232 
REMARKS ON THE GENUS NERIUM. 
nature, without any intermixture at the line of graft, c. A vertical section, of 
an almond tree cleft-g-rafted on a prunus g, showing- that not one of the charac- 
teristics of the two individuals ever passes the line of junction, c, c, any more than 
a spur grafted on the comb of a cock ever changes its hard horny nature for the 
soft fleshy nature of the comb. 
To this principle there is an exception, arising from the peculiar design which 
the graft is intended to fulfil. When the design is to increase fruit-bearing the stock 
may be of firmer texture than the cutting, as in the preceding figure of the black 
heart and bird cherry; or when a peach cutting is grafted on a plum stock, which 
having narrow vessels, a part of the descending pulp is stopped short, and serves to 
strengthen the branch. If it be intended to increase the branches, and leaves, on 
the other hand, a plum cutting grafted on a peach stock might probably do so, by 
allowing the ascent of more sap. I refer for illustration to the figures on the pre- 
ceding page from M. Turpin. — Alphabet of Scientific Gardening. 
REMARKS ON THE GENUS NERIUM. 
Every one who is familiar with the culture of stove and greenhouse plants, 
must be acquainted with the beautiful oleander, and its single, double (or full- 
flowered), and sweet-scented varieties ; but yet we seldom, see it in collections. 
There is no difficulty in purchasing the plant, nevertheless a person may visit 
fifty gardens and not meet with one plant in fine flower. It is our intention to 
direct the reader's attention to two methods by which we have successfully brought 
very small plants into a flowering state ; and we recommend one of them in particular, 
as affording the means to secure a certain succession, of a size which is not only 
very ornamental, but perfectly convenient ; taking up but little space, and being well 
adapted to decorate the parlour, hall, or sitting-room. 
This shrub is propagated with great facility ; cuttings of the half-ripened wood 
will strike freely, during the spring and summer, in a phial of rain or soft water, 
plunged into a bed of dung, tan, or leaves ; or even, if placed, during warm weather, 
in the window of an apartment. White roots are emitted at the heel of the cutting, 
and when three or four of these become half an inch long, the plant may be safely 
transferred to a pot containing light sandy earth. To secure success, it should be 
placed cautiously on the soil, an inch below the rim of a very small pot ; a little 
clear white sand, or sandy heath-soil, should then be laid over, and about the roots, 
pressing it equally and firmly around and among them ; and, finally, over this half an 
inch of the compost should be placed and pressed down closely, and then the soil 
should be thoroughly soaked with rain water. It will be advisable to set the pot in 
a close frame, to shade it from the sun, for three or four days ; and when the 
growth becomes established, to admit air freely, and thus harden the plant to green- 
house treatment by degrees. When the small pot shall become filled with roots, 
the soil to be used for a second, and all subsequent pottings, may be a free but 
unctuous loam ; of this three or four parts, and one part of perfectly mellow reduced 
