484 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I November 29,18Sih 
the fault of the operator, and proof that the work has not been 
well done. But the syringing is not all that may be required, for 
the soil often contains many insects, especially when through care¬ 
less watering it is half of the time too dry ; the drainage may then 
be full of them and the roots encrusted. In that case the best plan 
is to destroy the plants, the next best plan to stand the pots over 
their rims in water for twenty-four hours. No doubt the plants 
may then have more water than is good for them ; but when it is a 
question of too many insects or too much water, the latter is 
certainly the lesser of the two evils, therefore the one to be best 
endured. 
In endeavours to banish insects from vineries, and especially 
the woolly coccus, it is questionable if half sufficient attention is 
paid to the soil, particularly dry soil, in pots and borders. That 
is their place of refuge, their nursery, their natural hybernating 
medium, from which they emerge in due time, and pursue their 
career of devastation. Space, however, is at present exhausted, 
though the subject is not, and may possibly be resumed another 
day. _ 
PLUMIERIAS. 
As the culture of Plumierias has not been described in the 
Journal, we applied to a gardener who had grown and flowered 
these plants to favour us with a few hints on their management. 
His reply is as follows :— 
Having had during the last four or five years plants of the 
above under my charge, I was pleased to see the beautiful 
illustration and accompanying remarks in a recent issue of the 
Journal, and as requested readily describe the mode of culture 
pursued by me. In Miss North’s museum at Kew I recollect 
noticing a painting of P. rubra, at least my impression is that it 
was rubra, and in a description of it there are some interesting 
remarks, if my memory serves me right, to the effect that at a 
certain stage of the flowering season in its native home a large 
caterpillar appears and devours the flower, and in the painting 
referred to is represented as creeping towards it. To lovers of 
sweet-scented flowers this plant will be appreciated, as the perfume 
is delicious. I have found that a stove temperature is necessary to 
grow and flower it satisfactorily, then if proper attention is afforded 
as regards watering and compost, not much difficulty may be expe¬ 
rienced in its management. Good turfy loam three parts, with one 
of well-decomposed manure, a dash of silver sand, and a few pieces 
of charcoal suits its admirably. After the flowering season, which 
generally occurs during August and September, and when the 
foliage commences turning yellow, water should be gradually with¬ 
held, and when the whole of the leaves have left the plant may be 
withheld altogether for some weeks, care being taken that the 
plants are out of the way of drip, as during the cold season if kept 
too moist, they are almost certain to decay at the soil level, and if 
decay once sets in it is no easy matter to arrest it, on account of the 
fleshy nature of the stems. In early spring, or when signs of 
growth appear, the plants should be shaken out, removing a portion 
of the old soil after the manner of shaking out Fuchsias, and 
indeed a compost that will grow Fuchsias will suit Plumierias. 
Water should be applied with much caution for some weeks until 
the roots have taken well to the new soil ; the supply may then be 
increased, and when in full and vigorous growth occasional appli¬ 
cations of soot water will be of much benefit. The plants should 
be shaded from bright sun, and it is essential to use the syringe 
very freely, as aphis, thrips, scale, and mealy bug all seem to be 
much enamoured of the succulent nature of these plants, and must 
be guarded against accordingly, or the handsome green leaves will 
soon be bereft of their beauty, and the chances of the plants 
flowering freely be very remote. 
To propagate, I have found it best to stand the stems erect by 
the aid of a small stick on the surface of sandy soil or cocoa-nut 
refuse, and not insert the cuttings, as they are very qpt to damp if 
the latcer method is adopted. The striking material should be 
moderately dry. 
PLANTING FRUIT TREES. 
If possible secure your trees from your own district, provided 
you can get them healthy and true to name. If you know a 
healthy properly trained tree when you see it go to the nursery 
and select for yourself, but if inexperienced in the matter get a 
practical gardener to select for you ; but send early, or all the best 
trees may be gone. Trained trees for walls should be properly 
balanced with not only an equal number of shoots on each side, but 
as nearly the same strength as possible. Look weH to the bottom- 
branches—they should be stronger than the upper ones—a deside¬ 
ratum rarely secured in nursery-trained trees. The fact is, too 
much is attempted in one season, for if nurserymen would be con¬ 
tent to establish three good shoots instead, as is often the case, 
nine or eleven, it would be better for the future of the tree. It is 
impossible to establish the bottom branches of a trained tree unless 
it is done before the upper ones are formed, hence the importance 
of giving them at least one year’s start. This principle also holds 
good for pyramids. The tendency of sap is upwards, therefore to 
divert it from that course some strong attraction must be pro¬ 
vided from the beginning, and this we can only secure by establish¬ 
ing fewer branches the first year. 
The trees must not be out of the soil longer than is absolutely 
necessary ; therefore prepare the sites for them before they come, 
so that there may be as little delay as possible. Let the tips of 
every root of any size be cut off clean with a sharp knife, and if 
any of the strong roots be bruised, or in any way damaged, cut 
them clean off behind the injured parts ; they will then throw out 
numerous small roots such as will be of real worth to the tree. On 
lifting a Glou Morceau Pear the other day which had never been 
satisfactory, we found it had been planted without pruning the 
mutilated roots, and consequently they had neither healed nor 
thrown out fibrous roots, but were covered with numerous knotty 
swellings resembling club-rooted Cabbage. It may not be necessary 
to tell some people not to plant too deeply—no deeper than the 
trees were in the nursery ; but, alas ! everybody does not know it,, 
and until they do there can be harm in reiterating so simple and 
important a truth. I called upon a farmer friend a few days since,, 
who, I found, had just purchased some standard Plum trees for 
planting in one of his fields. His man has just planted one, which 
I found he had done in much the same way as he would a straining- 
post for a wire fence, with this exception, that a hole 6 inches deep 
was left to be filled up with manure. 
To plant deeply in any soil is to court failure, but to plant 
deeply into a strong clay such as the above was, is to especially- 
provide for complete failure, as you simply plant your tree in a 
hole that will be full of water half the year, and that will soon- 
make short work of your trees. In such heavy soils far better 
results would follow from fetching a load of soil and planting on 
the surface, provided they were well staked and mulched -with 
littery manure. 
Plant, if possible, when the soil is moderately dry, and on no 
account do so if it be very wet, as that alone is sufficient on heavy 
soils to render your prospects abortive. After carefully spreading 
the roots out straight, scatter the finest soil over them, not burying 
all the roots in one layer, but in several layers, with a covering of 
soil between each, and after covering the top layer about 3 inches,, 
well tread it down and level the surface. All, with the exception 
of wall trees, should be well staked when planted, and a mulching 
of half-rotten manure will benefit trees of all forms.—J. H. W. 
ABUTILONS. 
Those who can afford space to grow some of these plants either 
to cover a wall or trained under the roof of a greenhouse or conser¬ 
vatory I would advise them to try planting out. Given a suitable 
soil and rooting space, with an intermediate temperature, they grow 
very fast and soon cover a large space. When right'y managed- 
they are for the most part of the year in flower, but if wanted for 
winter flowering, for which they are very suitable, a more limited 
rooting space will be found to answer best. When established the 
difference must be made up to the plants by plentiful waterings 
and judicious feeding. Thinning the wood when too thick and 
training the remaining shoots improve the plants by preventing 
uneven or coarse growth, so detrimental to the other parts of tbe- 
plants. I admire them in pots when well grown, as they flower 
freely, and I grow a good number in that way ; but although useful 
and ornamental they do not afford sufficient flowers for cutting, 
whereas those planted out give them by hundreds. 
Our conservatory here joins the house, and is 45 feet high and 
the same in width between the wall of the house and the hot-water 
pipes, which are arranged below the floor of the building. There 
is a border 4 feet wide and the same in depth, running nearly the 
whole width of the house. In this border is planted one plant of 
Abutilon Boule de Neige, one of A. Thomsoni, and one of Canary 
Yellow. The first-named plant has quite outdistanced the others 
and covers the whole space, is perfectly healthy and flowering 
abundantly. The plant flowered equally well last winter. The 
foliage of A. Thomsoni being variegated, is a pleasing contrast to 
the dark green of the other one. Last week my employer counted 
flowers up to 2000 and left hundreds more. 
I will state briefly how the plant has been treated, our object 
