370 
THE ELOBAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
in good health and making vigorous growth, the plants will soon fill 
their pots with roots, and as soon as this may be the case, they 
should be repotted, giving a liberal shift — say into twelve-inch pots, 
in which size large handsome specimens may be produced. Use 
good strong fibrous loam, with a liberal admixture of sharp sand and 
lumpy bits of charcoal or potsherds, which being more retentive of 
moisture, and this plant being a somewhat gross feeder, and apt to 
suffer if allowed to become over-dry at the root, either during the 
growing season or while in bloom, is more suitable than a lighter 
compost. In summer a pit which can be kept rather close and moist, 
and where the plants can be placed near the glass, will form a very 
suitable situation in which to obtain active vigorous growth. Daring 
the early part of the season keep the branches tied out, so as to 
admit light and air, and stop the shoots regularly over as often as 
may be necessary to maintain a close, bushy habit ; but stopping 
must be regulated according to the time at which it may be desired 
to have the specimens in bloom. Plants intended for blooming in 
autumn and early winter should not be stopped later than the end 
of June, for there is no possibility of securing a fine display of 
blossom except by allowing the plants to make a regular growth 
after stopping, and getting this well ripened up, then affording a 
short period of rest ; and I have no doubt that neglect of this has 
been the great cause of the want of success in the culture of this fine 
subject, of which so many amateurs have complained. By attending 
to this little peculiarity of the plant, there will be no difficulty in 
securing a fine display of blossom at any period of the season when 
it may be most desirable ; whereas if this is neglected, the finest 
grown specimens will only produce a few straggling heads of blossom. 
When good-sized specimens are obtained they should be removed 
to a dry, airy situation, where they will be fully exposed to sun and 
air, giving a sparing supply of water at the root to ripen up the 
wood. If not wanted for early flowering, they may be allowed to 
remain during winter in a warm part of the greenhouse, giving very 
little water to the soil, and guarding the foliage from damp while the 
plants are in a dormant state. Treated in this way it will be easy, 
by merely removing the specimens to a moist, warm temperature, to 
throw them into bloom at almost any season, and they will remain 
some three months in beauty if afforded a moderately warm tem- 
perature, and guarded from damp. When the beauty of the flower 
js over, the strongest shoots may be cut back, the plants turned out 
their pots and disrooted, so as to allow of repotting them in the 
same sized pots ; or if large-sized specimens are desired, a moderate 
shift should be given, and then grown as directed for last season. 
Managed in this way the plants will last in good health for several 
seasons, but old specimens should be liberally supplied with manure- 
water, both during the growing season and while in blossom. 
