THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 299 



found to grow freely enough. Short-jointed bits of the young 

 "wood selected in a rather firm state, and treated in the ordinary 

 manner, root with tolerable certainty, and young plants are readily 

 obtained from seeds. But well-propagated plants may be obtained 

 for a trifle, and it is hardly wortb while for beginners to attempt 

 their propagation, which requires some time and careful attention 

 if good young plants are to be produced. I will suppose that young 

 plants are procured between now and March, and every care should 

 be exercised to select healthy strong young samples witb a bushy 

 habit of growth, for future success will largely depend upon obtain- 

 ing vigorous well-propagated plants. 



About the beginning of March turn them carefully out of their 

 pots, and if the balls are found to be well covered with healthy 

 roots, shift into pots a convenient size larger, placing them after re- 

 potting near the glass in the warmest end of the greenhouse, or in 

 a pit which can be kept rather close. Sprinkle tbe plants overhead 

 on the afternoon of bright days, shutting up with a temperature by 

 suu-heat of bl>° or G0°, and endeavour to maintain a nice moist 

 growing atmosphere, giving air freely on mild days, but guard 

 against cold cutting winds. Also avoid as much as possible the use 

 of fire-heat, and endeavour to coax the plants into early growth by 

 carefully husbanding the sun's influences ; for unless the tempe- 

 rature is proportioned to the amount of light, they will break thinly, 

 anu make weakly growth. Indeed, the temperature should never 

 exceed 45° by means of fire-heat, and this sbould be accompanied 

 by plenty of moisture. The shoots, if there are several to a plant, 

 should be nicely tied out after potting, in order to prevent the flow 

 of sap to the uppermost buds, and induce them to break close and 

 regularly. A^ery little water will be needed at the root for some 

 time after shifting, and this must be administered very carefully at all 

 times, as the plants are very impatient of stagnant moisture at the 

 root, and soon suffer from any neglect in this respect ; but while in 

 free growth they must not be allowed to suffer from the opposite 

 extreme. As soon as the weather becomes mild, remove the plants 

 to a cold frame, which will form the best and most convenient 

 situation for them in summer. Here they should be afforded a free 

 circulation of air on favourable occasions, and a slight shade against 

 bright Bunshine, keeping the atmosphere as moist as can con- 

 veniently be done. Sprinkle the plants overhead early \ on the 

 afternoons of fine days, and shut the lights down for the evening, 

 but give air before retiring for the night, and after about the middle 

 of July, the lights may he thrown off at night when there is no 

 danger of rain. As they advance in growth attend carefully to 

 regulating the shoots, pinching out tbe point of any one that may 

 incline to take a decided lead of the others, and keeping them 

 nicely tied out. If all goes on well, a second shift will probably be 

 necessary towards the middle of June, and this should be given as 

 soon as it may be wanted, in order to get tbe plants pretty well 

 rooted into the fresh soil before the winter. When the weather 

 becomes cloudy and damp in autumn, discontinue the use of the 

 syringe and shading, and keep the plants rather dry and airy, in 



October. 



