On the Culture of the Daphne Odora. 259 



round bushy plants, with branches covered with fohage of a 

 healthy dark green, and exhibiting fine trusses of highly fra- 

 grant flowers during the most dreary part of the year, from 

 the end of October till the middle of February ; and, be it re- 

 membered, without any forcing, except the protection aflTord- 

 ed by a cool greenhouse. 



To those who would encourage the cultivation of this fine 

 old plant, I would (in the absence of any thing better,) rec- 

 ommend the following simple mode of management as hav- 

 ing succeeded tolerably well at this place. As soon as the 

 plants have done flowering, remove them to a cold pit. Yine- 

 ry not at work, greenhouse, or any other structure, where 

 they can be placed in such a manner that they shall not be 

 shaded or crowded by taller plants. In general, those which 

 have been standing in the drawing-room will have suffered, 

 in some degree, from the dry close atmosphere ; more espe- 

 cially if they have been allowed to remain there for any length 

 of time after having done flowering, because, at that time, 

 they commence growing, and the young shoots, from want 

 of light and air, will be drawn up weak and long-jointed. 

 This ought to be prevented by removing them before all the 

 flowers have quite fallen off". If the plants were properly 

 attended to the previous summer, and the points of the shoots 

 pinched out where the plant wanted filling up, it is not ad- 

 visable, at this period, to resort to pruning or cutting back; as 

 young shoots spring in abundance immediately below where 

 the flowers were produced, and always flower much better 

 than shoots out of older wood. But, in special cases, when 

 plants have, from neglect, been allowed to run up with naked 

 stems, cutting them down to within six inches of the pot is, 

 perhaps, the best way of reclaiming them. As this Daphne 

 does not make very large roots, it has, therefore, the very de- 

 sirable property of being capable of thriving in pots compar- 

 atively small for the size of the plant. Yet it is necessary, 

 about the end of March or beginning of April, to ascertain if 

 any of them require shifting, which, if properly executed, will 

 be quite sufficient till the next spring. Old plants, however, 

 which it is not desirable to increase much in size, will do 

 well for two, and sometimes three years, without shifting. 

 The soil I have found to suit them best is a mixture of light 



