AXD COXSEHTATORT. 119 



several years in the same pots, and if desirable lar<ze plants 

 may be divided by cutting throuojh the roots. In such a case 

 it is best to cut them into suitable sizes in September and pot 

 them in very small pots, and winter them in a cool liouse or 

 pit as dry as possible. In May plant them out in poor soil, 

 and in September folio win <t they will be nice plants to pot up 

 for the benefit of the greenhouse. 



Heliotrope. — This deliciously odorous flower may be grown 

 by the merest tyro, but it is well to remember that it is the 

 most susceptible to frost of any plant of its class. A geranium 

 or verbena may be frozen several times in the winter, say to 

 the extent of five or six degrees of frost, but such a freezing 

 would kill every heliotrope to the roots. If grown as a pot 

 plant, treat it precisely the same as recommended for the 

 verbena and petunia. It is particularly worthy of observation 

 that it makes a fine wall or trellis plant in a warm conserva- 

 tory, and, if planted out in a border of light rich soil, will 

 produce flowers all the year round. Even in a cool conserva- 

 tory it may be planted out to clothe a pillar or trellis, but, of 

 course, it will not flower in winter. 



Htdeanqea. — For the conservatory and to keep company 

 with the agapanthus in the entrance court, and to fill up 

 amongst groups of pot plants near a summer-house or fountain, 

 the hydrangea is one of the best plants in our gardens. There 

 are several distinct species in cultivation, but the best is our 

 old friend H. liorteMsis, which produces pink flowers when 

 grown in rich loam, and blue flowers w^hen grown in either 

 peat or loam in which there is a decided trace of the salts of 

 iron. We have employed hydrangeas largely for our plunging 

 system, and have been compelled of course to hit the shortest 

 and surest way of ensuring large heads of flowers with the 

 least possible trouble. lu May a number of cuttings are taken 

 from the lower parts of the stems of strong plants. "\Ve prefer 

 young shoots with four or five joints, not more than five, and 

 perhaps preferable with only three. The strongest wood may 

 be used, and will be sure to root, but small young cuttings 

 make the best plants. The cuttings have the two lowest leaves 

 removed, and are potted singly in thumb pots in a mixture of 

 leaf-mould and peat, with a very little sand. These are all 

 placed on a moist bottom-heat of not more than GO", either 



