Oleander Culture. 223 



for long periods. They flower profusely, and get about the same 

 treatment as orange trees, as regards housing in winter. The little 

 plants of oleander are, however, most likely to be useful with us. 

 They are allowed to rise with an undivided stem for about four 

 inches, and then break off into several branches. There should be 

 no difficulty in growing them wherever there is a sunny shelf in the 

 greenhouse, by securing a clean, while discouraging a soft or luxu- 

 riant, growth, giving a rather dryish rest in winter and abundant 

 water and light in summer. In winter any cool house will do to 

 store them, or even a shed. The large round-headed plants in the 

 public gardens are certainly very noble objects, and more worthy of 

 culture than the orange tree tubs. Judging by the habit of 

 the oleander, as generally seen with us, it might be supposed that 

 they would not make ornamental trees for a terrace, but nothing 

 can be finer than the immense specimens seen in the Luxembourg 

 Gardens, the heads being as round and dense as a Pelargonium 

 grown by Mr. Turner, and sometimes so much as ten feet through ; 

 . and as for the little plants grown in six-inch pots, nothing can be 

 prettier. 



