March 7, 186S. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAE.DENEK. 



193 



derate heat, with the soil just moist (if kept very wet they 

 are apt to rot at their base) will be well rooted by autuian. 

 In the spring they will be ready for potting singly into 

 small 32's or 24' s, according to their size. 



We have thus two descriptions of plants, those grafted 

 on stems, and those on their own roots ; both require the 

 same treatment, and of these young plants I will detail the 

 culture up to the period of their becoming specimens. 



The plants after blooming should be potted, for if the 

 wood is well ripened they will bloom in the cutting state ; 

 but it is not advisable to allow this, we shall, therefore, pot 

 them in the first week in February, in a compost of two-thirds 

 light loam from rotted turves, and one-third turfy fibry peat, 

 with a free admistvu'e of sharp sand. Eiver sand will answer 

 as well for this piu-pose as the finest silver sand. Chop the 

 compost tolerably fine with a spade, but do not sift it, for it 

 is all the better to be open or porous. In the absence of 

 peat, leaf mould may be substituted. Drain the pot to one- 

 third its depth, place a little sphagnum above the drainage 

 to prevent the finer particles of the compost being washed 

 down, and so choking it. Turn the plant out of its pot, and 

 remove all the old sod not filled with healthy roots, picking 

 the soU from between the roots as much as possible. Give 

 a moderate shift ; large shifts are more injurious than bene- 

 ficial, for it is better to imder-pot than to over-pot this plant. 

 Press the sod rather firm, but not tightly, and not too low in 

 the pot, but as low as for a Geranium. If the soU is moist 

 no water need be given for ten days, if the pot is plunged in 

 a hotbed of 75°, which is desirable, as the cutting will strike 

 root much sooner ; but if placed on a stage the soU, if diy, 

 should be moistened a little at the time of potting, and kept 

 just moist until the plant begins to grow. 



The most suitable situation is a house where forcing is 

 carried on, for it will have a moist atmosphere, and be 

 sprinkled with water of the same temperature as the house, 

 morning and evening. The temperature should range from 

 55° to 60° from fii-e heat by night, with a rise of 10° by day 

 without sun, but more, of course, on sunny days if accom- 

 panied by a corresponding amount of ventilation. When 

 the plant begins to push a more copious supply of water 

 should be given, and when growth fairly commences, the soU 

 should be kept moist, but never so wet as to become sodden, 

 which is too often the result of watering at stated times 

 whether the soil is moist or dry. The want of water should 

 be apparent before any is aiforded, and then enough 

 should be given to thoroughly moisten the ball, but the 

 plants should be watered before the soil becomes so dry 

 as to check growth. A moist soil and atmosphere being 

 maintained, and the plants occasionally sprinkled overhead, 

 they wid grow rapidly, and will have made their growth by 

 the beginning of July. 



When growth is completed they are to be removed to a 

 ligho aijy situation, in what may be termed a warm green- I 

 house, where they can be exposed to the midday sun, and kept 

 near the glass. It is presumed that they have hitherto had 

 a slightly shaded position, yet near the glass, in the forcing- 

 house. In the light airy situation in a cool-house they are 

 to receive but little water, reducing it, however, gradually, 

 and not permitting the stems upon any consideration to 

 become limp or shrivelled. After remaining a few weeks in 

 this situation the wood wOl be well ripened, quite brown- 

 looking, and hard to the touch. If well ripened the wood 

 rarely shrivels afterwards, even if the plants are not watered 

 for weeks ; but they should be occasionally examined, 

 and a little water given so as to prevent the fleshy stems 

 shrivelling. After the growths are ripened they should be 

 kept near the glass, and sufficient moisture maintained in 

 the sod to preserve the vitality of the plant. An occasional 

 spri nkl ing overhead will tend to free the stems of dust; but 

 a wet state of the soil must be avoided during the period 

 of rest. A temperature of 45° from fii-e heat is sufficient 

 in winter, if the soil is kept dry. Plants so treated will 

 bloom in December if placed in October in a temperature 

 of from 55° to 60°, and by introducing plants at intervals of 

 a month, fine objects for conservatory decoration may be 

 had throughout the winter. Those kept in the cool-house 

 wiQ bloom in April. This plant is without a rival for dinner- 

 table decoration ; specimens on 18-inch stems with a head 

 as much through, and the points hung with hundreds of 

 coral blooms, are much greater ornaments than those vidth 



glass stems, the very slenderness of which is ever sugges- 

 tive of insecurity. 



The earliest blooming plants may be potted, placed in the 

 forcing-house, and kept there until the growth is made, 

 though potting is not necessary oftener than every other 

 year ; but the di'ainage should be looked to every season. 



It will thus be seen, that for five or six months the plants 

 are growing, and that at another period they are kept in a 

 state of rest. Though tliese plants do fairly in what may 

 be termed warm greenhouses, they require an increase of 

 heat in spring, and unless they have the heat of a vinery 

 they will not bloom with certainty. In a vinery where a little 

 fire heat is given in spring and through the summer they 

 can be grown well. Under this treatment they will bloom in 

 spring ; to bloom in wint'r they require the heat of a stove. 



As the plants increase in size they should be potted in 

 proportion to their growth, and if they become uneven the 

 heaviest parts should be thinned out, and this is all the 

 pruning they require. They may be kept for years without 

 deterioration in small pots, by reducing the balls biennially 

 or annually, and repotting in pots of the same size. A speci- 

 men producing five hundred blooms at once may be grown 

 in a nine-inch pot. The finest plants are grown on the 

 Pereskia stock. Plants on their own roots seldom attain 

 more than a foot in height. 



Such is the mode of treatment I have adopted with good 

 results, and it is much to be desired that those who have 

 been successful in this branch of culture, would make known 

 their practice through these pages, for of all plants none are 

 so gorgeous, nor so little eared for at the present time, as 

 the Cactus family. In fact, we generally see them better 

 grown and blooming more freely in cottage windows than 

 in the best garden establishments. About thirty years ago 

 these plants received the care which they merit, and the 

 indifference to them which exists at the present time can 

 only ba attributed to the introduction of so many new 

 plants, though less useftd and ornamental. Dry stoves were 

 common then, but now there is scarcely one to be found in 

 the land. — G. Abbey. 



A EIBBON-BOEDEE. 



I HAVE a ribbon-border 40 yards long and 6 feet wide ; the 

 background is common Laurels. I thought of planting it 

 thus — Back row. No. 1, PeriUa ; No. 2, Christine Geranium ; 

 No. 3, BrUliant Geranium ; No. 4, Shrubland Pet Geranium ; 

 No. 5, and front row, Cerastium tomentosum. I dare not 

 plant Verbenas or Lobelias as they suffer so much when 

 quite young from the rabbits. Last year I had Lady Middle- 

 ton Geranium next the Laurels, then Perilla, but I was 

 assured that PerUla ought to be next the Laurels. — E. B. 



[If your keep Perilla low enough we certainly should pre- 

 fer strong plants of Lady Jliddleton Geranirmi next the 

 sombre Laurels. Discarding as you are obliged to do. Ver- 

 benas and Lobelias, we would rather plant thus — Lady 

 Middleton Geranium, Perilla, Christine Geranium, yellow 

 Calceolaria (Aurea floribunda). Brilliant Geranium, and 

 Cerastium tomentosum.] 



The Action op Akosiatic Plants on Silkwokhs. — 

 M. E. Faivre details the following experiments to the French 

 Academy : — " Silkworms exposed to the action of wormwood, 

 but not in actual contact, were very mnch excited, they tried 

 to get away. The pulsation of the dorsal vessel was aug- 

 mented and their bowels purged; in a few horns they were 

 dead. Fennel produced similar results on the nervous 

 system, and a marked one on the secretions. Balsam-tansy 

 acted stiU more powerfully, even killing the sick worms, and 

 causing the healthy ones to emit their sUk. Common tansy 

 was less violent. The effects depend upon the quantity of 

 the odoriferous herb employed, and on the condition of the 

 silkworms. When healthy worms were supplied with mul- 

 berry leaves and exposed to the aromatic, they ate their 

 food, and made cocoons which were considered of superior 

 quality." — Dyhlin Medical Fress. 



[These facts suggest that gaideners should try the effect on 

 thefr enemies, the caterpillars, of syringing them with 

 water in which tansy and other strongly scented herbs have 

 been soaked or boiled.] 



