240 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



are much more durable ; but whatever the kind or form of trellis 

 used may be, it should be applied before the shoot3 make much 

 progress, as allowing them to grow without support, and clinging 

 together in clusters, tends to produce long-jointed useless wood. 



Plants continued in bottom-heat during spring will make great 

 progress, and some attention will be requisite to prevent too rapid 

 growth, as the temperature required by many plants at this season, 

 would be injurious to this Passion-flower, and unless the tempera- 

 ture can be kept about 60° or 65° by fire-heat, it will be better to 

 remove the plants to a cooler situation as soon as they are fairly 

 started into growth. 



With careful after-management, they may be shifted into their 

 flowering pots at once, but in most instances it is more convenient 

 to give a second shift when required. To have large handsome 

 specimens, the last shift for the season must be into a fifteen-inch 

 pot, and this should be done before roots become matted, or plants 

 suffer from want of pot-room. When the trellises are well covered 

 with young wood, the plants may be induced to flower at almost any 

 time, by merely allowing them to become rather dry at the root for 

 a week, and then giving a liberal supply of water, or removing them 

 to a cooler house for a short time, and replacing them in a warm 

 moist temperature, will have the same effect ; and sometimes they 

 will bloom freely, without any particular management. By the time 

 they have done blooming, they will be making fresh growth, and if 

 placed in a moist growing temperature, cutting back the shoots to 

 the young wood, and encouraged with manure water in a clear 

 weak state, there will soon be sufficient wood to afford another crop 

 of flowers, and in this way the same plant may be had in bloom 

 three times in one season. The flowers will remain longer in per- 

 fection, and attain a higher colour, if the plants are removed to a 

 close part of the greenhouse while they are in bloom. After 

 allowing them a season of rest, as directed for last season, they may 

 be turned out of the pots, reducing the balls, so as to remove all 

 unhealthy soil, and repotted in as small-sized pots as convenient ; 

 and afterwards placed in heat, and carefully watered, until they 

 start into growth. By thus reducing the balls, and cutting the 

 shoots closely back every season, they will last any number of 

 years, and old plants will be found to flower more freely than young 

 ones. Any rich, light porous soil will suit them; I use light turfy 

 loam, and good rich turfy peat, in the porportion of three parts of 

 the former to one of the latter, breaking it up rather fine, and add- 

 ing a liberal admixture of sharp silver sand, lumpy bits of charcoal, 

 or small potsherds. Short-jointed bits of the young wood planted 

 in sandy peaty soil, covered with a glass, and afforded a gentle 

 bottom-heat, root freely, if selected before they get too hard. 



