^fOUBlJAL OP HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ Jtanas 6, 1876. 



the grafts will be taken and the pots fiUed with roots, when 

 more light and air must be given, gradually inuring them to 

 the temperature of the cold frame. The plants will now be 

 ready for a shift into 5 and 6-inch pots, and should never be 

 allowed to receive a check till planting out during the first 

 days of April. 



We usually plant in lines 3 feet apart ; if in open squares, 

 4 feet between the rows and 3 feet between the plants. In 

 planting always plant the stake first, and then there is no 

 danger of bruising or breaking the roots ; and our practice is 

 to leave the empty pot beside the plant, so that we have a 

 covering at hand in case of frost, but never leave the pots over 

 them when not actually required, nor never allow the plants to 

 Buffer for want of moisture. They require an abundance of water 

 in dry weather. Syringe also the foliage on the evenings of 

 fine days, both the upper and under side of the foliage, so that 

 red spider may not gain a footing. As the spikes rise tie 

 securely to the stake and pinch out the side shoots. In Some 

 instances when the spikes are extra strong I have pinched the 

 side shoots at the second joint and left them for a time. 

 Thin-out the blooms so that they may not be overcrowded on 

 the spike, and when they begin to show colour place something 

 behind the flower to set them out a little from the spike, and 

 top the spikes at 8 or 9 feet from the ground. Early in June 

 I always give thom a good heavy top-dressing of rich manure, 

 and if the weather proves dry at the time giving them also a 

 complete soaking of water. With the aid of the mulching they 

 do not become quickly dry again. 



The preparation of the soil is a matter of prime importance, 

 as no after-management can compensate for it if defectively 

 performed. In the autumn I manure heavily and trench 

 deeply. After lying as rough as possible to the action of the 

 weather during winter I again trench it over in spring, knock- 

 ing it well about and breaking it up. I have grown Hollyhocks 

 on the same piece of ground for years, and instead of finding 

 them deteriorate through such a course, on the contrary have 

 found them improve, through no doubt the ground being so 

 thoroughly wrought and deeply cultivated, which I consider of 

 more importance than anything else in ciUtivating the HoUy- 

 hoek to the highest degree of excellence. 



I append the names of a few out of my collection that I 

 consider worthy of cultivation, believing they are such varieties 

 as anyone may choose from without fear of disappointment. 

 Brilliant, Circle, Hugh Smith, John Gair, John Cockburn, 

 John Stewart, Jane Wilson, James Dalgleish, Lady H. Camp- 

 bell, Lady Galloway, Lady Eglinton, Lady W. W. Wynne, 

 Lord Stanley, Miss Young, Mrs. James LaiDg,Mrs. B.B.Todd, 

 Octoroon, Pirate, Queen of Yellows, Regent, R. T. Molntoeb, 

 K. G. Robs, Ruby Queen, and Sovereign. — J. B. S. 



EUPHORBIA JACQUINI^FLOEA AS A WALL 



PLANT. 

 PoK affording brilliant sprays of flowers set in elegant 

 foliage this favourite winter plant is almost unriwalled. Its 

 straggling habit is not favourable to the formation of hand- 

 some specimens, yet with the aid of wire pyramids attractive 

 plants may be produced. Small plants more or less compact 

 may also be had by pinching in the early spring months when 

 the plants are in free growth, but the pinching should not be 

 continued after the month of June. Small plants, however, of 

 rather loose habit are often specially suitable for many de- 

 corative purposes, as, for instance, atlording a graceful fringe, 

 also for intermixing in an informal manner with groups of 

 fine-foliaged plants. Plants of various sizes should therefore 

 always be grown in pots in numbers snited to the decorative 

 requirements of all gardens which afford conveniences for their 

 cultivation. 



There is no better mode of growing small decorative plants 

 than by striking the young shoots very early in spring, in- 

 serting them in sand and covering with bellglasses, plunging 

 the pots in a bottom heat of 80° to 90°. When rooted they 

 must be potted-oft, and be placed in a very light position in 

 the plant stove. The plants flourish remarkably well viheu 

 plunged in a dung frame, the temperature at night being kept 

 at 60'^ to 65'. In the summer months the lights may with 

 advantage be removed entirely during warm nights, when the 

 ail and dew will promote Iheir sturdy growth — in fact, they 

 may be given the same treatment that is suitable for Poin- 

 eettias. At no time should they be overpotted nor^ suffer for 

 want of water. The soil j^ehould consist of lumpy peat and 



loam in equal parts, with a free admixture of charcoal and 

 silver sand. 



But not more useful are these plants for decorative purposes 

 than for providing brilliant sprays to be cut for various modes 

 of indoor decoration. When grown for this purpose the plants 

 should be planted out and be trained to pillars and vacant 

 walls of stoves, intermediate houses, or early vineries. 



Some years ago I had under my charge an early vinery, the 

 back wall of which was entirely covered with this plant. The 

 house was 30 feet long and the wall 13 feet high, and the 

 quantity of sprays cut from that space may be imagined. The 

 Vines were trained thinly up the roof, yet the back wall was 

 still considerably shaded, but the partial shade only lengthened 

 the flowering parts of the shoots. These were not trained 

 closely to the wall, but were allowed to hang in their own 

 natural manner, simply fastening them back to preserve a 

 clear pathway. Very little pruning was given beyond that of 

 continually cutting the flowers and the stopping of an occa- 

 sional rampant shoot in the summer. The supply of sprays 

 was almost unlimited, and they were much prized. The 

 vinery, it should be noted, was started on December the Ist. 

 During that and the preceding month the Euphorbias looked 

 starved, but by keeping rather dry they received no real in- 

 jury : they rapidly recovered their freshness with the increas- 

 ing heat, and afforded cut blooms for fully three months. 



I have attempted the same mode of culture in late vineries, 

 but have failed in succeeding, the resting period in such 

 houses being too long and too cold for the Euphorbia to en- 

 dure without injury. In any vineries or Peach houses which 

 are started in January the plant might succeed, as it certainly 

 will do in houses that are kept close from the beginning of 

 December. 



The sprays of this plant are so useful and are so generally 

 appreciated that a full supply of them is most desirable, and 

 this can best be afforded by plants which are planted out and 

 grown in the way described. A trial of the plan is recom- 

 mended in temperate houses where the wall space is not too 

 densely shaded. — An Old Plobist. 



A FEW HINTS ON PEOPAGATING CONIFERS. 



Everyone who raises Conifers from either home-grown or 

 imported seeds is well aware of the diversity of colour and 

 habit which the seedling plants assume. This is particularly 

 observable in Lawson's Cypress; but Abies, Wellingtonias, 

 Araucarias, and Piceas show the variation in a scarcely less 

 marked degree ; and many of the most beautiful forms of 

 Y'ew, Abies, Cupressus, and Thuja have been originally either 

 natural variations selected from the seed-bed, or sports per- 

 petuated by grafting the variegated branches on a plant of the 

 green or normal form of the species as a stock. Up to the 

 present time, I believe I am right in saying that we have no 

 hybrid Conifers — that is, no garden hybrids raised by artificial 

 fertiheation ; for there can be but little doubt that Conifers, 

 being mostly gregarious and furnished with such ample sup- 

 plies of easily-wafted pollen, are often cross-fertilised or even 

 hybridised in a state of nature : and another point in favour 

 of this cross-fertilising process having long taken place is, that 

 imported seeds produce such a diversity of offspring. There 

 appears to be no valid reason why we should not raise hybrid 

 Coniferie in our gardens now that we have so many fertile or 

 cone-bearing specimens of the rarer and more beautiful kinds ; 

 and I strongly urge those who have the opportunity to make 

 experiments in this direction. By crossing the more beautiful 

 and tender kinds with hardier species we might obtain a 

 hardier race, and if additional beauty of leafage or habit, so 

 much the better. Again, some rare Conifers produce ample 

 supplies of pollen before they bear fertile cones, and by using 

 this pollen to fertilise older cone-bearing trees belonging to the 

 same or an allied genus good results might be obtained. No 

 matter, however, whether success or failure is the result, the 

 careful artificial fecundation and cross-fertilisation or hybridi- 

 sation of Conifers is well worth attention from cultivators, as 

 it appears to be as yet an untrodden path to horticulturists. 



The Fir trees belong to a well-known family of graceful- 

 habited Conifers very valuable in ornamental or landscape 

 gardening, and useful as timber trees, and as the source of 

 turpentine in all its forms. This genua (Abies) now includes 

 the Lebanon, Himalayan, and Algerian Cedars (Cedrus). The 

 fully matured cones should be gathered during the winter 

 season, and exposed either to sun heat or to the gentle warmth 

 of an oven or kiln, this treatment being requisite in order to 



