84 



GUIDE TO THE CONSERVATORY, 



Pruning is necessary : the head must be pinched 

 out at the time of potting the cuttings, if there be 

 rive leaves left on the plant ; if not that number, 

 allow it to grow until there are five : the reason 

 for leaving five leaves is to secure that number of 

 shoots ; these shoots must be left to grow until 

 August following, when they must be cut back, 

 leaving two strong buds on each shoot, and removing 

 all laterals as they appear : this being attended to, 

 the plants bloom much stronger. 



Water, — This element must be given to them 

 with caution until they are established in their 

 pots ; but when in a fine growing state they re- 

 quire an abundance of water. 



Air. — Each plant ought to have a free circula- 

 tion round it, and to be placed near the glass. 

 When the plants have done blooming, turn them 

 out into the open air ; they will blossom again in 

 the autumn. If you wish to preserve any of the 

 old plants for flowering the following May, return 

 such into their pots in August, prime them back, 

 and as soon as they have made shoots about one 

 inch long, turn the plants out of the pots, shake 

 all the soil from the roots, and repot them in pots 

 proportionable to the size of the plants. 



For autumnal blooming, strike cuttings during 

 the summer months, and pot the plants into Xo. 

 60 ; shift them into Xo. 48, in which pots let them 

 remain until February, when shift them into Xo. 



