THE FLOEAL WOULD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 217 



properly moist, and be careful to have the mould to be used in the 

 same condition. 



Nothing is more likely to cause failure than neglect of this. The 

 side-shoots should be tied out, keeping them near the surface of the 

 soil. Keep the atmosphere rather close and moist, and water care- 

 fully, till the roots start into the fresh soil. When the plants are 

 broken and fairly started, the temperature maybe increased to about 

 55° degrees at night, and from 65° to 70° with sunshine. This 

 high temperature must not, however, be maintained without a free 

 circulation of air ; for the Kolosanthes, like most Cape plants, very 

 much dislikes a stagnant atmosphere, and it requires all the light 

 which can possibly be afforded it, therefore admit air freely, and 

 keep the plants near the glass. 



In May, or as early as warm weather sets in, they may be re- 

 moved to a cold frame, where with a little care they can be kept 

 sufficiently warm, and where the conditions most conducive to 

 vigorous growth will be readily supplied. 



Air should be freely admitted whenever the state of the external 

 temperature will permit ; although a stagnant, humid atmosphere is 

 injurious, with a circulation of air it cannot be kept too moist ; if 

 they stand on a bed of coal ashes, this should be watered on the 

 mornings of bright days, and the plants sprinkled over-head towards 

 evening, leaving a little air on during the night, and a thin shade 

 should be thrown over the glass during the forenoons of bright 

 days, but use this sparingly. A liberal supply of water will be 

 necessary whilst the plants are in active growth, but to give no 

 more than is requisite to keep the soil in a healfhy, moist state, 

 and when the pots are moderately well-filled with roots, manure 

 water in a clear weak state may be used with advantage two or 

 three times a week. 



The treatment of the plants after midsummer must be regulated 

 by the size of specimens desired. To produce large flowering plants 

 it will be necessary to grow them two seasons, and in this case they 

 should be stopped and potted as early in June as they may have filled 

 their pots with roots. Have an eye to the formation of compact 

 dwarf specimens, and stop and cutback as freely as maybe necessary 

 to secure this, for they break freely, and there is no danger of 

 injuring them by stopping or cutting back. If plants to produce 

 about a dozen heads of bloom each are all that is wanted, with good 

 management this may be secured by one season's growth ; but if 

 large specimens are desired, it will be necessary to grow them two 

 seasons. Plants intended to flower the following spring should 

 receive a rather large shift at the beginning of the season, and must 

 neither be stopped nor potted after the middle of May. It may be 

 advisable to inform beginners at once that it is easier to produce 

 large handsome specimens of Kalosanthes than to have well-flowered 

 plants; and unless the wood is thoroughly ripened previous to 

 winter, it will be useless to expect a fine display of blossom. 



The necessary maturation of the wood can be effected only by 

 subjecting the plants to full exposure to air and sunshine, and keep- 

 ing the soil in a rather dry state. This change of treatment must 



July. 



