370 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



in good health and making vigorous growth, the plants will soon fill 

 their pots with roots, and as soon as this may he the case, they 

 should be repotted, giving a liberal shift — say into twelve-inch pots, 

 in which size large handsome specimens may be produced. Use 

 good strong fibrous loam, with a liberal admixture of sharp sand and 

 lumpy bits of charcoal or potsherds, which being more retentive of 

 moisture, and this plant being a somewhat gross feeder, and apt to 

 suffer if allowed to become over-dry at the root, either during the 

 growing season or while in bloom, is more suitable than a lighter 

 compost. In summer a pit which can be kept rather close and moist, 

 and where the plants can be placed near the glass, will form a very 

 suitable situation in which to obtain active vigorous growth. During 

 the early part of the season keep the branches tied out, so as to 

 admit light and air, and stop the shoots regularly over as often as 

 may be necessary to maintain a close, bushy habit ; but stopping 

 must be regulated according to the time at which it may be desired 

 to have the specimens in bloom. Plants intended for blooming in 

 autumn and early winter should not be stopped later than the end 

 of June, for there is no possibility of securing a fine display of 

 blossom except by allowing the plants to make a regular growth 

 after stopping, and getting this well ripened up, then affording a 

 short period of rest ; and I have no doubt that neglect of this has 

 been the great cause of the want of success in the culture of this fine 

 subject, of which so many amateurs have complained. By attending 

 to this little peculiarity of the plant, there will be no difficulty in 

 securing a fine display of blossom at any period of the season wben 

 it may be most desirable ; whereas if this is neglected, the finest 

 grown specimens will only produce a few straggling heads of blossom. 

 When good-sized specimens are obtained they should be removed 

 to a dry, airy situation, where they will be fully exposed to sun and 

 air, giving a sparing supply of water at the root to ripen up the 

 wood. If not wanted for early flowering, they may be allowed to 

 remain during winter in a warm part of the greenhouse, giving very 

 little water to the soil, and guarding the foliage from damp while the 

 plants are in a dormant state. Treated in this way it will be easy, 

 by merely removing the specimens to a moist, warm temperature, to 

 throw them into bloom at almost any season, and they will remain 

 some three months in beauty if afforded a moderately warm tem- 

 perature, and guarded from damp. When the beauty of the flower 

 is over, the strongest shoots may be cut back, the plants turned out 

 their pots and disrooted, so as to allow of repotting them in the 

 same sized pots ; or if large-sized specimens are desired, a moderate 

 shift should be given, and then grown as directed for last season. 

 Managed in this way the plants will last in good health for several 

 seasons, but old specimens should be liberally supplied with manure- 

 water, both during the growing season and while in blossom. 



