THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 123 



thus furnish the table of its owner, with little expense and trouble. 

 But rhubarb possesses the advantages of being forced with as much 

 ease and as cheaply as it is grown in the open air. This may be done 

 by growing it against a wall in a sunny aspect, and covering it when 

 required with pots or boxes, over which fermenting materials must 

 be placed. But decidedly the best method is to take the roots into 

 the house to be forced. For this purpose they must be grown exactly 

 as recommended above, that as much power may be treasured up in 

 the roots as possible. To take up exhausted plants from a crowded 

 bed, which has been stripped of its leaves during the season, is to 

 deprive them of their natural advantages, and to expend the forcing 

 process on weakened and imperfect subjects. Let cuttings, with a 

 crown to each, be now put in, in the best possible situations, and by 

 autumn they will be admirably adapted to your purpose. When the 

 foliage is withered, take up the roots, and put them singly into large 

 pots or boxes. These may be stood away anywhere, and introduced, 

 two or three at a time, into a warm situation. The writer placed his 

 pots this winter in a dark closet, at the back of a kitchen range, and 

 the rhubarb grew rapidly. Every house can find some spot having 

 the advantage of greater warmth than the ordinary temperature. 

 Rhubarb may thus be had at any time, and a good supply kept up 

 until it is produced in the open air. It is very necessary to get it as 

 early as possible, as its value is much lessened when gooseberries are 

 plentiful. 



POTNSETTIA PULCHEREIMA. 



g§>EW plants are more really useful than this, both for de- 

 corative purposes and for furnishing cut flowers ; but 

 unfortunately it is of a very straggling habit, and is not 

 easily induced to form anything like a handsome well- 

 furnished specimen. 

 Pieces of the ripened wood would root readily if planted in light 

 sandy soil, aud afforded a gentle bottom-heat ; or propagation may be 

 effected by means of eyes treated in the same manner as those of 

 vines. Young shoots coated where cut with collodion would doubt- 

 less also root freely. In this case, by planting a sufficient number 

 in a good-sized pot, there will be no difficulty in obtaining compact 

 bushy plants. The cuttings for this experiment should not be taken 

 off until they are strong and rather firm, and of course stopping 

 must not bo resorted to, for the operation practised late in the 

 season causes the plants to produce their brilliant floral leaves both 

 scantily and small. Cuttings rooted at the present time should be 

 potted singly in small pots, and placed in a close, warm pit, affording 

 them a gentle bottom-heat till well established in their pots. When 

 this is the case, shift into pots two sizes larger, using a rich, light 

 compost, say one half prime turfy loam, one-fourth leaf-soil, and 

 one-fourth of old thoroughly decayed cow-dung, well intermixed with 

 plenty of clean, sharp sand, and lumpy bits of charcoal, to secure 

 perfect drainage. 



April. 



