January '8, 1865. ] 



JOUBNAXi OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



2 or 2i feet apart. I planted a small vinery about a fort- 

 night ago. (In the following compost i— to every five or six 

 bzuTOwsfiil of turf from an old pasture, I add one bavrowful 

 of old mortar rubbish, to that nearly one barrowful of ground 

 oyster shells, and to the above another barrowful of ground 

 bones and wooUen waste, the latter procured from a woollen 

 manufactory.) I have planted them 2 feet from plant to 

 plant, that is one to go up the rafter and one up the centre 

 of each light. In order not to be overcrowded with branches 

 we shall disbud freely, and regulate the spui's at the winter 

 pruning, and where we should have two spurs on rods 4 feet 

 apart, we only require one when only half that distance.^ If 

 you expect to take a given quantity of fi'uit from each light 

 of a vinery, it is much better to take it from two Vines T;han 

 one, you have double the quantity of roots to produce the 

 same weight of fruit, and consequently the Vines do not so 

 soon become exhausted. — Q. Bead.] 



POIISrSETTIA PULCHEEEIMA CULTUEE. 



Probably no plant in cultivation is more ornamental 

 during the winter months than Poinsettia pulcherrima — that 

 is, when it is well grown. Even under indifferent culture 

 it is ornamental from the brilliant colour of the terminal 

 bracts. It is also one of the most accommodating of plants, 

 as scarcely any amount of ill-treatment or neglect, with the 

 exception of an unsuitable temperature, wiU destroy it or 

 prevent its blooming in its proper season. It will bloom 

 freely as a large plant, or as a very small one, thus accom- 

 modating itself to a large conservatory or shallow pit. 



No one who is desirous of having a really ornamental plant, 

 and can command a winter temperatm-e of from 50° to 70°, 

 need despair of cultivating this Poinsettia. During the 

 summer a rather close greenhouse is all that is required to 

 start and keep it growing ; but to give my own experience of 

 its culture in a connected form I will begin at the beginning. 



In order to have a large plant of it, take a plant that has 

 flowered, keep it rather dry, in a temperatxrre of about 50°, 

 until AprU or the beginning of May, and when in a tempe- 

 rature of 60° it will most likely begin to start into growth. 

 It may have been previously cut down to within about 8 or 

 9 inches of the collar, or it may be cut according to the 

 manner in which it breaks, so as to leave three, four, or 

 more shoots. When it has made two or three leaves turn it 

 out of the pot, pull off some of the old roots, and shaking 

 out some of the old soil, put it in a pot a size larger than it 

 was before, using a mixture of equal parts of peat and loam, 

 with sufficient sand to make the soil porous. Place the 

 plant in a stove or hotbed, and it will soon take to the new 

 soil, and show roots through the bottom. When this is the 

 case it may be shifted into a 12 or 13-inch pot, in which it 

 may be allowed to flower, unless it is desired to have a very 

 laxge specimen, when it may have a thu'd shift about the 

 end of July into an IS-inch pot, using the same kind of soil, 

 and bearing in mind that a slightly increased temperature 

 is advantageous after each potting. When, however, it has 

 taken good hold of the soil after the last shift, a vinery or 

 rather close greenhouse will suit it very well until the 

 middle of September, when it should have a temperature 

 never under 50°, and an average of 60° would sirit it much 

 better. It may then have an occasional dose of liquid ma- 

 nure, say twice a-week. I forgot to state that the points of 

 the shoots may be stopped about the time of the second 

 shift ; this will cause two or three shoots to be thrown out 

 from each. Prom the end of July it will grow rapidly until 

 it begins to show the scarlet bracts, which will be about the 

 beginning of November, and at Christmas it will be in its 

 prime. It may be permitted to bloom as long as it wiU, 

 and may then be gradually allowed to become dry, and rest, 

 taking care, however, that it is not overdried. When the 

 time arrives for starting it again it may receive the same 

 treatment as before. It is better to take a smaller plant to 

 make a large specimen the next season than to take the 

 same plant, which would have to be reduced nearly to its 

 original size, or treated after the manner of a specimen 

 G-erauium. 



Many prefer having plants in small pots with a single 

 head of bloom on each ; and where there is no convenience 

 for growing large plants this is the best way. Under any 



circumstances such plants are useful for decoration, and 

 make capital plants for the dinner-table. 



In order to obtain them one or more old plants are neces- 

 sary to cut from in May, when they have had their rest, and 

 been started into growth. The shoots being 3 or 4 inches 

 long, are taken oif, and placed in small pots in an equal 

 mixture of peat, loam, and sand, and plunged in a brisk 

 bottom heat. When struck they may be potted in four-inch 

 pots, and shifted from them to six or seven-inch pots. They 

 win not branch, but the freer their growth the larger wiU 

 be the head of bloom on each. They may be had still 

 smaller by starving the old plants until later in the season, 

 and taking off the shoots in Jirly, potting them singly into 

 thumb pots, and when rooted shifting into four-inch pots, 

 in which they will bloom. The plants wiU be small, and 

 the flowei- in proportion; but they will be as ornamental 

 and effective for decoration as can well be conceived. I 

 have known them so grown in large qirantities for Covent 

 Garden Market, and a prettier sight than such large masses 

 could not well be imagined ; in fact, Poinsettia pulcherrima 

 is a plant that will always reward the cultivator, whether 

 grown simply for decorative purposes or for proflt. — 

 F. Chittt. 



MANAGEMENT OF EOSES IN THE NOETH. 



I HAVE read with much pleasure Mr. Eadclyffe's letter, in 

 page 468, and beg to thank him for the advice it contains. 

 I find that I have now most of the varieties recommended, 

 including those mentioned in a subsequent paragraph. I 

 have also many others, and hope to be able, next season, if 

 all go well, to add a few to the list with which he has favoured 

 us. In the meantime I think the following, which are not 

 included, will not disappoint growers in the north, at least, 

 so far as the opening ot their flowers is concerned— viz.: — 

 Catherine Guillot, Madame Vidot, Duchesse de Cambaceres, 

 Lord Eaglan, Buffon, Empereur de Maroc, Cardinal Patrizzi, 

 Safrano (T.), and Comtesse Murinais (Moss). 



As regards the particular merits of the above, I must 

 allow amateurs to judge for themselves ; but I may be per- 

 mitted to observe, that where such Roses as Madame Vidot, 

 Catherine Guillot, and Lord Eaglan can be grown success- 

 fully, they should never be omitted, however small the col- 

 lection may be. Nothing in the form of a Rose could surpass 

 the first of these as it bloomed with me this last season. I 

 know that in some instances it has failed to give satisfaction, 

 but while I can obtain a single bloom, such as it produced, 

 here, I will endeavour to find a place for it. The other two I 

 saw in flower at a place about thirty miles to the west of this, 

 at an elevation of nearly 700 feet above Loch Ness, and of 

 which it may almost be said that, when it ceases to rain it 

 commences to snow ; there cannot, therefore, be any doubt 

 as to their being suitable to the wants of northern growers. 



I now beg to refer to the concluding paragraph of Mr. 

 Radclyffe's letter, and I trust he will pardon me in pointing 

 out a slight mistake which he appears to have made. He 

 says — " Celina is only fit to bud upon." (Probably meaning 

 at the time the H.B. Celini). By referring to page 436, he 

 will find that the variety I make mention of is the Moss 

 Rose " Celina," which I do not for a moment suppose he 

 would recommend for such a purpose. I was glad to find 

 that I had treated Auguste Mie and Victoria in accordance 

 with his directions, which I trust may have the desired 

 effect. 



I will now with your permission, reply to the observations 

 of " A Stibsckieek, Aberdeen," and endeavour to supply the 

 information requested, but in the first placa I beg to state, 

 in reference to the cultivation of the Rose, that although 

 certain fixed rules are laid down for our guidance, it does 

 not follow that the same treatment wDl answer equally weU 

 in all situations. Where there is pure air, deep loamy soil, and 

 good drainage, it is pretty plain sailing, but in the absence 

 of these essentials, it becomes necessary for us to exercise 

 a little of our own judgment, and it is astonishing some- 

 times what a person can accomplish when guided by a little 

 common sense. I would remind my brother amateurs, that 

 it is not where everything goes on smoothly with us that 

 we learn most. No, the little difficulties we frequently meet 

 with are oftentimes our best instructors. As an instance of 

 this, I beg to refer them to the letter of "Amqot," at 



