General Notices. 229 



quickly produced than if the leaves are allowed to remain. At this time 

 the plants are in a fit state to be potted, and here it must be determined at 

 what size they are to produce flowers : if plants in a state of superlative 

 grandeur are desired, they must not be permitted to produce flowers until 

 the third year from this potting ; but if plants with from 12 to 20 heads of 

 bloom are sufficient for the cultivator's purposes, they may be allowed to 

 produce flowers in the second season of their growth. The best compost 

 for these plants consists of three parts very turfy peat, and one part of turfy 

 loam, to which maybe added a small'portion of bone-dust and charcoal, and 

 a liberal supply of gritty sand, potsherds, and small stones. These should 

 be intimately mixed before they are used, and should be as rough as possi- 

 ble. The compost being ready, take a 9-inch pot, and having carefully and 

 thoroughly drained it, fill it three parts full of the compost, and make it 

 firm or solid where the plant is to stand ; then turn the small plant out of 

 its pot, and with a pointed stick loosen the matted roots round the ball, 

 place it in its new situation and fill up with the prepared soil, taking care 

 to make the latter solid, and to give a soaking of water to settle it round 

 the ball. This completes the potting, after which the plants must be placed 

 in a temperature of 50 ° during the night, but rising to 70 ° or 80 ° with 

 sunshine, and plenty of moisture in the day, and they should be kept as 

 near the glass as possible. It must, however, be remarked, that any thing 

 approaching a close moist atmosphere must be avoided, as nothing appears 

 to injure this tribe so much as too much heat, combined with a saturated 

 atmosphere. Under such circumstances, it is impossible to induce the 

 plants to grow healthily. 



When they are thoroughly established in the new soil, which will be 

 about May, they may be removed to a warm airy part of the greenhouse, 

 taking care to expose them to as much light as possible, and to keep them 

 near the glass. In this situation they will grow vigorously, and may be 

 assisted once or twice a week with a little weak manure water, and through 

 the hottest part of the day a temporary shade may be throM^n over the 

 glass. On mild and dewy nights it will be found advantageous through 

 July to place the plants in the open air, first of course taking the precau- 

 tion to have the shoots secured to small sticks, to prevent their being 

 broken. By the first week in August, the plants will have made as much 

 growth as can be matured during the first season, and therefore from this 

 time the ripening or maturing process must be commenced by gradually ex- 

 posing the plants to all the sun and light possible, until, at last, the young 

 wood is thoroughly ripened, at the foot of a south wall. 



I may here remark that it will be as well for the amateur to bear in mind, 

 that the flowering of plants results from the accumulation of sap in a highly 

 elaborated state, and that this complete elaboration can only be secured by 

 exposing plants, and more especially those that are of a succulent nature, 

 to the full influence of an unclouded sun. While, however, plants are 

 fully exposed and supplied with necessary moisture to the roots, it will be 

 as well to guard against the soil being soddened by exposure to heavy rains, 



