364 THE FLORIST AND 



extra dash of deep crimson and sometimes (once only during the last sea- 

 son,) it has a pure crimson flower, but in no case has it ever sported back 

 to the pure white. 



The Portulacca, mixed in a bed will not readily cross themselves, and 

 the striped kinds were very difficult to obtain, several hundred flowers hav- 

 ing been fertilized to produce a single specimen. From their disposition 

 to revert to the original selfs, any remarkable and valuable varieties must 

 be propagated by cuttings and kept through the winter. They may be 

 easily wintered in the greenhouse by plunging the pots to the rim in sand 

 and keeping the plants rather dry, or if unchecked by cold or frost in the 

 fall, they may be kept growing, with plenty of heat ; especially if the plants 

 are from late summer cuttings. Chas. G. Page. 



Washington, D. C, Bee. 11, 1854. 



STEPHANOTIS FLORIBUNDA. 



This is a fine evergreen twiner, with dark green coriaceous leaves, and 

 very fragrant white flowers. It is a native of Madagascar, and belongs to 

 the natural order, Asclepiadacese. 



By many, this is thought to require a stove, and those having only a 

 green-house and hot-bed, debar themselves the pleasure of its possession. 

 When it is kept blooming during the winter in a stove, it seldom blooms so 

 freely as when it has a few months' rest in a cooler place. 



Without occupying more room with preliminary remarks, I will suppose 

 any one to have a good strong plant, which can be obtained from any nur- 

 seryman ; place it on a front shelf in the green-house for the winter months, 

 taking care not to give much water, or it will become a little yellow. When 

 spring approaches, tie it neatly to a balloon-shaped wire trellis, covering the 

 bottom of the trellis first. The soil I use is turfy sandy loam, but it will 

 grow in porous soil of any description. About the middle of March, shift it 

 into a size larger pot ; I keep it rather underpotted, as I do not think there 

 is anything gained in beauty either of leaves or flowers, by the one shift 

 system with the Stephanotis. After I have repotted a plant a few seasons, 

 until I get into a ten inch pot, I turn it out and cut off a little of the ou 

 side of the earth and roots, and thus grow it for awhile in the same 

 pot. After repotting, I plunge it into slight bottom heat in an early 

 cucumber frame, or in a hot-bed made for propagating bedding plants. 

 With several plants started a few weeks after each other, they can be had 



