58 ON CONTRASTING THE COLOURS OP FLOWERS. 



effectual security. Successive re-potting is attended to, and care is 

 always taken before the side shoots, or leading upright one, is pruned 

 back, to withhold water, so that the soil is kept nearly dry for a fort- 

 night or three v/eeks ; tliis checks the flow of sap, and on being cut the 

 wounds do not bleed. After the pruning-in, more M'ater is gradually 

 given, and when the new shoots are an inch long the plants are re- 

 potted, shaking off what soil can well be done. At this time, too, all 

 surplus shoots are rubbed off. "When the plant becomes too wide, the 

 branches are cut in. Towards the end of summer I lessen the pro- 

 portion of water given to all plants out of doors, in order to get the 

 new wood well ripened, and thus be fitted for winter operations. By 

 withholding water the wood becomes more firm, whilst a continuous 

 free supply tends to produce gross, soft shoots, that are very liable to 

 perish. I find this class of plants like a full sun-light, wiiether in- 

 doors or out. The time of housing the out-door stock is when the 

 greenhouse or pit-frame plants in general are. By pruning-in, stopping, 

 and re-potting, at successive times, a few plants at each, a bloom may 

 be had all the year. I accomplish this by the following mode of treat- 

 ment. About the 1st of July I begin to lessen the supply of water, 

 to dry the plants off, as it is termed. By the middle of the month I 

 cut back all the branches requiring it, and when the new shoots are an 

 inch long I re-pot the plants and thin the shoots. These plants bloom 

 from April onwards. I cut-in another portion at the latter end of 

 September ; these come into bloom in July, and continue to the end 

 of the season. A third race I cut back in March ; they bloom from 

 October onwards ; or some of tlie plants cut back in September may 

 have tlieir young shoots stopped in April ; these will bloom from 

 October. In order to have fine lieads of bloom, it is the practice of 

 some persons, as soon as the infant heads of flowers appear, to pinch 

 out the lead, in order to throw more vigour to the bloom. Of course 

 this does not increase the number of flowers in each head ; these are 

 already formed ; but it gives vigour to the petals. In order to have 

 large heads of bloom, I give manure water twice a-week, beginning 

 when the shoots start growing ; and by having vigorous shoots I have 

 finer heads in proportion. 



ON CONTRASTING- THE COLOURS OF FLOWERS. 



In our January Number we inserted a portion of some valuable remarks 

 on this subject by Dr. Lindley, which appeared in the Gardeners 

 Chronicle of December 29 ; as well as a very interesting extract from a 

 French publication. We strongly recommend our readers to purchase 

 that paper, as well as that of January 5, 1850, and thus possess the 

 article entire, ours being but an abridgement of it. The following is a 

 part of the continuation, and it comprises illustrations of the principles 

 M. Chevreul has laid down : — 



" For the month of February.' — If the winter has not been very 

 severe or long, three varieties of Crocus make their appearance in tiiis 

 month, viz., the white, violet, and yellow. A border of a single line 



