198 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



squares of glass. In rny case several sites were tried, till at last 

 it was found that a Pine-pit — that is to say, a large pit in the 

 body of a low, flat-roofed house — suited them admirably. Ac- 

 cording as the Pines were fruited, the stock was got rid of, and 

 more space given up to the Eucharis, till at last the whole of the 

 pit was filled with them and Pancratiums. The roof is wholly 

 covered with a Stephanotis, and, in addition, a blind is run over 

 whenever the sun shines brightly. According to my ideas, the 

 Eucharis must have plenty of shade, as well as heat and moisture ; 

 sunshine striking fiercely on the leaves quickly takes a great 

 deal out of them. Too little shade is, then, another cause of 

 partial or complete failure. 



I should further state that a staging is placed over the bottom- 

 heat pipes in the pit alluded to, this being heavily covered with 

 cinders, and the pots set on or blocked up on this. Water being 

 frequently distributed between the pots, the plants are never 

 subjected to a dry heat, and can be examined as often as need be. 

 When the pots are well filled with roots (and most of our larger 

 specimens have been in the same pots three or four years, pulling 

 to pieces and repotting being thought preferable to giving shifts) 

 clear soot-water is frequently given them, and occasionally very 

 weak lime-water, by way of a corrective to sourness of the soil. 

 Eut the use of anything, such as badly prepared soot-water, that 

 will clog the surface of the soil ought always to be avoided. 



Thanks to the arrangement of bottom-heat pipes, we have 

 only to shut down the valves connected with these to consider- 

 ably lower the temperature of the house, and this, coupled with 

 the application of rather less moisture at the roots, is all the 

 resting necessary. In about three weeks we have only to 

 suddenly raise the temperature of the house, say to about 70 : 

 by night, with a slight increase in the daytime, to cause thebulk 

 of the plants to flower strongly. As it happens, large number- 

 of flowers at one time are not often wanted, and I prefer to have 

 a few almost constantly. These can be had by being content 

 with moderately high tor ordinary stove) temperature all the time, 

 keeping a few plants on the dry side for about three weeks being 

 all the rest they appear to require. 



I am convinced that it is the practice of shifting plants from 

 one place to another and drying off recklessly that leads to many 

 failures. If this method of resting the plants cannot be de- 



