EPIPHYLLUSI. 67 



freely, occasionally liquid manure, they are also syringed daily. After 

 the season's growth is completed water is given more sparingly and 

 syringing is dispensed with." 



Another excellent mode of growing Bpipbyllums is in baskets, which 

 lave a most imposing appearance when well filled and the plants are in 

 flower. Some care is needed in preparing these, but the task is not a 

 difficult one, and the result amply repays for the labour bestowed upon 

 it. The plants employed should be either raised from cuttings or be 

 grafted upon Pereskia stocks 3 or 4 inches long, but the former are 

 preferable, as the others are very liable to be injured. The baskets 

 should be of semi-globular form, constructed of ordinary stout wire, 

 strong and plain in design. In preparing the baskets for the plants a 

 thick layer of moss must be placed next to the wire, then the Epiphyllums 

 may be turned out of their pots and inverted, the stems being drawn 

 through the moss and the raeshes of the wires. This must be continued 

 until the basket is sufficiently clothed, employing a little light soil to render 

 the plants firm ; then above these to fill the upper part larger specimens 

 may be planted to impart a general finish. When covered with flowers 

 these baskets will be superb ornaments for any house, as is proved by the 

 beautiful examples at Chatsworth, where they constitute a feature of 

 great interest during the winter. The cultural requirements of such 

 specimens are the same as for others, but a slight additional attention is 

 necessary to insure the whole of the soil being thoroughly moistened. 

 To keep the baskets uniform any excessively long shoots can be taken off 

 at a convenient joint, and this will induce a branching habit, which will 

 furnish the surface with growths quickly. It will be evident that the 

 baskets must be suspended sufficiently high to permit the whole under 

 surface being readily seen. 



Far from the least elJEeotive system of utilising Epiphyllums is the 

 following, which is nowhere practised so successfully as at Old Sneyd 

 Park, Bristol, the residence of F. Tagart, Esq. This consists in growing 

 the Pereskias to a height of 12 feet or more, training the stems up the 

 back wall or up the roof of the house, and grafting them at intervals of 

 a foot with Epiphyllums, These in time form good heads, atid have a 

 very handsome appearance, clothing the roof with their richly tinted 

 flowers. The gardener, Mr. E. Miller, has the back wall of the stove 

 covered with a wire netting, packed with moss, and planted with Ferns, 

 Begonias, &c. ; behind this the stems of Pereskia are taken from the 

 border at the base, where they are planted, up to the roof, and they are 

 then trained over the path. This portion of the stems, which are about a 

 yard apart, were grafted thickly with Epiphyllums of different varieties 

 about twelve years ago, and have formed dense pendulous heads 2 to 3 feet 



