684 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



wood-making should be allowed to go on slowly 

 and gradually ; a contrary course will cause them 

 to make long budless shoots, which, to maintain 

 symmetry in the plants, will require to be cut 

 back, and to a certainty a very limited forma- 

 tion of flower-buds. Excessive shifting will be 

 productive of the same evil. Camellias and 

 azaleas intended to bloom late should be kept 

 in a cool place, and by the middle of February 

 or earlier, according to their state, be placed in 

 a cold pit merely protected from frost and ex- 

 cess of moisture ; the roots- must, however, be 

 prevented from suffering from drought, to pre- 

 vent the shedding of their flower-buds. 



The azalea bears pruning freely, and there- 

 fore all strong over-luxuriant shoots should be 

 pinched back when about 6 inches in length, to 

 cause them to send out lateral shoots of more 

 moderate growth. It is important to keep them 

 moderately thin of branches, and to order the 

 shape of their heads so as to present the aspect 

 of symmetry. They are sometimes grown as 

 standards trained to single stems, but their 

 natural habit is that of low-spreading bushes. 



Diseases and insects. — The chief disease to 

 which they are liable is one not very easily ac- 

 counted for — namely, a sudden dying off close 

 to the surface of the soil; and some varieties 

 are more liable to this than others, which, to 

 counteract this, it has been recommended to 

 graft on the stronger-growing kinds, such as 

 A. phoenicea; but, on the other hand, grafted 

 plants of most of the delicate kinds are liable to 

 die just above the stock in an equally sudden 

 manner. The thrip often attacks the whole 

 tribe. The best remedy we have found is, to 

 prepare a strong lather of soap and flour of 

 sulphur in a large tub, and to immerse the plants 

 two or three times in it, setting them again upon 

 the stages, and shutting up the house or pit 

 close for two or three days. The green aphides 

 attack the young shoots, but this is easily sub- 

 dued by fumigation. 



The Oleander (Nerium oleander) is propagated 

 readily by cuttings of the half-ripened wood, set 

 in sand in a moderately warm pit. Cuttings of 

 older wood strike roots rapidly, if their ends are 

 immersed in a phial of water. The soil best 

 for these is peat and loam, enriched with cow 

 manure, with a little leaf-mould. Their growth 

 is easy, but their flowering is not so ; and this is 

 more to be regretted, seeing they are exceed- 

 ingly beautiful, and, according to nursery cata- 

 logues, exceedingly numerous in varieties. The 

 oleander naturally occupies a vast geographical 

 range, being abundant in many parts of Europe, 

 Africa, and Asia ; nevertheless, it is found in 

 very similar situations in them all — namely, the 

 margins of brooks, lakes, and rivers, enjoying a 

 hot dry summer, inundated to the depth of a foot 

 or two while coming into flower, and with a com- 

 paratively cool winter. Its natural soil is a rich, 

 deep, alluvial deposit. Under such conditions 

 oleanders have three extremes — soil extremely 

 rich, extreme drought during five or six months 

 in the year, and saturated with water after the 

 blossom-buds are formed. These are the really 

 true guides to the proper cultivation of the 

 oleander. They delight in strong rich loam ; 



and as soon as the flower-buds appear, the pots 

 ought to stand in saucers of water till the bloom 

 is over; and with an occasional syringing on 

 warm afternoons, we imitate so far their natural 

 climate. This beautiful plant, although many 

 years introduced to our gardens, is rarely seen in 

 perfection of bloom, arising from improper treat- 

 ment — such as the want of sufficient light, heat, 

 and air, while it is making its annual growth, 

 and a deficiency of water at the roots at the 

 time of its growth and setting its flower-buds. 

 When it has made its summer's growth, it should 

 be kept in the camellia-house and exposed to 

 the full sun, and very little water given from 

 the end of September till the beginning of 

 March. It is apt, without judicious pruning, to 

 become straggling and overgrown. Mr Beaton 

 remarks on this, as the flowers are produced 

 " on the ends of the shoots made last year, we 

 must not cut off their points in order to get a 

 bushy head, for if we do, we cut away the 

 flowering parts. Therefore, to keep a large plant 

 in good flowering order, one-half of the flowering 

 branches must be cut down every year to the 

 last joint from the old wood as soon as the 

 flowering is over for the season. Now, as the 

 young shoots start off in threes round the 

 flowers, and begin to lengthen long before the 

 flowers expand, such of the shoots as are in- 

 tended to be cut down ought to have the three 

 points of the shoots round the flowers stopped 

 as soon as they appear. This will throw the 

 whole strength of the branch into the flowers, 

 and will also cause the bottom eyes to push out 

 three strong shoots as soon as the flowering 

 branches are cut down." The oleander is often 

 cultivated and flowers well in a dwarf state — 

 that is to say, when only about a foot in height; 

 and these, when crowned with from one to 

 five or six flowers, are exceedingly pretty. To 

 effect this, cuttings should be put in about the 

 1st of April, placing each cutting in a small pot, 

 and plunging them in a mild bottom-heat and 

 in a high humid atmosphere. When rooted, 

 shift into a 48-sized pot in a light rich compost. 

 Grow the plants for the first season to one stem 

 only, supplying them with abundance of water 

 and air, and keep them near the glass until the 

 end of August ; after which, less water must be 

 supplied, and keep them in a moderately cool 

 pit till the end of September, and during winter 

 when the frost is to be barely excluded. About the 

 beginning of the following April cut them down 

 to the height they are desired to flower at, but 

 do not re-pot them ; encourage the growth all 

 summer as before; three shoots only should be 

 allowed to proceed from where they were cut 

 down to, and, if well managed, each of these 

 will be of an equal length. Winter them as 

 above, when the following summer they will 

 produce from two to three flower-buds each, 

 according to their strength. Pinch back the 

 three young shoots which arise around the 

 flower, leaving only one joint to each. When 

 their blooming season is over, place them in 

 a pit where they may be fully exposed to 

 the sun. The plants by this plan will flower 

 only once in two years, but a succession should 

 be kept up, which will afford a fine bloom every 



