THE MIGNONETTE. 133 



growth. I often see old Veronicas that might be made 

 new and handsome plants by cutting them in severely. 

 The pruning should be done in March or April. 



The Boronia. 



These are a genus of fine flowering greenhouse 

 shrubs which will make a good display in the spring. 

 Nipping back should be done in the summer after the 

 flowering is over. These are desirable plants for cut 

 flowers and for conservatory decoration. 



The Bouvardia. 



All the tribe of Bouvardias are useful and beautiful — 

 what may be called dwarf shrubs — some of them being 

 especially so. The flowers are above the common 

 standard as regards their delicacy and chasteness of 

 character, and are remarkably well adapted for ladies' 

 hair ornamentation. They are generally known and 

 grown for this purpose, and they will attain to a fair 

 size by proper management, otherwise they are but 

 poor things. 



By the use of proper soils (peat, maiden loam, leaf- 

 mould, and sand) and a good even heat from a stove 

 they may be grown to a fair size, having a clean stem, 

 and being crowned with a fine head. The stem will 

 become woody, and may be maintained as such, and 

 the branches cut in during the autumn, from which 

 floral branches will issue annually, producing an abun- 

 dance of flowers throughout the winter months or in 

 the spring, according to treatment. 



The Mignonette. 



Some will, perhaps, wonder that Mignonette should 

 be included in a work on pruning; but I know of 

 scarcely any flowering pot plant that requires more 

 attention to thumb-and- finger pruning than the Migno- 

 nette, with a view to ultimately obtaining a good speci- 



