148 
THE BORONTA. 
These young plants must never be suffered to 
become dry at the root. They may be potted 
separately into small pots as soon as they have 
made some advance from their last transplan- 
tation, provided this potting can be done not 
later than August. If they are not enough 
advanced to admit of its being done in August, 
it is better deferred till the February or March 
following. 
Cuttings. — These plants are not difficult to 
raise from cuttings, provided they are care- 
fully managed, The cuttings selected should 
be the short leafy (not flowering) shoots, which 
push out at different periods of the growing 
season ; and these should be taken when they 
are become in a degree hardened, or mature, 
but without being fully ripened. The tips of 
the shoots about two inches long are to be 
selected. From these, whatever leaves may 
be attached to the lowermost three-fourths of 
an inch, are to be cut clean off with a sharp 
knife ; then immediately below where the 
lowest leaf was attached, the stem is to be cut 
through at a right angle, and with a clean 
sharp cut, so that the bark is not injured in 
the process. The cuttings are now ready for 
planting, and but few should be cut before 
they are planted. For this reason, the cutting- 
pots should be first prepared ; and they are 
done in this w r ay : — A pot and a bell-glass are 
selected, the latter rather less in diameter 
than the former : the pot is filled one-third 
with broken potsherds, on which is laid first 
a thin layer of moss to keep up the soil ; then 
a thickish layer of very sandy peat, mode- 
rately fine and moderately dry, and this is 
pressed down quite firm ; on this is laid, three- 
quarters of an inch in thickness, a layer of 
silver sand, the surface of which is about level 
with the top of the pot. The whole now re- 
ceives a good watering, sufficient to damp it 
thoroughly. When this has drained a little, 
the pots are ready for the cuttings. The edge 
of the bell-glass is now to be pressed on the 
surface of the sand, so as to leave a mark ; 
within the space thus marked, which the glass 
covers, the cuttings are to be planted. The 
only tool is a dibble, a small taper pointed 
piece of stick, the point of which must be a 
trifle thicker than the diameter of the stem of 
the cutting at its base, so that a hole made by 
the stick will admit the cutting without any 
pressure or rupture. ,The dibble is thrust 
just through the sand, on to the sandy peat, 
and by a slight twist is removed, leaving a 
hole in the sand. Into this hole the base of 
the cutting is put, so that it rests on the bottom 
of the hole, which is closed up around the 
cutting by inserting the dibble at a little dis- 
tance on every side, so as to press the sand 
firmly about the cutting. When all are planted 
—about an inch apart — they have a light 
watering, and when this has dried a little, the 
bell-glass is put on, and the pots removed to a 
mild hotbed, or into some situation where they 
may enjoy a slight bottom heat. They require 
shading — best done by paper caps — from fierce 
sun-heat, and the glasses must be wiped dry 
occasionally to prevent damping off. A suc- 
cessful result is evidenced by the cuttings 
continuing to look fresh and green, and by 
and by starting a little, the latter sign gene- 
rally indicating that roots are formed, and that 
a new line of treatment must commence. 
Shading is now discontinued, and instead of 
close covering, the glasses must now be tilted 
a little on one side, at first for an hour or two 
daily, and then for a longer period, until they 
will bear to be removed entirely. In about a 
week after the glasses are removed entirely, 
the cuttings may be potted separately into 
small thumb pots, after which they must be 
kept in a close warm frame or house until 
they begin to grow, when they must be gra- 
dually hardened to bear the temperature and 
atmospheric conditions of the greenhouse. 
GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 
Young established plants, whether from 
seeds or cuttings, require to be pushed on 
vigorously, and at the same time with judg- 
ment. Almost all of the Boronias like a tem- 
perature higher than that kept up in a green- 
house, during the period they are making 
their growth in the spring ; and it is sur- 
prising what a difference this little stimulus 
effects both in their size and appearance. 
But it must be given at the right time, and 
not beyond the proper degree, or the result 
will be different. The time to apply this 
extra stimulus is when the plants are naturally 
commencing their growth. In the case of 
young plants, this may be made to take place 
in spring, and again towards midsummer, 
supposing the cuttings or seedlings to have 
been well established in their pots in the 
autumn, and to have stood during winter 
on a shelf near the glass, and protected 
against much cold. During the winter they 
may be shifted into five-inch pots, known as 
small forty-eights, which must be well 
drained ; this may be done in the early part 
of March, and they may then be placed in a 
moist atmosphere, where the temperature 
averages 55° by artificial means, and does not 
fall much below 50° by day, nor below 40° at 
night. If they have been standing in a 
greenhouse, this increase of temperature must 
not be brought about suddenly, but the plants 
must first be placed in the coolest part of the 
structure, and afterwards more fully exposed 
to this temperature. It is of the utmost im- 
portance that the pots be well drained ; 
nothing can make amends for any, the least, 
