PEL 



450 



PEL 



half leaf-mouli3. The best manure is 

 liquid, made of sheep's dung. See 

 Liquid Manure 



shaped plants. In the beginning of 

 April, when fires are discontinued, the 

 plants are syringed over the top three 



^ — ,^ „. ,, — ..J — f, — „ — — ..,- ■ 



Propagation. — By Cutiings. — Take times a week ; this is done about four 

 the cuttings in mid-July, and plant o'clock, at the time the house is closed 



these in an open border exposed to the 

 sun. 



" In about six weeks," says Mr. Cat- 

 leugh, the florist, of Hans Place, Chel- 

 sea, " the cuttings will be sufficiently 



and continued during three or four 

 weeks. The house is well damped 

 every evening at the bottom, and 

 the top sashes opened the first thing 

 in the morning, to allow the damp 



rooted to remove, and I pot them into air to escape, and during the day all 



sixty-sized pots. To prevent the worms 

 getting into the pots, they are placed 

 upon a temporary stage, and allowed 

 to remain in a shady situation about 

 three weeks, by which time the plants 

 will be well established, and bear re- 

 moving to a more exposed spot, where, 

 under the influence of the sun and air, 

 the wood will attain a necessary degree 

 of hardness. Here they remain until 

 taken into the house for the winter, 



the air is admitted that can be given 

 with safety. The plants when begin- 

 ning to bloom are freely watered, and 

 protected from the scorching rays of 

 the sun during the middle of the day 

 by means of canvas, and are thus re- 

 tained in blossom a much longer time 

 than would be possible if this precau- 

 tion were omitted. When the plants 

 are housed the decayed leaves are re- 

 moved, and whenever the green fly 



^.^..^.. ...^.^ v..^ »-^ .w. v..^ ^.,,...w. , . -. o- —y 



which is generally done about the end \ makes its appearance, the house is 

 of September, before danger arises 1 well fumigated : to do this effectually, 

 from frost. To make them compact j it must be performed when the plants 

 and bushy, stop them at the third or are in a dry state, and they must be 



e — .u ;„:... — i „u;fv .1 ;„t„ i-„..., I ^yg]| watered the day following. When 



the flowering is over, the plants are 



fourth joint, and shift them into forty 

 eight sized pots, mixing a little turl 



loam and sand with the compost, to [ exposed for about a fortnight to the sun 

 allow the water to pass freely through i and air, to harden the wood before be- 

 the soil ; give but little air during eight ! ing cut down. Those plants which are 

 or ten days, the plants will be then re- j intended as specimen plants the second 

 established, and afterwards as much air i season after heading down, are placed 



_ _ 1 _ • _ _ -L ._ _ r' .1 _ ^^ • _ _i_-i. 1 _:..._.:„„ ...1 1;«»I« 



may be given as the state of the atmo 

 sphere will permit, until the beginning 



sheltered situation, when little 

 water is given, and as soon as the new 



''r"^*" r^ "J " " — to b t ■" &• — 3 ----- 



of December. The side lights must be j shoots are an inch long are repotted 

 kept closed during the prevalence of into pots from one to two sizes smaller, 

 cold winds. The pots by this time will the old soil is shaken from the roots, 

 be well filled with roots,'and the plants j and good drainage given. The plants 

 will require shifting into thirty-two i thus treated are kept in better health 

 sized pots. The bone dust vvhich is I during the winter, from having less soil 

 now added must be used with caution ; j about their roots. When repotted they 

 being of a drying nature, it is not used i are placed upon a stage in a shady situ- 

 near the surface of the soil ; the shoots ;ation, removed into the house at the 

 are again stopped at the third joint, the I proper time, and undergo the same 

 house is kept at a temperature of 45*^ ^ treatment the second winter as de- 

 Fahrenheit for about ten days, and then ! scribed for the first. When those plants 

 allowed to fall to 40*^ or 42", at which , which are intended for exhibition begin 

 it is kept. The flues are damped two \ to show their bloom they receive addi- 

 or three times every night to prevent i tional attention, a little liquid manure 

 the air from becoming too dry, and | is occasionally given, they are no longer 

 a little top air is admitted whenever ; syringed over the top, bees are kept 



the weather is sufficiently favourable 

 About the middle of February those 

 plants, which are intended to be large 

 specimen plants are shifted again into 

 twenty-four sized pots; those of vigor- 

 ous growth will require a size larger. 

 A small stick is now put to each stem 

 to train them into uniform and well- 



out of the house by means of gauze 

 blinds, every precaution is taken to 

 preserve their beauty, and they are 

 never allowed to flag from exposure to 

 the sun or want of water. Every grow- 

 er should begin early to train his plants 

 for exhibition ; when the shoots are 

 young and tractable any direction may 



