1876.] 

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AND HORTICULTURIBT. 



329 



tra, so popular about a quarter of a century ago, 

 will be much pleased with C. Hilltieldiana; for 

 whilst possessing the neat habit of the older 

 form, it is of more vigorous growth and has 

 larger and more richly-colored flowers. It has 

 a branching habit and usually attains a height 

 of ten or twelve inches, and is densely furnished 

 with rich glossy green leaves. The flowers are 

 trumpet-shaped, about an inch in length, and of 

 a rich crimson color. It may be had in bloom 

 during the greater part of the year, and although 

 its usual period of floAvering is from spring to 

 autumn, it may, by a proper course of culture 

 and genial temperature, be had in bloom during 

 the winter months. Small bushes are remark- 

 ably attractive, but, like C. platycentra, it will 

 probably appear to the best advantage in the 

 form of standards upon stems from fifteen to 

 eighteen inches in height. 



I have for many years grown standard speci- 

 mens of the species last mentioned, and as they 

 are usually much admired during the time they 

 are in the conservatory, it is not unreasonable 

 to suppose that a few particulars of the course 

 of culture by which examples with well-furnished 

 heads are obtained will prove useful to some of 

 the numerous readers of the magazine. A batch 

 of cuttings are struck in the usual way in the 

 spring, and after they have been potted off" and 

 made sufficient progress to show which are likely 

 to grow with the greatest vigor, the strongest 

 plants are put on one side to receive the special 

 training necessary in the production of standards. 

 Tlie others are simply stopped, and in due 

 course planted in the borders or shifted on to 

 form neat bushes for the conservatory. The 

 first matter to be considered is the formation of 

 a stout stem, and, as in the case of fuchsias and 

 other plants required for standards, the shoot of 

 which the plant consists must be trained to a 

 neat stake fixed in the pot, and the side-shoots 

 be nipped off" as fast as they make their appear- 

 ance. When the desired height is attained the 

 top must be nipped ofl" and all the side shoots 

 that push from four to five inches below be al- 

 lowed to remain. These in their turn will want 

 stopping at the fourth or fifth joint, and unless 

 extra large heads are in request there should be 

 no further stopping. 



A vigorous growth must be maintained by 

 shifting the plants on as becomes necessary until 

 they reach pots eight inches in diameter. Very 

 neat standards may be had in six-inch pots. A 

 rich and rather light compost is necessary, and 



this can be prepared by well mixing together 

 three parts mellow turfy loam, oi^o part each of 

 powdery manure and leaf-mould, and half a part 

 of sand. The plants may be kept in excellent 

 condition for several years by simply repotting 

 them annually, and reducing the ball of soil at 

 each shift, sufficiently to allow of their being re- 

 turned to pots of the same size. 



Cuphea Hillfieldiana, it remains to be said, 

 was introduced by Mr. Wilson Saunders, and 

 grown for some years in his gardens at Hillfield, 

 before it found its way to trade collections. — 

 Flower Gardener, in Gardener's Magazine. 



A Geraxilt-ai Pyramid. — Diflerent people have 

 different ways, but I shall suppose my way to be 

 the best, and I am quite sure it cannot he the 

 worst, because we have perfect pyramids solid 

 throughout with leaf and flower. I first of all 

 make a movmd of good loam, not over steep, but 

 rising in nicely rounded form. Mine are ten 

 feet in width, with another border, slightly slop- 

 ing off towards the walk, of three feet wide, 

 making the width of the Avhole affair sixteen 

 feet. 



The plants are of course sorted in lengths, and 

 there are of course plenty of poles and sticks 

 and good bast at hand. Now, I must say, first 

 of all, that to do the pyramid well, you ought to 

 plant early. I generally get mine made up by 

 the end of April, and build up a wattled fence to 

 protect the plants until the middle of May. If 

 they got a little punished by frost, I do not much 

 mind, for they soon come right, and it is a grand 

 thing to get them well-rooted before hot weather 

 sets in, for, as a matter of fiict, the plants have a 

 lot of work to do. However, seasons differ, so 

 do climates, and mine happens to be a particu- 

 larly good climate, which is a matter of some 

 importance. 



It is necessary to bear in mind that when 

 your pyramid is in perfection in the month of 

 July, it may be blown to pieces and scattered 

 all over the parish by a thunder-storm, for 

 the gales that occur in the thunder season are to 

 be thought of in time by the prudent gardener. 

 For this reason, then, we make our work secure 

 in the first instance, and the first step is a stout 

 ash pole well driven into the centre of the mound, 

 to serve as the centre-piece of the scheme. 

 The length of this pole must of course be pro- 

 portionate to the height of your tallest plants, 

 but it may be a foot taller out of the ground 

 than your tallest plants, because they will soon 



