AND CO^'SERVATORT, 101 



cuttings strike quicker if taken off with a thin slice of bark — 

 not a clumsy heel, but cut so close to the stem as to talie a 

 portion of the bark with it. There is very little fear of them 

 damping off when this is done. It must be borne in mind, at 

 this stage, that the cuttings are necessarily tender, and further, 

 that they will either root quickly or die quickly. Theculting- 

 pots should be prepared previously, to enable the cultivator to 

 get them in as quickly as possible. The pots, after the cut- 

 tings are inserted, should be plunged in a brisk bottom-heat of 

 not less than 7o°, and kept rather close until the cuttings begin 

 to root, when more air will be nec-essary. The glass of the 

 propagating frame will require wiping occasionally, otherwise 

 they will probably damp off. 



When the cuttings are nicely rooted, prepare the soil and 

 bring it into the propagating-house a few days beforehand, to 

 become of the same temperature as the house in which they 

 are growing. This is an essential point — one that cannot be 

 very well over-estimated in dealing with young tender plants 

 of any description. For the first potting, the soil should con- 

 sist of good fibry loam and peat in equal proportions, with 

 plenty of leaf-mould and silver-sand, to keep it light and open. 

 Use small 60's for this potting, 4S's for the next, and then 21's. 

 Though it will not be necessary to replace the young plants in 

 bottom-heat, it is advisable that they should remain in a nice 

 growing temperature until they get established. They do 

 better when kept in a warm house until they have filled the 

 pots with roots, been repotted into the next size, and estab- 

 lished in their new quarters. At this stage the plants should 

 be removed into the greenhouse, and after a little nursing be 

 placed so as to get plenty of light and air. In August, if 

 everything goes on favourably, repot the plants into 2i's, and 

 use two parts loam, one of peat, half a part of thoroughly 

 decomposed cow-dung, and a little leaf-mould and sand. The 

 soil should be chopped up and well mixed together, and every 

 particle of fibre preserved. It is necessary to exercise the 

 utmost caution at all seasons in watering these plants. They 

 require a plentiful supply when growing, and but little at all 

 other times. 



The proper place for statlces through the summer, is 

 undoubtedly the conservatory or greenhouse. Though they 

 are very properly classed with greenhouse plants, it will be 

 found that they do better in an intermediate house through 



