THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



the greater part of the year, or when it is possible to maintain a temperature of 75° ; but 

 March and April are perhaps the best months for the purpose. Select firm tops, well- 

 furnished with healthy leaves, not hard and stunted shoots with only a few leaves on 

 them ; cut the stems cleanly across just below a joint, and trim off the lower leaves ; 

 insert the cuttings singly in small pots filled with sandy peat, the base of each cutting 

 having some sharp sand to rest upon, and fix firmly. Where the leaves are long and 

 drooping, loop them rather closely to a small stick placed in each pot for the purpose. 

 Plunge the pots in brisk bottom heat, cover with a bell-glass, hand-light, or frame, and 

 afford shade from the sun. If much moisture collect on the glass, wipe it off with a 

 cloth every morning. Under these conditions the cuttings should produce roots with- 

 out the loss of any leaves, and neat little plants will soon be ready for larger pots. 

 Larger tops may be placed with their ends in bottles kept filled with water, and in 

 brisk, moist heat roots will soon be emitted. From the bottles transfer the plants to 

 small pots, taking care to surround the roots with warm soil, and keep them in 

 strong heat and a moist atmosphere till they are well-established. 



Handsome tops, large enough to use for table decoration, may be first furnished with 

 roots and then detached from the parent plant without the loss of leaves. This method 

 of rooting the tops is shown in Fig. 143. At the selected part the stem should be cleared 

 of leaves, and then cut half through below a joint, an upward cut forming a tongue, as 

 shown. This tongue ought to be wedged open and the stem at that place encircled with 

 moss (a), enclosing, if preferred, sandy soil ; but this is not essential. The plants so 

 operated upon must be kept in strong moist heat, and the moss never allowed to 

 become dry. In the course of a few weeks roots will be emitted, as shown in the 

 sketch (c), when the tops should be detached from the stems. If strongly rooted they 

 may be placed in 4-inch pots, a handy size for table decoration, and the rest in 

 smaller sizes. Not till they have become well-established in the pots ought these 

 rooted tops to be exposed to much sun or dry air, but subsequently they may be 

 arranged on shelves, or suspended near the glass, where they wall colour grandly. 

 It must, however, be borne in mind, when Crotons are strongly rooted and retained in 

 small pots, that abundance of water, liquid manure, and frequent syringings are 

 imperative for keeping the plants bright and healthy. 



Crotons, whether required for grouping or for house and table decoration, are the 

 most effective when grown with a single stem and furnished with well-developed leaves 

 from near the pot to a height of 1 foot to 3 feet. Such plants can only be obtained by 



