THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
177 
be obtained, and planted in light sandy soil, covered with a bell- 
glass, and afforded a gentle bottom-heat. In the coarse of about a 
month they will probably be found to have struck root, and as soon 
as this is the case, they should be potted singly in small pots ; for 
keeping them in the cutting pots longer than is absolutely neces- 
sary, tends to produce a weak habit of growth, and in all cases this 
should be avoided as far as possible. The young plants should be 
placed in a close, warm, moist place, and carefully shaded from the 
sun for about a fortnight after potting singly, by which time they 
will have taken to their pots, and may he treated as established. 
After this they should be placed in a closed pit, or moderately 
warm house, keeping them near the glass, and syringing them over- 
head on the mornings and afternoons of bright days. Being of a very 
free habit of growth, if all goes on well, a shift will soon be required, 
and they should not be allowed to suffer for want of pot-room in 
this stage, but should be shifted into pots two sizes larger as soon 
as they require it, kept moist, and rather close until the roots strike 
into the fresh soil. When this is the case, give air freely on every 
available opportunity, in order to induce a strong compact habit of 
growth, and, if necessary, to keep the plants bushy, stop the lead- 
ing shoot ; but if a vigorous root action is maintained, stopping will 
hardly be necessary. 
Where the object is to grow large specimens before flowering, 
the plants should be kept growing as rapidly as possible during the 
summer and autumn, affording them pot room as may be necessary, 
and a gentle bottom-heat would be of great assistance towards in- 
ducing rapid growth. The best situation for them in winter, will 
be an intermediate house, where the temperature may range about 
50°, for they should not be checked, either by too low a tempera- 
ture, or the want of water, as this would probably produce a ten- 
dency to flowering, and cause some difficulty in getting them to start 
away freely in spring, and neither should they be kept as warm as 
to encourage growth. About the beginning of March will be the 
proper time to place them in growing circumstances, and with suit- 
able convenience and attention, fine plants will be easily secured by 
the autumn. 
They should be placed in a gentle bottom-heat, kept near the 
glass, and as soon as growth commences, the roots should be 
examined, giving a liberal shift if necessary. Keep the shoots 
nicely tied out to prevent their growing too closely together and 
injuring each other; and make sure of having the specimens well 
furnished towards the bottom. A second shift will probably be 
required towards May, and this should be into the flowering pots, 
the size of which must be regulated by circumstances ; a fifteen-inch 
pot will be sufficiently large for a fine specimen, and will, no doubt, 
be found large enough for plants of but two seasons’ growth. 
Stopping must not be practised later than the middle of August, 
and the plants should be kept rather dry at the root, and more 
freely exposed to air from the end of September to the middle 
of November, which will mature the wood, and prepare it for flower- 
ing. By placing them in heat, and supplying them liberally with 
Jane. 12 
