rOEEIGN NOTICES. 



few years past, I have no doubt that the time is not far distant wlien it Tvill form one of the 

 leading fearnres at our floral exhibitions. I do not know if my system of prop.ngating this 

 favorite be new ; but as it is simple, certain and expeditious, it may be as "well to state how I 

 proceed from the commencement I fill shallow pans (such as are used for placing under flower 

 pots) to within a quarter of an inch of the top with silver sand, and pour in water sufficient 

 just to cover the sand. I then make the cuttings in the usual way, and push them into the wet 

 sand ; put the labels to them, and place them in a hot-bed frame where the heat ranges from 

 Goo to 700, always keeping the sand wet. The advantages to be realized by propagating the 

 Verbena in this way are, that the cuttings never require to be shaded in the brightest simshine, 

 consequently the young plants are not drawn up long and lanky ; the cuttings never stop 

 growing from the time they are put in until they are ready to pot off, -which is in about six or 

 seven days, when they may be drawn out of the wet sand, with a bunch of roots, without 

 injuring a single fibre. The best time to commence operations for growing specimen Verbenas 

 in pots is February, or as soon as vegetation commences for the season. It is desirable to pot a 

 few of the best autumu-struck plants for the sake of early bloom ; but they never make sucli 

 handsome specimens, nor continue so long in good health, as plants raised from cuttings in 

 spring. As soon as the cuttings are well rooted, they should be potted into 3-inch pots, and 

 placed in a gentle heat for a few days, until they are established in the pots ; then top them, 

 and harden them by degrees; never allow them to remain long in heat after they begin to 

 grow, or they will form long naked stems. As soon as the pots are filled -with roots, shift into 

 6-inch ones, and from these into 11-inch pots. During the growth of the plant, all shoots must 

 be stopped in order to cause the plants to grow bushy ; and never allow them to flower until 

 the plant is properly formed, and has as many leading shoots as are wanted. The compost in 

 which I grow the A^erbena is, equal parts of turfy loam, leaf mold, and peat, with a little silver 

 sand added, to keep the soil open. I water twice a week with liquid manure, and occasionally 

 syringe over head with clean water to cleanse the foliage. If the saving of the seed is no 

 object, all flowers ought to be cut off as soon as they begin to decay. I need scarcely add, that 

 the grand secret in the successful culture of this, as well as of all plants, is efficient drainage; 

 without this no plant will coiitinue long in good health. If green-fly should attack your plants, 

 fumigate with tobacco ; for if the fly once gets a-head, the plants will never recover sufficiently 

 to give satisfaction. Mildew is another enemj- which must be looked after. As soon as it is 

 perceived, dust the plants with a little sulpluir, which will stop it from doing much mischief. — Y., 

 in Gardeners' Chronicle. 



Ox THE Cultivation of Cape Heaths. — Having procured some nice bushy plants of the sorts 

 intended to be grown, which had better be done early in the spring, and having prepared sufii- 

 cient good fibry peat, by breaking it to pieces and mixing with it a liberal quantity of silver 

 sand, and some lumps of charcoal or small pebbles, proceed to shift the plants from 3-inch to 5- 

 inch pots, or from .5-inch to T or 8-inch pots, and so on, as the case may be, using the peat coarser 

 for the large sizes than for the small ones, and employing clean, well-drained pots. Press the 

 mold firmly round them ; if the peat is light, it must be pressed till it is quite firm, or the 

 plants will probably grow very freely for a time, and then suddenly die. "When they are shifted, 

 place them in a cold frame and keep them rather close and shady for a few days, but do not go 

 to extremes either way. Gradually increase the air, and reduce the sliading till in fine days 

 the lights are left off entirely. 



As the weather becomes warm, leave air on all night, and in liot June, .Tuly, and August days 

 shade them in the middle of the day, and leave the lights off all night. Many of them would, 

 no doubt, bloom ; but if they are slow-growing kinds, and specimens are required, I would 

 prefer stopping them all over as soon as they get into good growth. When they require it pass 

 a strong band of matting or string round the pot, and with some fine matting draw the shoots 

 regularly towards the edge of the pot, in order to allow the air to pass freely through them. — 

 fine woolly growth they may make in the centre had better be cut out, for it only 

 and unsightly if allowed to remain. Some of the free flowering kinds may bo alio 



