DAPHNE INDICA. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
141 
required by the soil, which, in their case, 
should be allowed to get drier than with 
most plants, yet not so as to allow the 
young growth to flag. But it is in the 
dormant season, after the growth is com- 
pleted, that it is necessary to exercise 
more than ordinary care that water is not 
applied too soon. We prefer plants struck 
from cuttings, but these are seldom to be 
met with, as the demand is such that 
grafting is generally resorted to, on ac- 
count of their being so much more rapidly 
increased by this method. 
In private gardens we should advise the 
plants being propagated from cuttings, 
which should be composed of the points 
of the shoots, about 3 inches long, taken 
off towards August and put in pans 3 inches 
apart in sand, covered close with a pro- 
pagating glass, shaded, and kept moist in 
a cool house or pit until the base of the 
cuttings is callused over. When this has 
been effected put them into a temperature 
of 50° by night, where they will make 
roots, still keeping them moderately close 
until well rooted, after which dispense 
with the glasses. They should be in a 
condition for moving singly into 3-in. pots 
by the end of March ; give an intermediate 
temperature through the spring, pinching 
out the points as soon as the little plants 
have got their roots freely in motion and 
are making top-growth. Towards July 
give pots an inch or two larger, and keep 
in the same genial warmth through the 
summer and autumn. Although, strictly 
speaking, greenhouse plantsthey makemuch 
greater progress, especially while young, 
if kept in a temperature of 50° by night, 
and proportionately warmer in the day, 
if a house or pit is available, where they 
can be accommodated through the winter 
with a temperature such as above-men- 
tioned, they should by the beginning of 
April be moved to pots 2 inches larger; 
but, as has been already stated, they must 
not have too large a shift at any time. 
They succeed the best in good fibrous peat 
four parts to one of thoroughly rotten 
dung, with a liberal addition of sand. 
Drain the pots well, and over the crocks 
place some fibrous material to keep them 
quite free from the soil, as if the crocks 
become clogged up ever so little the roots 
will suffer. Stand them in a moderately 
light position, and syringe slightly over- 
head in the afternoon, but be sparing of 
water to the soil until the roots have made 
some progress. 
When the shoots have pushed about 2 
inches pinch out the points to induce them 
to break, and continue them in an in- 
termediate temperature all through the 
spring and summer, tying out the growths 
to a few neat sticks, so as to lay the founda- 
tion for bushy specimens. Give air mode- 
rately during the day, but close the house 
with sun-heat and plenty of moisture in 
the atmosphere ; in bright sunny weather 
they will be benefited by a thin shade 
during the middle of the day, but this 
must not be used so as to induce weak 
growth. By the end of August, if all has 
gone well, the plants will have pushed 
their shoots 3 or 4 inches beyond the point 
to which they were stopped, and if the in- 
tention is to grow them on to a consider- 
able size as quickly as possible—which is 
much the best method of treating these 
Daphnes—they should be kept on through 
the winter and during the ensuing summer in 
an intermediate-house temperature. Where 
it is decided thus to deal with them they 
ought at the end of August to be moved 
into pots an inch or two larger, according to 
the quantity of roots they are found to 
possess when examined; pot in similar 
soil to that recommended for them in the 
spring, and again pinch out the points of 
the shoots. Syringing overhead may now 
be dispensed with for some time, but main- 
tain through the autumn a temperature of 
as near 50° in the night as convenient, and 
be careful how water is given to them ; if 
very vigorous they will shortly break into 
growth, pushing three or four shoots from 
each point that was stopped—if not so 
strong they may not push growth for some 
months, but nevertheless much will be 
gained by keeping them a little warm, as 
the root-power will be increased. 
Treat through the early part of the 
ensuing season as advised for the preced- 
ing year, and towards May again turn 
them out of the pots to see if they require 
another shift, which will be the case if 
they have done well. If the roots are 
plentiful give them pots 2 inches larger, 
stop and tie out the shoots, letting the 
summer’s management be similar to the 
last. By the close of the summer they 
will have grown into nice-sized plants, 
with a quantity of strong flowering 
growths that will have set their bloom 
bunches on all the points; they may now 
be placed among the ordinary greenhouse 
hardwooded stock through the autumn, 
and if required to flower early a portion of 
them may be put in a little heat about the 
beginning of the year. If their flowers 
are wanted for cutting, choose those from 
the strongest shoots, such as have a strong 
terminal bud at the base of each of the 
leaves with which the shoots are furnished 
for some distance from the points. The 
blooms being produced in compact bunches, 
