March 28, 1F89. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
255 
this with some of the large growing sorts is more especially suitable for 
shrubbery cultivation, and about fourteen years ago D. corymbosa and 
D. seabra could be seen in a fine state of development in the arboretum 
at Ipswich in Suffolk, and no doubt they may be seen still. 
As the cultivation of Deutzias as shrubbery plants is not so generally 
practised, I will leave that part of the subject, and try to detail in as 
clear and concise a manner as I can the cultivation of the most popular 
variety of all—Deutzia gracilis, as a decorative plant for the greenhouse, 
the conservatory, or the window. Amongst our beautiful spring-bloom¬ 
ing greenhouse plants there are few more ch&rming when in bloom, or 
more easily forced than Deutzia gracilis. ■ It is a plant which no grower 
of flowering plants, and especially greenhouse plants, should be without, 
for it is an easy matter to have it in bloom from January to June if a 
sufficient quantity of plants are in hand to keep up a succession, and 
these have been well attended to the previous summer in the most 
important matters of watering, feeding, and the ripening of the growths. 
D. gracilis is an easily managed plant, and responds readily to good 
treatment, and will even bear some neglect, but it is often called upon 
to stand too much, particularly when out of flower. Neglect of water¬ 
ing, or giving an insufficient quantity, is the most general error com¬ 
mitted ; insufficient feeding is the next; and when these two errors are 
combined, the result is that the straight young shoots which the plants 
have probably thrown up in abundance in the warm genial atmosphere 
of a greenhouse in early spring are robbed of their vigour, and prevented 
storing up in a gradual lengthening, strengthening, and thickening 
addition to their parts the needful energy for their future work. 
In commencing the cultivation of D. gracilis two methods may be 
pursued. One is to root cuttings and grow them on into plants, and the 
other is to obtain plants from a nursery, in the spring pot them, and 
force them into flower the same season. The former method is, however, 
I think, the best, and the plan of procedure should consist first of all in 
selecting suitable cuttings. These should be obtained from the base of 
vigorous plants, and should consist of such shoots or suckers, which, if 
allowed to grow on the parent plant, would develope into flowering 
shoots another year. Their length should not be more than 4 inches or 
less than 2 inches. Cuttings like these will be sure to strike and do 
well, giving a few flowers the first year—that is, the year following the 
rooting of the cuttings. Five cuttings may be placed in a 3-inch pot, 
placing four round the sides and one in the middle, using light soil 
composed of equal parts of fibry loam, sweet leaf soil, and clean white 
sand, surfacing the pots when filled, and gently shaken down with a 
shallow covering of sand. This serves the double purpose of keeping 
the cuttings air-tight at their base, thus inducing quicker formation of 
roots, and as a good guide to the propagator in supplying water to the 
cuttings, for I have generally found it a safe and reliable rule only to 
sprinkle or water cuttings when the surface sand is becoming dry. 
When the cuttings have been inserted and gently watered in, plunge 
the pots in a mild hotbed, or any place where a slight bottom heat is 
maintained, covering them with a bellglass, which should remain over 
them only until the cuttings are rooted, though it must occasionally 
be removed to wipe out superfluous moisture. The development of new 
leaves from the tops of the cuttings, as well as their erect appearance, 
will generally indicate that the formation of roots has commenced. 
The bellglass may then be daily tilted a little, until it is finally re¬ 
moved altogether. Up to this stage the cuttings will scarcely have 
needed any water, except probably a few gentle sprinklings, but now 
that they have become plants developing roots and shoots, and ab¬ 
sorbing more air, water will be needed oftener, and in gradually in¬ 
creasing quantity. When the pots are getting full of roots, or before 
being rootbound, or matte! too much round the sides of the pots, the 
plants must be shifted into a size larger pot, which will, no doubt, be 
sufficient for the first season. Every encouragement must be given to 
induce a strong, vigorous, healthy growth, but no stimulants will be 
required during these early stages, or the possibility may be that the 
mixture in which it is growing will be rendered unhealthy, and growth 
thereby stopped. Towards the end of the season, when roots are 
plentiful and the growths ripening, will be the most suitable time to 
apply a litt'e stimulant, such as a little clear soot water or weak manure 
water of any kind. Topping the shoots must not be resorted to, but if 
flowers are not cared about the following spring, it is, perhaps, a little 
advantage to cut down the plants close to the soil and allow the whole 
energies of the plants to expend themselves in the production of new 
shoots for future flowering, instead of dividing these energies in the 
support of flowers as well as growth. But this cutting down should 
not be done until the leaves have all fallen and the plant is at rest. 
The summer treatment of the Deutzia is simple but important. 
The growth of the plant should, as far as possible, be made in the genial 
temperature of a greenhouse in a light position in the early spring 
months. When this is completed the plants may be transferred to a 
cold frame, giving air more and more every day unt : l the lights are 
taken off altogether. The plants may then be plunged to the rims of 
the pots, or even below, in coal ashes in a position open to the sun, 
abundance of air, and plenty of wind, where the growths will be 
thoroughly ripened by the combined agency of these natural wood- 
ripeners. The plants should never suffer from want of water during 
hot weather, which every intelligent cultivator knows is a very impor¬ 
tant thing. 
Deutzias may also be planted out in the open ground to complete 
their summer work, and after the leaves have fallen be taken up and 
placed in suitable sized pots, and, along with those which have been in 
pots throughout the season, have the shelter of a cold frame for the ' 
winter. This may be done at the end of November or early in 
December. 
Forcing young plants should not be begun too early, or the probable 
result may be weak plants. Let the sun gain some power and the days 
get longer before bringing them into heat, and then do it gradu illy, 
first putting them into a greenhouse about February. After a perio 1 
of a week or more, if you wish them to get on a little quicker introduce 
them to a warmer temperature, placing them near the glass, and you 
will soon see if you have not cut them down whether they are going to 
flower or not. It is not possible for them to flower abundantly the first 
year, but considering their young state they often make a very satis¬ 
factory show of b'oom, and when they do it is a proof that the culti¬ 
vator’s treatment from rooting the cuttings to flowering the plants has 
been correct. When the plants get fairly growing give them a shift 
into larger pots, using generous soil, and keep them in a comfortable 
growing temperature until May, when of course they maybe gradually 
hardened as previously stated. By one shift each year the Deutzia 
may soon be grown to the size of a Gooseberry bush, and when the limit 
of size of pot is reached the plants can be kept in health and vigour for 
many years by judicious care and attention, applications of stimulants, 
and rich top-dressings during the growing season, and thorough ripen¬ 
ing in the open air every summer. 
With plants of some age forcing may be commenced in December, 
and with a brisk heat and no check plants may be had in bloom by the 
middle of January. A check at this season will cause the developing 
flowers to go blind and refuse to open. A plant with badly ripened 
growth would be almost sure to do this if forced early. After flower¬ 
ing, plants of all sizes should have their flowering shoots cut back 
almost close to the surface of the pot, or to where good strong shoots 
have started. Allow no weakly growths to remain ; they cannot flower, 
and they only take support from the others, which need all they can 
get. Encourage all the fibrous roots which the plants can make, for 
these fine hair-lilce threads are of the greatest help to the plants, and a 
small tuft, of them are worth more than yards of wiry, strong, and thick 
roots, which require so much support themselves that they have no 
surplus for the remaining parts of the plants. 
Another and a different method of propagating the Deutzia I give 
as a quotation from a Scottish monthly Journal, “The Gardener” of 
1882, supplied to me by a friend :—“ In September or October, on a 
piece of ground that a handlight will cover, lay 2 inches of half loam, 
half sand, with half an inch of sand on thedop, and let the material be 
pressed down so that it will hold the cuttings firmly. In selecting the 
cuttings the tops of good, strong, well ripened shoots should be taken. 
Cut them right across below the bottom pair of eyes, making the 
cuttings about C or 7 inches in length. When they are all 
inserted give a watering to settle the soil about them, then put on 
the handlight, leaving a little air on if the weather be mild, but 
should the outside temperature fall below 40'’, have the handlight 
closed, with a mat thrown over it if there be any signs of frost. 
During severe frosts two or three piles of mats may be put on, or 
what is better, some bracken or straw put around and over the 
handlight, and then this material should be covered with a mat. 
These cuttings will be ready for lifting and potting by the following 
March.” 
In conclusion, let me say that with ordinary inte'ligent manage¬ 
ment the Deutzia is not a difficult plant to grow, and it certainly is 
a lovely object when well grown and flowered, and when associated 
with other spring-blooming plants, such as Primulas, Cinerarias, 
Zonal Pelargoniums, Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi, Camellias, Azaleas, 
&c, its beauty is enhanced by contrast. To the painstaking culti¬ 
vator, who gives them all necessary attention, the harvest of flowers 
which the plants will most certainly produce will be a rich reward. 
SPRING PLEASURES. 
The weather here (Mid-Lincoln) has been severe, very boisterous, and 
intensely cold, with occasional showers of fine snow. Previously we 
had enjoyed some days of fine dry weather, fairly warm, and much 
needed after the desperate rains which prevailed here, as elsewhere, last 
week. To-day (March 22nd) is exceptionally pleasant—bright, calm, 
and warm ; bees and insects about, Snowdrops nearly over, Crocuses 
coming in quantities. If the former delight us by their grace and 
purity of tint, the latter have no small share in calling out all the 
joyous feelings of spring, as they blaze in purple and gold, or charm us 
by their delicate pencillings anti faint mauve-like flushes ; while some 
are of a dead Camellia-like white—beautiful exceedingly. 
Surely nothing is so pleasant or so pleasure-giving as a garden. Out 
of all the twelve months of the year there is hardly one week where you 
may not find something to gather. I am speaking only of the open, and 
from now on, when we are in all the first affluence of the hardy bulbs, 
until late autumn or early winter, when we find our first Violets, gather 
our last Hoses, pluck the velvet-petaled, still-enduring Pansies, we need 
seldom return empty handed. Nothing really costs so little, if one 
wishes to have far-reaching pleasure, as a self-managed garden. Have 
it laid out, keep it always well in hand yourself, getting assistance 
when necessary. Make up your mind what to grow, and, however cir¬ 
cumscribed your area and limited your ability may be, attention, 
observation, and a sincere love of flowers will do wonders. I say a 
sincere love. All admire flowers ; most people say they love them ; 
they take no trouble about them. Theirs to gather, not to cultivate ; 
theirs it may be to own, but not to grow. But I am running on. I 
