366 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



covered with a glass, and placed in a shady part of a moderately 

 warm house or pit, will soon be sufficiently rooted to bear potting 

 singly. Place the young plants in a close, shady situation for a 

 fortnight after potting off, and as soon as they get established 

 remove them to a cool, light, airy situation, and stop the shoots 

 regularly, to induce compact, bushy growth. When the pots 

 become full of roots, which will soon be the case, give a small shift, 

 and keep the plants growing slowly during the autumn ; and as long 

 as it can be done without danger from frost, expose them freely to 

 the night dews. In winter place them near the glass in the green- 

 house, or wherever they will be safe from frost and damp, and 

 give sufficient water to the soil to keep this in a moist, healthy state ; 

 and I may observe that, as the plant roots very freely, and grows 

 slowly during the winter, it requires a larger supply of water at 

 that season than most greenhouse plants. Unless with the view of 

 obtaining monster specimens, active growth need not be promoted 

 by artificial means early in spring, but the plants should be placed 

 in a close part of the greenhouse early in March, or, if more con- 

 venient, may be removed to a pit, the temperature of which may 

 range a few degrees higher than that of the ordinary greenhouse. 

 But it must be borne in mind, that if strong, vigorous wood is to 

 be obtained, air must be freely admitted whenever the weather will 

 permit, and the plants must occupy a position near the glass, where 

 they will receive all the light possible, and the temperature should 

 not exceed 50°, except with air and sunshine. If the balls are full 

 of healthy roots, repot at once, giving a rather liberal shift, but 

 otherwise defer this until active growth commences, which, if the 

 plants occupy a rather close place, will soon be the case. This 

 Selago is not particular as to soil, and will grow freely in any light 

 rich compost ; but the following will be found to suit it perfectly, 

 and should be used where convenient. Turfy, sandy loam, fibry 

 peat, and leaf-mould in about equal proportions, with a quantity of 

 sharp silver sand added to keep the mass porous. Let the loam and 

 peat be nicely broken up, and the whole be well intermixed together ; 

 and in potting, make the fresh soil rather firm about the ball of the 

 plant. As soon as the roots appear to have taken to the fresh soil, 

 admit air very freely, except during cold drying winds, and expose 

 the plants to all the light possible. Also stop and peg down the 

 shoots, or tie out the stronger ones, which will admit light and air 

 among the branches, and induce stocky, robust growth. A cold 

 frame will be the best situation for the specimens, and to this they 

 should be removed as soon as the state of the weather will allow of 

 doing so with safety, and be inured to full exposure to sun and air, 

 merely using the lights as a protection from cold drying winds and 

 storms of rain. It will be advantageous to have the frame so placed 

 in summer as to be shaded for a few hours in the forenoon from the 

 sun. About a month or six weeks after potting, it will probably be 

 found that the pots are full of roots, and in this case another shift 

 should be given at once, which may be into the flowering pots. The 

 size of these must be regulated by taste and convenience ; twelve- 

 inch will be large enough to produce good-sized specimens ; but the 



