202 THE ELORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



this great family. What a contrast, for example, does the little 

 quaking grass afford to the great silvery plumes of the American 

 Pampas grass, Gynerium argenteum, which adorns our gardens with 

 its fountain-like herbage and gleaming silvery feathers. 



SALVIA SPLENDENS. 



|HERE winter-flowering plants are largely in demand for 

 the decoration of the conservatory, or for supplying cut 

 flowers, this will be found exceedingly useful ; for nice- 

 sized specimens are easily grown in the course of the 

 summer ; they require very little attention or accommo- 

 dation, and when seen in the form of large specimens, well covered 

 with spikes of bright scarlet flowers, few winter blooming plants 

 present a more brilliant appearance, and scarcely any remain so long 

 in beauty. Being a very rapid grower, it is unnecessary to keep old 

 plants after flowering, except one or two to supply cuttings, for young 

 plants occupy much less space in spring, and form large specimens in 

 course of one summer. Cuttings should be put in not later than 

 the middle of March, and afforded a gentle bottom-heat until they 

 emit roots, when they should be potted singly in pots. After pot- 

 ting, place them in a close, but not over-warm situation, and as 

 soon as they get established keep them under a glass, and afford 

 them all the light possible, syringing overhead morning and evening 

 in bright weather, and keeping the atmosphere as moist as circum- 

 stances will admit. If good-sized specimens are wished by the 

 autumn, the young plants should not be allowed to suffer for want 

 of pot-room, but should be shifted as soon as the roots require more 

 space ; and unless this be attended to it will be difficult, or nearly 

 impossible, to keep them dwarf and well furnished ; and if the plants 

 are allowed to get into a pot-bound, starved condition, their great 

 enemy — red spider — will also be sure to attack them. For soil, use 

 equal parts turfy loam, leaf-soil, and thoroughly decomposed cow- 

 dung, with a liberal admixture of sharp sand for first potting, and a 

 small proportion, with plenty of lumpy bits of charcoal, for the after 

 shifts. This compost will rather incline to be close ; therefore, 

 efficient drainage must be secured, and care must be exercised in 

 watering not to get the soil sodden before the pots get filled with 

 roots. As to the plants in growth, the shoots should be stopped and 

 tied out, in order to secure bushy compact specimens ; but if a 

 vigorous root action is maintained, there will be little difficulty in 

 keeping the plants bushy. A cold frame or pit will be the best situation 

 for them after the beginning of May, or earlier if the weather proves 

 favourable, but they should be kept close here, and not allowed to 

 sustain any check, whic:i at this stage would be very injurious. If 

 all goes on well, the plants will be ready for shifting in good-sized 

 pots by the end of June, and I seldom repot them after this season. 

 By this time they should be strong and well established in eight-inch 

 pots ; and when this is the case I shift some into twelve, and others 

 into fifteen-inch pots, according to the strength of the plants and the 



