314 MISCELLANEOUS SECTION. 



duced from deep suckers ; but such as are produced from the old stems 

 just beneath the surface, which are firmer in their texture, and strike 

 more freely. Indeed it is of the greatest moment to secure this con- 

 dition, for success depends more upon securing plants of uniform growth, 

 and so preventing their going what is called ' blind,' than upon any- 

 thing else, as I have many times proved. Last season was a noted one 

 with growers, inasmuch as great numbers of plants went blind. Some 

 attributed the defect to one cause, and some to another ; but I am satis- 

 fied that selecting improper cuttings has more to do with it than any 

 other." 



The soil he uses for the first potting is equal parts of loam and leaf- 

 mould, with a little sand. In potting for the last time in the middle of 

 July he uses eight-inch pots for blooming them in, with soil of three 

 parts loam and one part rotten dung, placing only one piece of crock 

 at the bottom of the pot for drainage. After the plants are stopped 

 and the pots filled with roots, so soon as the side shoots are two or three 

 joints in length, he gives them, for the first time, some weak liquid 

 manure, prepared by mixing either a bushel of sheep droppings or soot 

 in a large tub of water, which must be well stirred up, and then allowed 

 to settle ; he then well dilutes it again with soft water before using it, 

 which is two or three times a-week, but not oftener. In thinning the 

 plants he says : — 



" So soon as the side shoots are three or four joints long, look them 

 over and reduce them to the number required. Such kinds as Annie 

 Salter, Queen of Yellows, Defiance, L'Ange Gardien, and all with 

 similar free habits, I allow from twelve to eighteen shoots ; if very fine 

 blooms are required, thin them out to twelve ; if a larger number are 

 desirable, they will carry eighteen, but which, of course, will be smaller. 

 These plants look very beautiful when properly sticked out ; such kinds 

 as the Duke, Clustered Yellow, Queen of the Gipsies, Formosum, and 

 Nonpareil, from ten to twelve blooms. 



" It should here be observed, with regard to those'late kinds, the 

 cuttings of which were directed to be put in by the third week in May, 

 are also to be potted and stopped each time in advance of the early 

 sorts, as the shoots require longer to mature themselves. In thinning 

 out the shoots, leave them equally distributed, so as to form a hand- 

 some uniform plant ; if succours appear from the bottom, stop them 

 just above the soil, as they may be useful after a time, in case a few of 

 the bottom leaves go off. The Queen of Yellows is liable, after stop- 

 ping, to produce two or three very strong shoots from the top, and grow 

 quite away from the lower ones : these strong shoots must be removed 

 as soon as they appear ; if not, they will spoil the plants quite. I re- 

 commend to grow several plants of Vesta, Pilot, Nonpareil, and the 

 Bride, where convenient, they being four of the finest ever raised, are 

 distinct colours, and of good habit." 



Treatment of the Plants after Housed. — " At this time, in most 

 gardens there are empty cucumber and melon pits, or vineries ; now in 

 those pits where a moderate bottom-heat (from 65° to 70°) can be 

 secured, is just the place for them, to be plunged to half the depth of 

 the pots, which heat is to be maintained until the buds begin to expand, 

 or until the first week in November. The effects of the pots being full 



