HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 293 



pots, and placed again in a warm growing atmosphere. The next point to be 

 considered, now is, the sort of plants it is wished to grow, whether single 

 plants grown as fine specimens, or as dense bushes with several plants in a 

 pot. Either way looks well, and our practice is to grow some each way for 

 the sake of variety. 



As soon as the plants become well established in their three-inch pots, 

 they are in a condition to shift into their blooming pots ; for when once 

 fairly started, they should never receive a check, but be kept steadily grow- 

 ing all the summer. The plants like good drainage, so that, in keeping them 

 moist during the summer, which they like, no stagnant water may settle 

 about the roots. 



One-sixth of the pot is none too much for drainage, placing first, a piece 

 of crock over the bottom, around and over this, some large pieces, then some 

 finer, finishing with a layer of small pieces of charcoal, and some rough 

 pieces of turf, to keep the mould from filling in to the crocks. 



The soil may be turfy loam one-fourth, fibry, and if sandy peat, so much 

 the better, two-fourths, and rotten manure and sand to make up the remain- 

 der. Fill the pots with soil to within a few inches of the top, according to 

 the length of the plant, placing each just so deep as that the bottom joint 

 of leaves touch the soil. For single plants, large specimens, use nine-inch 

 pots, for bushes, twelve-inch pots, placing five plants in a pot, the strongest 

 in the centre. Water to settle the soil, and prepare a frame, which is best 

 for them during the summer, having <a thick coating of coal ashes at the 

 bottom, to keep down worms and afford a moist cool place for the pots to 

 rest on. While here, they should have ample room for their foliage to ex- 

 pand ; keep moist and rather close in the day, especially, when the atmos- 

 phere is dry, giving air freely on still warm evenings. 



Soon after midsummer, they will have acquired a large size, and may be 

 removed to the stove, and for the single plants, the tops taken out ; though, 

 if not topped at all, grown in this way, they will throw out a quantity of 

 flower spikes up the stem. We have plants now grown this way, from two to 

 three feet diameter, a dense bush of foliage, some of the leaves of gerardiana 

 measuring nine inches, the flower spikes just making their appearance. 



As soon as the plants exhibit signs of turning yellow, which they will do 

 after the flowering is nearly over, water should be gradually withheld, until 

 they are quite died off, after which, they require only to be kept dry under 

 the stage till time for starting them again. Edgab, Sanders, 



Crardener to John F. Rathbone, JSsq. 

 Albany, Oct. 9th, 18^4. 



