128 THE amateur's geeenhouse 



flower profusely throughout September, October, and Novem- 

 ber, and are, therefore, very valuable, for they assist ia 

 bridging over the period between the time of the summer 

 flowers going out of bloom until the chrysanthemums are at 

 their best. There are now a considerable number of varieties 

 in cultivation, all more or less good. 



When a stock is once obtained, there will be no difficulty 

 in keeping it up, as cuttings of the half-ripened wood will 

 strike freely, if placed in a shady part of the greenhouse, or 

 in the propagating pit. The wood is generally in condition for 

 propagating purposes in May, and cuttings struck at that 

 period will make nice little plants, and produce a few spikes of 

 bloom in the autumn ; but, with good management, they will 

 become large specimens, not less than two feet through by the 

 autumn following. Instead of keeping them in pots all the 

 year round, which entails an immense amount of labour during 

 the summer season in keeping them properly supplied with 

 water, plant them out in the second and subsequent seasons in 

 the open border, and they will almost take care of themselves. 

 The way to proceed is to cut them back early in March, and to 

 let them make new growth near the glass, to insure its being 

 firm and strong-jointed, and then by the end of May turn them 

 out of the pots, loosen a few of the roots round the outside, and 

 put them out in the border. The soil should be light and rich, 

 to insure a vigorous growth, and, at the same time, promote 

 the formation of an abundance of fibrous roots. The distance 

 at which they are put apart must be determined by their size. 

 Small plants, with but one or two leading branches, may be 

 stopped twice, but large specimens should not be stopped more 

 than once, and in either case none of the shoots must be 

 pinched back after the first week in July. Early in September 

 take them up carefully, with as much soil as possible adhering 

 to the roots, and put them into the smallest sized pots prac- 

 ticable. Bushy specimens, from eighteen to thirty inches in 

 diameter, will be the most suitable size for the conservatory, 

 but if they are required larger, they can be easily produced by 

 planting them out annually. 



Yeebena. — The directions given for the cultivation of the 

 petunia might be referred to for the saving of space under this 

 head, but we could not hope to satisfy the reader by dis- 

 posing of the Verbena in so curt a manner. Verbenas are 



