254 ON THE CXIANTHUS PUNICEUS. 



and elegance any plant I have seen of its kind : I shall mention 

 a few words regarding its culture as a standard. Select cuttings 

 from a plant about the beginning of May or June ; the cuttings 

 should not exceed four inches in length, and taken from the same 

 year's growth ; recollect that the extremity or point of the cut- 

 tings must not be pinched off. After making the cuttings, allow 

 them to remain for a day or two before potting, to dry some of 

 the superabundant moisture from them, which is an advantage 

 gained by the cuttings rooting two days sooner. A 32-sized pot 

 should be filled with white sand, and the cuttings inserted therein 

 to the depth of two or more inches ; they will strike readily in a 

 heat of 70 or 75 degrees ; if they are covered with a bell-glass the 

 Strike will be more successful. After struck, they should be 

 potted off separately, in thumbs or small sixties, amongst a com- 

 post of sand, leaf, loam, with a little well-decomposed cow-dung 

 all well incorporated together ; when potted, they should be placed 

 in a bottom heat till they have matured roots enough to support 

 themselves. Then they shoidd be removed, to a more airy situa- 

 tion, either to a greenhouse or conservatory, and great care and 

 attention must be paid to the repotting and watering, or without, 

 the plants will soon form a sickly, stinted appearance. For to 

 make good standards, all side-shoots must be pinched off as soon 

 as they appear, training the plant up with a clear stem to the ne- 

 cessary height required; then, after they have attained the required 

 height, the tops should be pinched off; and that causes them to 

 throw out latterals, and these latterals again stopped, makes them 

 still to throw out the more, till at last the plants attain a most 

 luxuriant head, richly decorated with thick but dense pale green 

 foliage. When treated after the above method that I have laid 

 down, then planted out in a conservatory, amongst good rich 

 mould, one-half fresh loam, one-quarter leaf mould, and one- 

 quarter decomposed cow-dung, along with a little vegetable mould 

 and sand ; all these to be well incorporated together, and a pit 

 made for the reception of the plants three feet square, by two and 

 a half deep, filling it up with the above composts, then insert the 

 plant, putting it about an inch deeper than it was in the pot ; then 

 there should be a stake of durable wood procured to fasten it to. 

 When planted out, it grows more luxuriant than in pots, and has 

 always a more healthy appearance. When in flower, what can 

 surpass it ? the bunches of pale red flowers hanging the one upon 

 the other, out of a dense thicket, as it may be termed. 



Clericus. 



