450 On the Cultivation of Hedychiums in a Stove. 



here in October last : I then cease to give them water, till 

 the present time (March), but keep them in the hot-house. 



The first or second week of this month I consider the 

 proper time to fresh pot them, in which operation, most of 

 the kinds require parting : in doing this I select those roots 

 which have the strongest buds, or which promise to make 

 the stoutest shoots, taking care to cut off the old roots, which 

 I consider useless, though they continue good, and will grow 

 again, if it be desired, after being separated from the new 

 ones. The soil I use for the Hedychiums is composed of 

 three parts of very strong loam, in which the sward has 

 rotted, the remaining fourth part consists of an equal quan- 

 tity of peat, and very rotten dung well mixed together; 

 after I have put the drainings into the bottom of the pots, 

 I cover them over with about one inch thickness of good 

 dung, previously to putting in any of the soil. The size of 

 the pots I am careful about, planting the strong and tall 

 growing species in very large pots, and the smaller grow- 

 ing sorts, in those of a proportionably smaller size. After 

 potting, I place the plants again in the stove, giving them a 

 little water ; but the supply of water, for some time, until the 

 shoots are of a considerable height, should be very moderate ; 

 when they have made some growth, and particularly in dry 

 and hot weather, they can hardly have too much. The above 

 method, which I have very briefly described, is that practised 

 by me in growing these plants ; of which the following species 

 are cultivated here : 



Hedychium angustifolium. 



— acuminatum. 



— aurantiacum. 



