THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 283 



plants should he laid upon a clean mat, in such a position as 

 to allow of well washing the under side of the foliage without satur- 

 ating the soil, and repeat this every other day until this pest is fairly 

 overcome. It is advisable to use tepid water, and also to repeat the 

 washing occasionally, although there may not be any evident 

 necessity for doing so ; for in this matter, more especially than in 

 any other, a preventive is certainly better than a cure. As soon as 

 the weather becomes sufficiently mild to allow of managing the 

 plants in a cold frame without exposing them to a lower temperature, 

 move them there, which will be a more congenial situation for them 

 than a house where the temperature is kept up by artificial heat. 

 The treatment here during the summer season will consist in giving 

 free admission to air, a slight shade on the forenoons of bright days, 

 and a proper supply of water to the soil, with a liberal use of the 

 syringe. Some attention will, however, be required to accommodate 

 the plants properly should cold parching winds occur immediately 

 after they are placed in the frame. In this case, raise the li"ht on 

 the sheltered side, keep down the temperature by shading, and if 

 necessary, shut up close at night, covering the glass with a double 

 mat. During fine, warm weather, the lights may be left off at night, 

 and the plants will be greatly improved by exposure to the ni^ht 

 dews. Vigorous-growing examples will probably require a 6econd 

 shift; early in the summer, and this should be attended to whenever 

 it is necessary. A comparatively liberal shift may be given this 

 time ; but in this be guided by circumstances. Beyond a stake for 

 the support of the leading shoot, and pinching out the points of any 

 branches which may take a decided lead, hardly anything will be 

 necessary in the way of training. Discontinue shading and syrino-iDo- 

 overhead as soon as the heat of summer is over, and let your aim, 

 after this, be to ripen the wood and prepare the specimens for 

 winter. When cold, damp weather sets in, remove them to their 

 winter quarters, which should be a light airy situation near the 

 glass in the greenhouse, and water cautiously while the plants are 

 in a dormant state. 



If large specimens are desired at once, it will be necessary 

 to grow the plants a second season before allowing them to flower • 

 andin this case they may be treated the second year just as recom- 

 mended for the first, except that it will be necessary to cut back 

 the shoots, so as to maintain a dwarf, compact habit. Specimens 

 intended for flowering should be allowed to remain in the green- 

 house, where they will bloom from the middle of April to the end of 

 June, and the blossoms will remain longer in perfection if the plants 

 are screened from the mid-day sun. After blooming, cut the shoots 

 back sufficiently to ensure a compact plant, and as soon as growth 

 commences give a moderate shift, removing them to the plant- 

 ground as soon afterwards as the roots may appear to have laid 

 hold of the fresh soil. 



All the varieties seed freely, and cuttings of the half-ripe wood 

 root with little difficulty; but, nevertheless, those who can obtain well- 

 managed Bossises from the nursery will save nothing by attempting 

 the propagation of these plants. For soil, take good turfy peat and 



September. 



