THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
213 
much space ; the other, that the plants do not require much room. 
After the wood is cut into proper lengths, the pieces should be 
bored within one inch from the ends, taking care to ‘have all the 
holes bored the same distance. There should be four lengths of 
copper wire — one for each corner. The wire should be put through 
each piece of wood, and brought up to form the handle, for sus- 
pending the plants from the roofing. Iron wire should never be 
used in making baskets, for it is probably injurious to the plants. 
The best kinds of wood for blocks are acacia, apple, pear, plum, 
or cork, if it can be obtained. The wood should be cut into lengths, 
according to the sizes required. Get some nails, and drive out at 
each end with some copper wire. To form the handle, wind the 
wire round each nail, and have the handle about ten inches high. 
Small copper nails are the best by which to fasten the plants on 
the blocks. 
ALLAMANDA GRANDIFLORA. 
HEX well grown and flowered, this is one of the hand- 
somest of the Allamandas, and it is not very difficult 
to manage. Let us begin with a young plant in a five- 
inch pot, brought in spring from the nursery. Such 
a plant, if in good health, will in general be found to 
be what is termed pot-bound. 
The first operation, therefore, under such circumstances, will be 
to turn it out of the pot, remove the crocks, and carefully to disen- 
tangle the roots. If the latter are healthy, give rather a liberal 
shift — say into an eight-iuch pot, using a mixture of one-half good 
fibry loam, one quarter peat, and one quarter leaf-mould, with a 
little sharp sand. Experience has proved that a soil of this kind, 
well mixed, and chopped up with the spade (not sifte*), on an effi- 
cient drainage, suits it perfectly ; but if peat cannot be had, then 
three-quarters loam, and one-quarter leaf-mould and sand might 
answer. In both cases, place a layer of some of the most fibry and 
rough soil over the drainage, with a view to make the latter act 
perfectly and permanently. 
After potting, give a thorough watering, to settle the soil about 
the roots, and place it in a smart bottom-heat in a moist stove. 
"When it shows symptoms of breaking, if the plant is weakly or 
drawn, cut it down to a prominent bud on the ripe wood ; or in the 
case of a stronger plant, bend it down, in order better to equalize 
the flow of the sap, and cause the buds at the bases of the shoots to 
start simultaneously with those at their tops. Judicious watering, 
and occasional tying, will now be all that it will want, until it has 
filled the pot with roots, aud requires a shift, which will probably 
be some time in June; for it must be remembered that it should 
not be allowed to blossom the first year. The point to be kept in 
view is, to have a good strong plant furnished in autumn with 
well-ripened wool, from which abundance of bright yellow flowers 
