106 
PRACTICAL HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF 
bloom before the end of July. With these remarks we shall proceed with a few 
observations in extension of our former list. 
Dipladenia splendens. — This magnificent plant is one of Messrs. Veitch's acqui- 
sitions, through their collector in Brazil, and was figured several years back in one of 
our former volumes, under the name of Echites splendens. It was introduced in 
1842, and with its gorgeous masses of bright and various tinted rosy pink flowers, is 
certainly not surpassed by any plant in existence. In cultivation, however, as a pot 
plant, it has very frequently been found unruly, growing with great vigour and luxu- 
riance, but rarely producing bloom proportionate to the size of the plant, as a friend 
of ours, and one of the best cultivators in England, although he had remarkably fine 
specimens in three consecutive seasons, never succeeded in producing a single flower. 
This we imagine arose from two causes ; first, over-luxuriant growth, afterwards 
suddenly and unduly checked by exposure to the full sun and air in a cold pit ; and 
secondly, a want of bottom-heat to the roots, which, so far as we can judge, appears 
indispensable to the proper management of this plant. We have heard it asserted 
that the plant will not bloom unless it is properly ripened by exposure to the sun's 
rays towards the close of the growing season ; but so far as our own experience 
extends, this practice has had a directly opposite effect. In the stove, when planted 
out, or even in the Orchid-house, and trained to the rafter or trellis, the Dipladenia 
splendens flowers with great freedom, and as it is generally in a free growing state 
at the time, this, we consider, is a sufficient contradiction to the opinion that the 
ripening or maturing process is necessary to the production of bloom. On the con- 
trary, we have always found that if the plants are kept growing, with the pots half 
plunged in a lively bottom-heat of from 75° to 85°, they will, after the first flush of 
luxuriance has past over, and they come into steady moderate growth, produce bloom 
almost with as much certainty as any climber in cultivation, and that too not for a 
week or too, but until the dull weather of winter renders it impossible for the buds 
to unfold themselves. 
In commencing the cultivation of Dipladenia we will suppose that you have 
provided yourself with nice strong young plants in forty-eight or thirty-two sized pots, 
and that they are well stocked with roots in an active state. These during the winter 
should be kept just growing, but nothing more ; and to insure this, they must be kept 
rather dry than moist, and at a temperature of from 55° to 60°. In February, a 
dung-pit or frame being ready, take the plants, and having removed some of the old 
exhausted soil from the roots, pot them in a soil consisting of turfy peat, leaf-mould, 
and sand, in about equal quantities, to which, at the subsequent potting, one-fourth 
of fibrous loam may be added. After potting, place the plants in the frame or pit ; 
and if the bottom-heat is mild and sweet, plunge the pots a little, but take care 
that they do not become overheated. If properly managed the plants will be fit to 
remove into larger pots by the end of March, and by the first of June they should 
be well established in eight or six sized pots. As the shoots progress in growth, 
direct them so as to prevent their becoming entangled, but avoid training them until 
