154 THE FLO UAL WOULD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



necessity of deciding early upon the description of plant required. 

 Plants grown as bushes and in larger pots than thirty-twos, soon 

 require considerable thinning, or they will become weak. The time 

 of propagation depends on whether the plants are bloomed early or 

 late; for the main stock, July may be taken as the average time. 

 Supposing the plant to have done blooming, and the wood to be well 

 ripened, from full exposure to the sun, and from three or four days' 

 dryness at the root, they are then fit for cutting down. Upon the 

 way they are cut depends the form of the plant the ensuing season, 

 the object being to have an uniform plant without much twisting, 

 and upon an established bottom, large or small. After cutting down, 

 place the plants in a open place, shading for a i'ew days, until tne ends 

 of the shoots that have been cut are dried over. Water but mode- 

 rately until there is a sign of fresh growth, then give a slight syring- 

 ing ov-rhead and shut up early with the sun, so as to cause 

 evaporation, which will much assist them iu making fresh growth. 

 After the lirst start, they are to be grown as slow as possible through 

 the autumn and winter months. The next operation, after cutting 

 down, is to select cuttings of the strongest and the best ripened 

 wood, in lengths of two joints, with a straight cut at the bottom, a 

 little below the lower joint, and a slanting cut of a half-iuch above 

 the top joint ; place them in the mould round the sides of the cutting- 

 pot, midway between the two joints. The mould should be a com- 

 post consisting of loam three-fourths, leaf-mould, or peat, one-fourth, 

 with a medium addition of sand. Give them a gentle bottom-heat, 

 and shade lightly for two or three weeks, by winch time they will 

 have struck, and should then be taken to a cool house, and gradually 

 bardened off so as to bear lull exposure to the sun and air. They 

 should then be potted off as soon as possible before the roots get too 

 long; indeed, it is thought by some that if they are merely callused 

 over, they are lit for potting off. I, however, like to see a few 

 fibres, but not too long, the one excess being as bad as the other. 

 After potting off, keep them rather close for three or four days, and 

 shade from hot sun, then give a full circulation of air at all oppor- 

 tunities, avoiding easterly winds. Attend to potting on until you 

 reach the t-ized pot intended for blooming; gradual shifts from one 

 size pot to another are to be recommended as preferable to large 

 shifts. If intended to bloom the plants in iorty-eigir sue pots, 

 they should have three changes from the cutting- pot, and the 

 crown, or centre bud, should be taken out iu the second shift ; but if 

 the growth be then not far enough advanced, it should be removed 

 as soon as possible after the last potting, keeping the plants rather 

 dry for a tew days until fresh breaks appear, otherwise weakness 

 may be expected. If intended to bloom in large sixties, no stop is 

 required, and if properly grown side breaks will appear at the same 

 time that the crown truss is forming, thus supplying a succession of 

 bloom. For specimens, commence with small plants of free growth, 

 allow them to attain the height of nine joints, with two joints for a 

 single stem, not merely for the appearance but to diminish liability 

 to canker, which may be feared if the breaks are allowed to rest 

 upon the surface sod ; also by constant pottinjs the plants are 



