96 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
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their being broken. The material in which the pots are plunged must be main- 
tained in a moderately moist state, otherwise the heat will not rise freely. When 
filled with plants the cover can be taken away altogether; without a cover it will 
be of very little service for striking cuttings. We have had no experience with the 
stove referred to, and cannot, therefore, say whether it will be sufficiently powerful 
for keeping the frost out of the house or not. Stoves made on the same principle 
may be placed in houses filled with plants without any injury to the plants,. 
provided the wick is properly trimmed. As the house has simply a glass roof, one 
of the largest-sized stoves would probably answer very well. Lapageria rosea is 
suitable for the wall, so also is Ficus repens, a free-growing plant, which in its 
growth very closely resembles one of the small-leaved ivies, for it has deep yreen 
leaves, spreads rapidly, and the shoots adhere firmly to the wall. 
D. H. T.—The berry-bearing plant, of which you sent a small spray, is Calli- 
carpa purpurea. 
Propacatinc Hora Carnosa.—A Constant Reader.—This pretty greenhouse 
climber may be readily propagated by means of cuttings of young wood that has 
become moderately ripened. If to secure a firm base it is necessary to take the 
shoots off eighteen inches or so below the end, they may be shortened to a length 
of six inches by the removal of the soft points. Amateurs not experienced 
in striking cuttings may readily propagate a few plants by layering. Select 
healthy shoots, and about two feet from the end peg a portion of the stem down to 
pots filled with light sandy compost, and cover two or three inches of it with half 
an inch or so of the same soil. Roots will soon be emitted from the stem, and in a 
comparatively short time they will be rooted sufficiently to be separated from the 
parent. It is not necessary to cut the stem in any way at the point where it is 
buried in the soil, for provided it is firm, it will be found to root freely without 
being wounded. Cuttings may be taken, and shoots layered at any time from the 
present moment until September next. 
Marvet or Peru.—Amateur.—The varieties of the Marvel of Peru are capable 
of making a grand display in the mixed border throughout the summer. They 
require a soil sufficiently rich to promote a vigorous growth, and when this is 
provided them they grow freely and bloom continuously without any attention 
beyond putting a moderately stout stake to the main stem of each, to prevent the 
wind breaking them off. Plants raised from seed sown early, and pushed on with 
the aid of a high temperature, will bloom the same season; but the course we 
would advise you to take is to purchase a stock of roots, which are very cheap, and 
in April plant them in the border where it is intended they should flower. 1n the 
autumn the roots can be lifted and stored in sand, where they will be safe from 
frost, and in the spring be replanted. Very few people have a just conception of 
the extreme beauty of these old-fashioned flowers, or they would be grown much 
more generally than is at present the case. Seed sown in April in a nursery-bed 
will yield a supply of roots for planting in the spring following. The seed is very 
cheap, either in mixture or in collections. 
SPLENDID Prrmutas.—f.H. says: A short time since I had the pleasure of seeing 
some of the finest Chinese Primulas probably ever grown, and as perhaps some of the 
readers of the FLorat Wortp will be interested in a brief notice of them, I hope 
you will be able to spare me a little space to refer to them. My object in directing 
attention to these examples is simply to show what a grand effect these flowers are 
capable of producing when grown in really first-class style. The primulas were 
in the conservatory, in the gardens attached to Highton Cottage, near Gateshead, 
the residence of J. M. Favel, Esq., and they were alike remarkable for the size of 
the plants, the profusion of bloom, and the size and rich colour of the flowers. 
Instead of the individual bloom being partly hidden in the foliage, as is often the 
case, the flowers were quite clear of the leaves, and arranged in massive spikes to 
a height ranging from six to eight inches above the surface of the foliage. In 
many instances the spikes bore a closer resemblance to those of Primula japonica 
than to those of Primula sinensis, as commonly met with. The flowers averaged 
two inches in diameter, very stout in substance, and were in every way of the 
finest quality. It was, in fact, one of the finest strains I have seen ; and 1 ma 
add in conclusion, that for some years past the gardener has saved the seed from 
carefully selected plants only, and by this means has been able to secure flowers of 
the finest quality. 
