42 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



cover the surface of the mould in which small seeds are sown with 

 chopped moss, to keep the surface moist — a practice which experi- 

 ence bids me say is very bad. It induces a weakly and etiolated 

 growth, at the time when all the elements furnished individually by, 

 and in the combination of, air and light, should exert all their 

 influence on the advancing plant. And should the unlucky culti- 

 vator leave his delicate charges reposing under the influence of the 

 protecting moss a few days without his immediate superintendence, 

 the young plants, struggling for light and liberty, will have become 

 entangled in their fostering canopy, which, on being removed, 

 carries with it the greater portion of the plants, leaving the 

 remainder weakly and deformed. 



A mode irbich will succeed well is this :— Sow your seeds in 

 spring, as above described ; place the pots in a cool and shady situa- 

 tion, protected from rains, but having free benefit of a circulating 

 atmosphere. If you have only a few pots, under a hand-glass 

 raised at the corners, behind a north wall, is an excellent situation. 

 When the young plants appear, gradually inure them to the full 

 atmospheric and solar influence. If your seed is sown early, the 

 plants will of course be sufficiently strong to be potted off the same 

 season ; but if late, and the plants are small and weak at the end of 

 the summer, they had better remain in their seed-pots, occupying 

 during winter a light, cool shelf in the heathery or greenhouse, 

 potting them off early the ensuing season. 



The usual mode of propagation is by cuttings ; and as the shoots 

 adapted for the purpose are suitable at different seasons, according 

 as the plants are early or late bloomers, no season can be recom- 

 mended in preference to another for carrying out the operation. 

 Thus, most of the ventricosas are late bloomers ; the growth, there- 

 fore, is proceeding during autumn — in fact, they continue to grow 

 the whole of the winter. Eully-organized wood adapted for cut- 

 tings may, therefore, be procured early in spring. The same may 

 be said of verticlllata, and others easily recognized. The winter- 

 blooming heatli3, as Scotia, vernix, hirta, costata, ardeus, vernix 

 coccinea, gracilis, etc., will consequently produce cuttings later in 

 the year, and so of others in succession. As a rule, to prevent un- 

 necessary trouble and disappointment, never select cuttings till the 

 wood is ripe (fully organized). This term cannot be rendered 

 intelligible by words or drawings, or, indeed, in any way short of 

 experience. The best explanation that can be given is this : — Select 

 your cuttings from wood of the current season's growth, and let 

 that portion at which you intend roots to be formed neither be too 

 soft (cellular) nor too woody. If the former, damp will quickly 

 destroy it ; if the latter, no roots (or, if any, very feeble) will be 

 emitted, but the cutting, by absorbing moisture through the medium 

 of the sand in which it is planted, and losing little by being pro- 

 tected by the bell-glass, will remain green and healthy-looking for 

 months, 



" Holding the word of promise to the eye, 

 But breaking it to the hope." 



It would require an elaborate treatise to show when and why a 



