March 10,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
195 
times I see no sign of them ; if I did I would renew it again. It must 
be remembered, too, that it is in limited quantities a capital manure 
for bulbs, and gives the foliage a dark glossy hue.—W. J. Muephy, 
Clonmel. __ 
NARCISSUS PSEUDO-NARCISSUS MINIMUS. 
During the past fortnight we have had this charming miniature 
Daffodil in flower, and it has proved so useful in the greenhouse that wc 
intend growing more of it another season. In sheltered positions out of 
doors, as, for instance, at the base of rockeries or in little nooks, it is 
also flowering freely, and forms some pretty clumps near the Snowdrops. 
At Kew it is in excellent condition just now, together with several Cor- 
bularias, some of which have succeeded better outdoors than we have 
seen them before. For the cool greenhouse or frame Narcissus minimus 
appears to be well adapted, and the most effective mode of growing it is 
to place a number of bulbs in a pan. Ours are in pans 6 inches in 
diameter, about twenty bulbs each, and as nearly every one produces a 
flower they form showy little specimens, the flowers coming brighter 
and cleaner than they do in the outside borders. Moderately light sandy 
loam, with good drainage, suits the plant, and it needs scarcely any at¬ 
tention beyond affording a due supply of water while the growth is being 
made, and until the flowers fade. 
It varies slightly in s'ze, but the bulb and flowers shown in the 
illustration (fig. 35) are about the average ; from weak bulbs they come 
smaller, and from extra strong ones in richer soil they come slightly 
larger, but even in its largest form it is a most diminutive plant compared 
with the other Daffodils of the N. Pseudo-Narcissus section. In height 
the plants vary from 3 to 4£ inches, the leaves narrow, the flowers from 
the tip of the corona to the base of the ovary rarely exceed 1 inch, and 
the corona itself is barely half an inch long, both this and the perianth 
divisions being of a bright yellow colour ; the corona is, however, rather 
darker—almost orange-tinted. In regard to size of flowers there is an 
astonishing range of variation in Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus, and similar 
as they are in form it would seem scarcely possible to anyone un¬ 
acquainted with the facts that the giant varieties, like major and maxi- 
mus, could belong to the same species as minimus. By the way, have 
any of your Daffodil-growing readers ever tried raising this variety from 
seed, or by growing it in richer soil to test how much the flowers and' 
general stature can be enlarged ? We are trying to procure some seed 
this year, with the intention of experimenting in that direction.— 
R., Merton. 
THE IXORA. 
[A. paper read by Mr. A. R. Cox, Elm Hall Gardens. Wavertree, before the Liverpool 
Horticultural Association.! 
The Ixora is named after an Eastern heathen god, Iswara, to 
which its flowers are offered. It is native of various tropical 
countries, while to the art of the hybridist we owe the origin of 
many valuable varieties. It is a stove evergreen shrub of great 
beauty ; for brilliancy and richness of effect surpassed by none of 
the many occupants of our glass structures ; indeed it is questionable 
if it could not claim the proud title of king of all stove flowering 
plants. Its utility, too is great, for few plants are more constantly 
in flower, which are much valued in a cut state, while small or 
medium-sized plants are useful for decoration. Perhaps, however,, 
the greastest merit of all in the Ixora is its value as an exhibition 
plant. No collection of stove and greenhouse p’ants in competition 
is complete without it, its colour being especially want 3d ; while a 
large healthy bush, well flowered, is bound to find ravour with the 
judges. 
PROPAGATION. 
This is best effected by means of cuttings, which may be inserted 
at any time during the year, providing the necessary accommodation 
be at command. Perhaps, however, the best time to propagate is 
during the month of February, as the young plants will then have 
the whole of the growing season in which to form the basis of good 
healthy plants. Cuttings strike very freely in an ordinary close 
propagating pit, in which has been placed a layer of sawdust to the 
depth of 4 or 5 inches, and a command of bottom heat ranging 
from 65° to 90°. The selection of growths for the formation of 
cuttings may be a matter of opinion, but I prefer strong healthy 
shoots of the previous year’s growth cut into short lengths with 
two pairs of leaves each, the bottom pair to be removed without 
injury to the eyes at their axils, which in due time may push then- 
way through the soil in the form of “suckers,” and prove service¬ 
able in the formation of the plant. The cuttings should be made 
firm in the sawdust, and watered through a fine rose with water 
heated to 90°. Probably in from three to six weeks, according to 
the amount of heat to which they have been subjected, the cuttings- 
will be well rooted and ready for removal to their first pot, the size 
of which should not exceed 3| inches. 
The pots should be washed thoroughly clean and the drainage 
done in a systematic manner. This operation I consider of the 
greatest importance, as the Ixora, being a water-loving plant, espe¬ 
cially in the more active stages of its growth, provision must be 
made to prevent any stagnation, which would obviously prove fatal 
to its well-being. I fear cultivators, as a rule, do not attach suffi¬ 
cient importance to the drainage of pots, it too often being left to 
an inexperienced youth without giving the necessary particulars. 
The best drainage is potsherds, which also should be washed 
thoroughly clean, and, together with the pots, allowed to become 
quite dry before being used. Commence by selecting a rounded 
piece of crock and placing it bridge-like over the hole of the pot 
secure this in its place by putting other pieces sufficiently large to 
closely fill the intervening space. Over this place a layer consider¬ 
ably smaller, and again another smaller still; finally, a layer of 
charcoal, free from dust, but small enough to fill in every crevice, 
so that a particle of soil cannot penetrate and thus cause stagnation. 
This careful system of drainage holds good in all cases, but more 
especially is it to be urged in the case of large pots for the reception 
of specimen plants which may have to remain undisturbed for 
several years. The depth of drainage must, of course, be regulated 
according to the size of pot; those 16 inches diameter should not 
receive less than 4j inches, and the smaller sizes in proportion. 
SOIL. 
The next consideration is the nature of the soil best suited for 
the requirements of the plants. I have known some growers use 
all loam, others peat and loam in equal parts, and in the last-named 
compost I have seen the plants thrive fairly well ; but from close 
observation I am strongly convinced the best soil for Ixoras is good 
fibry peat freely intermixed with nodules of charcoal and clean 
coarse silver sand, nothing further being needed. This should be 
well incorporated, and heated to the same degree as the house in 
which the plants are growing previous to use. The soil to be used 
for the rooted cuttings may be passed through a moderately fine 
sieve, and the charcoal broken very small. In the succeeding 
pottings the use of the riddle should be dispensed with, and the 
peat broken with the hand into pieces varying in size from that of 
