282 HINTS ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE GENUS EPACRIS. 
January and May. My practice is always to shift when the plant has 
done flowering, whatever time that may happen to be. The first thing 
to be effected before shifting, is to carefully cut down and thin out 
the small shoots, which should be cut to various lengths and heights 
according to the size and strength of the plant. The rule is to cut 
low enough to cause the plant to break down close to the surface of 
the soil, so that every part may be fully clothed with a sufficiency of 
young flowering shoots; for the main point to be considered in pruning 
is to produce a regular crop of well-ripened young wood, on which 
depends the future display of blossoms. When the plant is properly 
pruned and shifted, it should be at once placed in a warmer atmo- 
sphere, there to grow and ripen its wood. During its growth, stop the 
young shoots frequently, more particularly of the strong growing 
varieties, such as grandiflora, impressa, &c. These should often be 
stopped, say at six or eight inches, for if allowed to grow too long they 
will be destitute of flower-buds, and will require support from sticks, 
which should be avoided as much as possible. It will also be advi- 
sable, where the shoots are too thick, to take them off close to the stem, 
so as to prevent them from growing again. 
Having no other convenience at this place, I grow my epacrises in 
the pine-stove, where, although they do very well, yet the hot sun is 
almost too strong for them; for towards the middle of summer it 
causes the young shoots to droop. A pit, where they could be shaded, 
or a vinery, would, I should think, be more suitable for them; but 
where none of these places can be had, then they must occupy the 
warmest part of the greenhouse ; and when this is so, the plants should 
not be pruned so closely as when heat can be had, for the young shoot 
will not in that case grow so long, and will consequently ripen sooner. 
The plants should never be turned out of doors at any time, except 
when they have been grown in heat and the wood brought to maturity 
early ; then a few weeks out of doors will be of benefit to them, ren- 
dering them more hardy for the greenhouse in winter. Theadvantages 
of growing epacrises in heat consist in the certainty of having every 
shoot covered with flowers; and by placing the plants in heat at dif- 
ferent times, a constant succession of flowering plants during the winter 
and spring will be obtained. 
By carefully attending to pruning and growing them in heat, epacrises 
may be kept handsome in appearance, and in good health for many 
years, and will never fail to produce a regular crop of bloom in due 
season. It is well known, and perhaps still believed by many, that E. 
grandiflora was considered a shy bloomer: the reason of this is, that 
being always grown in the greenhouse, and the shoots allowed to attain 
any length without stopping, they never got properly ripened, and the 
few flowers that did expand were only on the smallest and shortest 
shoots, which ripen early ; this shows the necessity of having a supply 
of these short shoots on every part of the plant. The more weakly 
growing kinds, such as pulchella, will not require to be so severely 
pruned as the stronger kinds; judicious stopping will mostly be found 
sufficient for them. Watering should be carefully attended to during 
their season of growth; they require a good deal at that time.— 
(Hort. Soc, Journal.) 
