358 THE ELOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



pots, when they should be gradually inured to a free circulation of 

 air, and placed near the glass. Let the young plants be stopped as 

 frequently as may be necessary to secure a bushy habit of growth, 

 and attend to shifting when they require more pot-room. With 

 ordinary management strong, bushy plants in seven-inch pots may 

 easily be obtained by autumn from cuttings rooted in spring, and 

 these with common care will form specimens of almost any desired 

 size the following season. The plants are somewhat liable to damp 

 off in winter unless properly treated, therefore place them near the 

 glass in a light airy part of a house where the temperature is kept at 

 about 50° by fire-heat, and give water sparingly while the plants are 

 in a dormant state. Early in February cut back, and tie out the 

 principal shoots sufficiently to secure a thick, bushy habit of growth, 

 and place the plants near the glass in a warm house, and thoroughly 

 moisten the balls in order to induce active growth. Also see to the 

 state of the roots shortly after placing the plants in heat, and give 

 a liberal shift to such as are found to require more pot-room, and 

 water carefully until the plants get into free growth, but moisten 

 them overhead with the syringe in the afternoons of fine days, and 

 maintain a moist atmosphere. As the season advances, give air 

 freely on fine days, and attend to stopping any shoots that may 

 incline to outgrow the others, and keep them nicely tied out, so as 

 to promote a bushy habit of growth. When good sized bushes are 

 obtained, which, with good management, will be the case by May, 

 discontinue stopping, and in order that the flowering shoots may be 

 as dwarf as they can be obtained, keep the specimens near the glass, 

 and admit air rather freely on fine days, keeping the shoots thin by 

 staking. If the specimens appear to want more pot-room, this should 

 be seen to as soon as they start into growth after the final stopping ; 

 and if they are expected to continue growing and flowering the 

 greater part of the summer and autumn, they must be afforded suffi- 

 cient space for their roots. When they are fairly in bloom they may 

 be removed to a warm corner in the conservatory or show-room ; an 

 occasional watering with weak, clear manure-water will be of great 

 service in maintaining them in a vigorous healthy state, and securing 

 a succession of flower ; and if necessary, they may be cut over, and 

 removed to a warm situation, where they will soon throw up an 

 abundance of young wood, and flower profusely a second time. 



When the specimens become useless for decorative purposes in 

 autumn, they may be thrown away at once, as young plants grow so 

 rapidly that it is useless wintering large bulky old specimens; but 

 be provided with young plants before throwing away the old ones. 

 Any light, rich, fibry soil, such as equal parts of loam, leaf-soil, and 

 peat, with a proper admixture of sand, will answer perfectly for the 

 growth of this plant ; but a small proportion of well decayed manure 

 may be added with advantage at the last shift, and good drainage 

 should be secured. 



