March 13, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



199 



them. The stains of permanganate of potash upon the fingers 

 are easily washed off by sulphuric acid. — H. F. Church, in 

 Cliemical News. 



iVPHELEXIS CULTURE. 



Ikqciries having been made on this subject by a correspon- 

 dent, the following, which is in answer to them, may be useful 

 to other readers as well. 



Presuming " A Novice " to be in possession of good, strong, 

 compact, healthy plants in pots not more than 6 inches in 

 diameter, though be may have larger plants, only it is neces- 

 sary that they be well furnished or such as have been gi-own 

 lor specimens, he should, in the end of this month or begin- 

 ning of April, give them a shift into pots a size larger. If, 

 however, the plants are only such as never will make speci- 

 mens (and I think this is the case), it would be better to put 

 in cuttings in April, and grow them on. As " Novice " also 

 wishes for information as to the mode of propagation, I will 

 therefore commence with it. 



The shoots eligible for insertion as cuttings are those about 

 3 inches long, strong, not showing flower, and with the base 

 firm. This will be the case early in April. The shoots having 

 been slipped off, trim the base with a sharp knife so as to take 

 away any raggedness of the slip, and dress it for three-quarters 

 of an inch upwards. The cuttings being prepared, they are to 

 be inserted round the sides of a four-inch pot, nearly three 

 parts filled with drainage, a sufficient thickness of sandy peat 

 being placed over the drainage to leave room for three-quarters 

 of an inch of silver sand at top. The cuttings are inserted so 

 that their base may rest on the sand, and at the least possible 

 distance above the layer of sandy peat. The pot thus prepared 

 is to be placed inside one of larger size, so that both rims may 

 be level, and the interval between the two pots may be filled 

 with small gravel, or broken brick or crocks, putting sand on i 

 the top. Select a bell-glass which will fit on between the pots, 

 give a gentle watering, put on the beU-glass, and place the cut- 

 ting-pot in a temperature not more than 10' warmer than that 

 of the house in which the plants grew from which the cuttings 

 were taken. If the pots are plunged all the better. The sand 

 , should be just moist and no more. Give a little air at night 

 only, by tilting the bell-glass a little, and shade from bright 

 sun. The cuttings wiU be well rooted in six or eight weeks. 



The next best time to take cuttings is towards the end of 

 May, or from that time to the end of June, but the earlier the 

 better. The cuttings should then be firm, but not fuUy ripe, 

 and, instead of inserting them round the sides of a four-inch 

 pot and setting it in a larger one, they may be potted singly 

 in two-inch' pots, draining efficiently to one-third the depth 

 of the pot, placing over the drainage a layer of sandy peat, and 

 over that from half to three-quarters of an inch of sand. A 

 small hand-light, which need not be more than 3 feet long by 

 18 inches wide, may be placed on the table of the house in 

 which the plants affording the cuttings are, and it should be 

 filled with sawdust to witlun 3 inches of the glass. Cocoa-nut 

 refuse, however, is a better plunging material, and moss 

 answers well. The pots are to be plunged to the rim, and the 

 light kept close by day and tilted a little at night to prevent 

 damping, and, having a shady position, they will not require 

 shading, bnless the sun shine directly upon them, when a 

 slight shade may be given. With careful watering the cuttings 

 will root with certainty, if treated as above, and no undue ex- 

 citement be given in the shape of extra heat, that of the house, 

 from the advanced state of the cuttings, being ample. Instead 

 of putting in the cuttings in small pots they may be inserted 

 round the sides of a four or six-inch pot, and be placed under 

 a hand-light within a cool house or pit. In either case they 

 wiU be well rooted in six or eight weeks. 



The cuttings when struck should be potted singly in three- 

 inch pots, using a compost of turfy sandy peat two-thirds, and 

 one-third pieces of charcoal, not larger than a pea, and broken 

 crocks, the dust of both being removed ; one-sixth of sand may 

 be added. After potting place the pots in a frame near the 

 glass, keeping close and shaded from bright sun, and the young 

 plants will soon grow away freely. Now admit air and expose 

 to the sun. but do it by degrees, and, to make them grow 

 stocky or bushy, nip off the points of the shoots. They should 

 be so exposed as to endure sun by the end of September. 

 Early in October remove the plants to a light, drj-. and airy 

 shelf in a cool greenhouse where they can have air daily, but 

 exclude frosty currents. Be careful not to over-water. In the 

 first week of April pot them in 4J -inch pots, keep somewhat 



close for ten days or a fortnight, and if growing freely take 

 out the points of the shoots, but, if not, defer this and give 

 them a six-inch pot in June, stopping a fortnight afterwards. 

 After potting they should be placed in a cold frame, and when 

 growing freely the lights should be tilted back and front. They 

 are to Le housed by the end of September, and have a similar 

 position to that which they had in the previous year. The 

 plants will now (April) be equal to those in six-inch pots pur- 

 chased at a nursery, and whether raised or purchased the after- 

 treatment will be the same. 



To make specimen plants, pot into nine-inch pots early in 

 April, and as the shoots grow peg or tie down the lowest so as 

 to have the plants furnished to the rim of the pot. Give them 

 another shift by the middle of June into 12-inch pots, stopping 

 them soon afterwards, and never later than the early part of 

 July, and keeping in a cold frame with plenty of air and Ught, 

 protecting, however, from very bright sun by a very slight 

 shade of some kind. Continue to peg or tie down the shoots 

 so as to produce a compact evenly balanced head ; and due care 

 being taken of them in their winter quarters, they will make 

 nice specimens for blooming in the following year. 



In the following or first year of flowering the blooming 

 shoots should be cut-in to within an inch or two of the old 

 wood, and they will break strongly, in addition to which there 

 will be some small stubby shoots that have not flowered ; these 

 will receive encouragement from the increased light and flow of 

 sap, and they will for the most part ripen their wood well and 

 flower in the following year. They are to be scrupulously pre- 

 served. When the shoots break afresh then is the time to re- 

 pot, and, being in 12-inch pots, a shift into one 15 inches in 

 diameter will be sufficient. In repotting turn the plant out 

 carefully, and pick away the drainage and old soil so far as 

 this can be done without injuring the fibres. Drain the pots 

 extra well, and at this and the previous pottings, after shifting 

 into six-inch pots, use for soil two-thirds turf}' sandy peat, 

 broken and torn with the hand, picking out the pieces of heath 

 stem and root, and one-third charcoal in pieces from the size 

 of a pea up to that of a walnut, and broken crocks of similar 

 size sifted with a sieve having quarter-inch meshes to get rid 

 of dust and the smaller particles. To this soil should be added 

 one-sixth of silver sand, and let the whole be weU mixed. Be 

 careful not to bury the neck of the plant, but have it slightly 

 elevated in the pot. Pot rather firmly, give a gentle watering, 

 place in a cold frame, and keep close and shaded for a few days 

 until the roots take hold of the fresh soil, which will be in 

 about a fortnight. Then gradually expose to light, never shad- 

 ing at any time except from bright sun, and give air by tilting 

 the lights back and front. Any strong long shoots may be 

 stopped, but not after the middle of July, if they are expected 

 to give flowering shoots for next year's bloom. The following 

 year, if due regard be paid to pegging down, tying, and regu- 

 lating the shoots, fair specimens will be the result. It will not 

 now be necessary to repot after blooming and cutting-in ; but, 

 the drainage being good, it will suffice if some of the surface 

 soil, and that around the sides of the pots, be removed, and 

 its place supplied by fresh compost, giving weak applications 

 of liquid manure when making fresh growths. 



In subsequent years the plants may be fresh potted when 

 required, though they will often continue in health for years 

 if afforded a good annual top-dressing, and they may be either 

 shifted into larger pots, or continued in the same size if a por- 

 tion of the old soil is carefully removed. This should be done 

 after the plants have been pruned back after blooming, and 

 the shoots have grown a little. All potting should be done so 

 that the roots may reach the sides of the pot before winter. 

 The shoots should not be stopped after June, if the plants are 

 to bloom in the following year. Never cut back into old wood, 

 but leave enough of last year's wood to give new shoots. Tie 

 down or peg the shoots, but do not use sticks, they spoil the 

 effect of a good specimen. Judicious stopping and pegging 

 down the shoots are all that is required to form specimens. 

 After flowering keep the plants rather dry and cool for ten days 

 or a fortnight, ard, to hasten the production of new growths, 

 keep rather close after cutting-in, and slightly syringe morn- 

 ing and evening to induce them to break freely and strongly. 

 Some cut back immediately after flowering, keeping rather dry 

 and cool for a fortnight, and then close and moist. I have 

 tried both modes, and found thtm alike good. 



Nothing is so hurtfnl to these plants as over-watering. The 

 soil should be kept moist, but it must never become very dry 

 nor very wet, for both extremes are equally destructive to the 

 deUcate fibres. Good drainage is of paramount importance. 



