26 THE FLORIST AND 
pots, ■when they should be gradually inured to a free circulation of air, and 
placed near the glass. Let the young plants be stopped as frequently as 
may be necessary to secure a bushy habit of growth, and attend to shifting 
when they require more pot room. 
With ordinary management, strong bushy plants in T-inch pots may 
easily be obtained by autumn from cutting roots in spring, and these with 
common care will form specimens of almost any desired size the following 
season. The plants are somewhat liable to damp off in winter unless pro- 
perly treated, therefore place them near the glass in a light airy part of a 
house where the temperature is kept at about 50° by fire heat, and give 
water sparingly while the plants are in a dormant state. Early in February 
cut back and tie-out the principal shoots sufficiently to secure a thick bushy 
habit of growth, and place the plants near the glass in a warm house, and 
thoroughly moisten the balls in order to induce active growth. Also see to 
the state of the roots shortly after placing the plants in heat, and give a 
liberal shift to such as are found to require more pot room, and water care- 
fully until ths plants get into free growth, but moisten them overhead with 
the syringe on the afternoons of fine days, and maintain a moist atmosphere. 
As the season advances, give air freely on fine days, and attend to stopping 
any shoots that may incline to outgrow the others, and keep them nicely 
tied out, so as to promote a bushy habit of growth. 
When good sized bushes are obtained, which, with good management, 
will be the case by May, discontinue stopping, and in order that the flower- 
ing shoots may be as dwarf as they can be obtained, keep the specimens 
near the glass, and admit air rather freely on fine days, keeping the shoots 
thin by staking. If the specimens appear to want more pot room, this 
should be seen to as soon as they start into growth after the final stopping, 
and if they are expected to continue growing and flowering the greater part 
of the summer and autumn, they must be afi"orded sufficient space for their 
roots. When they are fairly in bloom they may be removed to a warm 
corner in the conservatory or show-house ; an occasional watering with 
weak clear manure water will be of great service in maintaining them in a 
vigorous healthy state, and securing a succession of flower ; and, if necessary, 
they may be cut over, and removed to a warm situation, where they will 
soon throw up an abundance of young wood, and flower profusely a second 
time. When the specimens become useless for decorative purposes in autumn 
they may be thrown away at once, as young plants grow so rapidly that it 
is useless wintering large bulky old specimens — but be provided with young 
plants before throAving away the old ones. Any light rich fibry soil, such 
