ; this wdll induce 

 difi'erent degrees of progress in them. When the corymbs begin to 

 make their appearance, cut over the stems with five or six leaves below 

 the base of the corymbs; remove the lowest leaf, and insert each stem 

 in the way of a cutting in a small 60-pot singly, in rich but sandy soil, 

 and plunge them in a cold frame till they strike root. The frame need 

 not be kept constantly close ; in very hot weather air may be admitted, 

 to keep the temperature as low as possible, and shade may be given in 

 bright days for the same purpose, till the cuttings have m.ade some 

 roots. They should then be gradually inured to more light and air, 

 till the lights may be wholly dispensed with, except in w^et weather. 

 They will soon fill the cutting-pots with roots, but must not be allowed 

 to become pot-bound before getting a shift. The sizes of pots we find 

 most convenient to have these plants in are 5 and 6 inch diameter, 

 and we put them in these at once from the cutting-pots. They are 

 afterwards grown on slowly ; and when the roots fully occupy the soil, 

 they are treated frequently to weak liquid manure. After the cuttings 

 are put in, the stems make very little extension in length ; the branches 

 of the corymb, however, extend considerably, and the few leaves grow 

 to a large size, till the plants about this time (the middle of September) 

 are about 9 inches high, and as much across the top, and the first 

 batch just opening their flowers. The large glaucous leaves and the dense 

 corymbs of beautiful rosy-purple flow^ers, taken along with the dwarf 



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