DAPHNE INDICA. 



Greenliouse and iStove Plantt, 



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 cai'e 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 froui 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. AYhen 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 disj^ense 

 with the glasses. They should be in a 

 condition for moving singly into 3-in. pots 

 by tlie end of March ; give an intermediate 

 temperature through the spring, jnnching 

 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 laiger, and keep 

 in the same genial warmth through the 

 summer and autumn. Although, strictly 

 speaking, greenhouseplants they make much 

 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 

 jilace 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- 

 liead in the afternoon, but be sparing of 

 water to the soil until the loots 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, Init close the house 

 with sun-heat and plenty of moisture in 

 the atmosphere ; in blight 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 vnW 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 tlie best method of treating these 

 Daphnes — they should be kept on through 

 the winter and duringtlieensuing summer in 

 an intermediate-house temj^erature. 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 Avill 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 ad\T[sed 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 sunmier they 

 will have grown into nice-sized 23lfints, 

 with a quantity of strong flowering 

 growths that will have set their bloom 

 bunches on all the points ; they mav now 

 l)e 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- 

 tlie strongest shoots, such as have a stronti- 

 terminal bud at the base of each of the 

 leaves with which the shoots are furnished 

 for some distance from tlie points. The 

 blooms being produced in compact bunches,. 



