BELONGING TO THE GENUS IXORA. 
181 
bn stated above. Such plants purchasers should avoid, as they should, also, 
r nts propagated from cuttings which had only one joint ; that is, when cuttings 
J scarce, some people, for the sake of getting more stock, instead of striking the 
citings by the usual plan at a joint, strike them in the internode between the 
jits, by which means a branch with six joints may be converted into five cuttings 
i tead of three, as would be the case when two joints are retained to each, 
j Supposing then that you have “ caught your plants ” and that they are of the 
I lit kind, the next thing will be to prepare a dung-bed, or pit, precisely in the 
ne manner as you would for growing melons or cucumbers ; of course omitting 
) soil, and placing a thin layer of cinder ashes over the dung instead. Then 
icure some good strong turfy-peat, such as is found on Wimbledon Common, and 
.ving divested it of the very sandy portion at the bottom, break it into pieces of 
>m half an inch to an inch in diameter. To this add plenty of good gritty sand, 
th some charcoal and potsherds, broken small, and mix all well and intimately 
lether. Then take the plants, and supposing that it is the 1st of February, and 
at they are well established in 48-sized pots, remove them into 24 s, using the 
■ove compost, and making the soil tolerably firm around the old ball. After 
is they must be placed in the frame, with the pots partly plunged, of course, 
larding against burning, or indeed over-heating the roots. Keep the tem- 
iirature at about 60°, with a little air, but allow it to rise to 70° in the day 
me, or to 80° or even 90° on bright sunny days; shutting the pit up early in 
lie afternoon, but always giving a little air throughout the night. In such a 
ituation the plants will soon begin to make root, and as soon as they appear to be 
!>tablished stop each shoot, by pinching or cutting out the leader, and either peg or 
e them down, horizontally, over the surface of the pot. This treatment will 
iduce them to push several shoots from each branch, as well as from the base of 
le principal stem, and by repeating it several times throughout the season will 
lake neat compact plants. By the end of April the plants will require to be 
smoved into small 12-sized pots, using the same compost, and by the middle of 
uly they may be put into 8 or small 6-sized pots, which will be the last pot 
or the season. After the last shift the plants should not be stopped any more, but 
ather be allowed to ramble until they go gradually to rest in October, the object 
ieing to produce roots ready for action in the following season. Manure water, in a 
veak and clear state, must be applied to them, about once in ten days, throughout 
be growing season, but more especially where the pots are tolerably full of roots, 
.from October until the following spring they may be kept in a cool part of the 
•tove, guarding against insects, and keeping the plants tolerably dry. 
If first-class specimens are desiderated it will not be advisable to allow the 
slants to bloom until the third season, and hence, in the second season, they may be 
started early again, so as to give them the advantage of a long season of growth. 
Prepare a dung-pit, and start them, in the same manner, about February, and as 
soon as they show signs of growth stop each branch boldly in, and tie them out as 
