THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
299 
NEW NOTES ON ])EUTZIAS. 
BY A KESTISIl OAEDENEB. 
HE cliarmiug Dentzia gracilis and the stronger-growing 
D. crenafa fore plena are so valuable for spring deco- 
ration, that they should be grown in the smallest garden 
in which a frame or greenhouse is to be found. They 
are, especially the first mentioned, very popular with 
all classes ; but they are not often grown so well as one could 
wish, because of the cultivator not having sufficient knowledge of 
their cultural requirement. For many years past I have grown them 
rather extensively, and have tried a considerable number of ways of 
growing them, for it is of great importance to us to adopt, in the 
cultivation of plants, those systems by which the best results can be 
obtained by the smallest amount of labour. The best of the various 
plans I have tried is to plant them out, and cut them back to obtain 
strong, well-ripened shoots ; and this I shall proceed to describe as 
briefly as possible. Instructions will be given for striking the cut- 
tings ; but it is well the reader should know that, in case no plants 
should be available for furnishing cuttings, strong plants, out of 
pots, may be obtained at the principal country nurseries at six 
shillings per dozen. 
To propagate them successfully, cuttings should be taken early 
in March. Placed in silver-s.and, and pnt in a sweet bottom-heat, 
they will strike as readily as verbeuas, although not quite so quickly. 
They usually require a month to become well rooted. They must 
then be potted in three-inch pots, in moderately light sandy soil ; 
after this they should receive the benefit of bottom-heat for a 
fortnight. A warm greenhouse will then suit them till they have 
filled the pots full of roots, which wdll be about the middle of June; 
after this expose them gradually out of doors for a week. 
IMy plan of proceeding for the after-management is as follows : 
A piece of ground under a south-west wall is well manured and 
cai’efully forked out ; here the plants are turned out of the pots a 
foot apart each way, and during summer they are weeded and watered 
when necessary. The following March they are cut down to within 
an inch of the ground ; tlie vacant spaces are then lightly forked up, 
and about a couple of inches of good rotten manure laid between 
the plants, which will act as a mulching through the summer. 
In this position they will make a good growth, much more so than 
by any system of pot culture that can be adopted, and with infinitely 
less trouble. If it is desirable to flower some of them the next 
season, every alternate plant must be lifted and potted early in 
October, and receive the protection of a pit or frame to 
encourage them to make fresh roots before winter sets in. The 
other plants are left in the ground. Those potted for flowering 
are encouraged to make roots by being syringed, and shut up early 
in the afternoon of bright days. Hardy as they are, those for forcing 
ought not to be exposed to more than three or four degrees of frost, 
just to harden the wood, and send them to rest early. The plants 
October. 
