THE DEUTZIA. 55 



well in any good rich common garden soil of a fine 

 nature. 



The seed should be sown in the autumn, and screened 

 a bit from heavy rains during the winter months, but 

 not kept too close. The three-year-old seedling 

 Mezereums may be used for stocks to graft the better 

 or rarer sorts on. 



The grafting of Daphnes is by means of scions, say 

 2 inches long, of the last season's growth, and should 

 be done in the month of September, as for the Camellia 

 — (see page 53). I find many make quite a mistake 

 in reference to the situation required for the Mezereum. 

 They select a shady place to grow it in, but the best 

 lot of plants I ever saw were some I grew from seed, 

 which were bedded out in the most sunny warm spot I 

 could find in my little nursery. They were dwarf, 

 bushy, and handsome healthy plants, and in the spring 

 each one was a bouquet of itself. 



Cuttings may be struck if the short young wood is 

 taken off at the base, nicely cut across at right angles, 

 leaving a heel of the old wood, and inserted in pots of 

 fine peat and sand, and set on a mild heat, kept moist, 

 and covered with a handlight. You may put three 

 pots under a large bell-glass — (see page 101). The 

 Daphnes should be planted where they are to remain 

 as long as they live, as they do not remove well after 

 they have been a few years on the spot without shifting. 

 The common Wood Laurel is used for stocks to graft 

 D. Indica and any others on, and may be obtained in 

 man}- localities by suckers. 



The Deutzia [Philadelphacece). 



The Deutzias are a very beautiful and useful class 

 of plants, possessing delicate white flowers in the spring - . 

 Gracilis is a well-known favourite, and forces well, 

 flowering freely. The chief thing is to induce it to 

 make new growth — on this depends a good crop of 

 flowers in the following season. This variety makes 

 a good small bed or clump for the lawn. 



