STOVE AND GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 41 



some old leaves on top of this, and fill up with rich porous soil. Plant 

 moderately close together, pruning back those which require it; with a 

 few good stock plants a plentiful supply of growth for cuttings, or for 

 mossing, will be the result. The rubber when well grown can always 

 be depended upon as a ready selling plant. 



Cuttings root poorly sometimes, and there are several causes. Single- 

 eye pieces are dibbled in an open bed with the leaf pierced by a stick to 

 keep it in an upright condition. During the process of rooting the cut- 

 ting is nourished to a large extent by the moisture taken in by the under 

 part of the leaf; that is, when it lies flat on the sand, which it should 

 do. They will in this position root quicker and better. Another cause 

 of frequent failure is in taking the cuttings at the wrong time. The 

 plants have a period of rest and a period of growth. When a shoot is 

 in the process of developing a leaf rooting should not be attempted; 

 better wait till every part is ripened, then rooting is an easy matter. 

 In potting off do not allow the roots to get beyond an inch in length 

 while in the bed. They sustain injury easily when coming in contact 

 with anything. In lifting from the bed place the cuttings in a box with 

 the rooted ends resting on one side of the box, and not too many of 

 them together. Use soil of the same temperature as the sand. Two- 

 thirds loam and one-third sand is a good medium to start with; 3-inch 

 pots bhould be used. A shift will be necessary within three weeks. 



Slow Rooting Species of Ficus, and there are several of them in 

 common use for sub-tropical bedding in Summer, will be resting by 

 the end of January unless they are kept in a very warm house; 

 and in this condition ringing and mossing, as the best means of 

 increasing the number, had better be attended to. Those which 

 are slow in taking root in the cutting bed, but quick to respond to 

 the ringing process, are as follows: F. dealbata. F. Porteana, F. 

 nymphsefolia, F. macrophylla, F. ferruginea and F. eburnea. While 

 on the subject of Rubbers I may mention that for covering damp 

 walls in greenhouses for ornamental effect Ficus repens has been em- 

 ployed for a long time, but there is a species, new to me, which is a bet- 

 ter one for the purpose, judging by what 1 have seen of it. It is named 

 Ficus falcata, and is well termed, as the leaves resemble nothing so much 

 as a short knife blade. The plant grows very fast, has very dark green 

 foliage and sticks close to the substance against which it is placed. A 

 good way to start young plants climbing, so that they may be easily 

 transferred to permanent positions, is to fix the end of a piece of board 

 inside of a pot, allowing a space above the pot 6 inches broad and 12 

 mches long; then pot the young plants close against the wood. 



FUCHSIA Old plants of Fuchsias should be started by the middle of 

 December to provide wood for cuttings. The plants should be knocked 

 out of their flowering pots, the balls reduced and given fresh soil. Place 

 them in heat and syringe freely. The growths for cuttings will start 

 almost immediately. Do not take growths for cuttings which have 

 been on the plants all Winter, as the wood is bound to be a trifle hard 

 and does not turn out the best plants; better wait till the growths are 

 tender enough. Even young growth, with the wood on the hard side, 



