1870.] CULTURE OF POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA. 225 



THE CULTURE OF POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA. 



As in page 43 of the present volume of the ' Gardener' you were led 

 to speak in terms of high approval of the Poinsettias exhibited at the 

 Liverpool Chrysanthemum Show in November last, it may perhaps 

 interest some of your readers to know my mode of treating this most 

 indispensable winter-flowering plant. Probably no plant in cultivation 

 is more ornamental during the winter months, when it is well grown : 

 mingled with flowering and foliaged plants, it gives a rich bright hue 

 of colour, not otherwise attainable in such a perfect degree at that par- 

 ticular season of the year. 



In order to have large plants, I take those that have flowered the 

 previous season, which up to the end of March or beginning of April 

 have been kept rather dry, in a temperature of from 45° to 50°. Previ- 

 ous to starting them into growth, the plants are cut back to within 10 

 inches of the " collar ; " and when brought into a higher and moister 

 temperature they will soon break into three or four nice shoots. When 

 the young growth has developed a few leaves, the plants are repotted, 

 and in the act of doing this some of the old roots and soil are removed. 

 The shift is made into a larger-sized pot, and the compost used made up 

 of two-thirds light turfy loam, one-third peat and decayed cow-dung, 

 together with a liberal sprinkling of silver sand and some small pieces 

 of charcoal : such a soil as this I have always found to grow the Poin- 

 settia well. Good drainage is of great importance to the wellbeing of 

 the plants. A further shift is made into a 1 or 1 2 inch pot, and in 

 these pots the plants are allowed to bloom. In making this shift, I 

 do not nearly fill the pots to the rim, but allow plenty of space for top- 

 dressing : this I have found a most material aid in the full develop- 

 ment of the gorgeous-coloured bracts. For top-dressing I use a soil 

 richer than that employed in potting the plants. After each potting 

 a slight increase of temperature is given. After the last potting, when 

 the roots have taken hold of the soil, I take off the tops of some of the 

 stronger shoots, so as to give more blooming wood, and at the same 

 time throw increased strength (by the act of stopping) into the younger 

 shoots. This gives from six to eight shoots to a plant. From the middle 

 of August until the end of September, plenty of air is given to the 

 plants to make them sturdy in growth ; after that they are placed in 

 a higher temperature, and treated occasionally to a dose of liquid 

 manure, made of cow-dung, sheep's dung, and a little soot ; and some 

 guano is given occasionally, as a change. I always make a point (and 

 I wish to impress its necessity on the cultivators of the Poinsettia) of 

 administering the liquid manure of the same temperature as that pre- 

 vailing in the house. 



p 



