172 OBSERVATIONS ON MESEMBRYANTHEMUMS. 



as they are kept from withering or shrivelling, they cannot be too 

 sparingly watered at all seasons ; an attention to which point doubt- 

 less contributes to increase the number of flowers. 



They may all (except a few species which are of only annual dura- 

 tion) be propagated by cuttings, which should be taken off from the 

 extremities of the young shoots about the month of May, or from that 

 time till the month of August ; and, like those of most other succulent 

 plants, they require placing in a shady, dry situation for a few days, 

 till they begin to shrivel, when they may be planted numerously into 

 shallow pots, in a very light sandy soil, with an abundance of drainage 

 materials in the bottom of the pot. They should be placed in a slight, 

 dry heat, and carefully shaded from the sun till they have struck root, 

 watering them occasionally, but with caution, as they are very liable 

 to rot when any superfluous moisture is collected about them. When 

 struck, they may be potted singly into very small pots, in a compost 

 of one-half light loam, one-fourth well-decayed manure, or leaf soil, 

 and one-fourth, or less, of lime-rubbish broken fine, and sand, placing 

 them in the coolest part of the greenhouse, watering them sparingly, 

 and keeping them as close as possible to the glass, so as to receive 

 the full benefit of solar light. When the roots appear to have filled 

 the pots, they must be repotted into pots of a larger size, in a similar 

 compost; and during the whole period of their growth it is important 

 that they should not be allowed too much pot-room, as they usually 

 become straggling and unsightly if they are stimulated or suffered to 

 become too large. 



Plants raised during the summer of one year are suited to plant 

 out into the open ground in the spring of the ensuing season, or they 

 may be allowed to remain till they are two years old before they are 

 thus treated ; for they invariably flower better when they are well 

 established. The situation chosen for them should be a border with 

 a southern aspect, as they delight in receiving the full influences of 

 the sun, and indeed, their flowers will seldom expand unless the sun 

 is shining on them ; the border should be slightly elevated above the 

 surrounding surface, for the purpose of preserving the plants from 

 superfluous moisture ; and the sub-soil should, if possible, be firm 

 and hard. I annually plant out a number of these plants in a small 

 border in the front of an ornamental stove, and in this situation, being 

 fully exposed to the sun, and on a rather rocky sub-soil, they flower 



