130 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
years, and there must have been many hundreds of it sent out from the 
nurseries ; nevertheless I do not recollect having seen a really large specimen 
of it, except the one shown by Mr. William May, and the flowers of this 
were not so large and well coloured as thev generally are in young plants. 
H. macrostegia is often met "with in fair-sized specimens in a healthy state, 
but I have never seen a really large-sized, fine, healthy specimen of it. 
I am sorry that I cannot profess to give your readers such directions for the 
culture of these as would, if properly attended to, insure success in all cases. 
I have grown several nice specimens of both, but have, I believe, had my 
share of misfortunes with each, and have lost several plants of H. tulipifera in the 
most unaccountable manner; and the only two or three plants which I have 
had of macrostegia have fallen into a sickly state before they were as large as 
I wished to have them, and, after lingering until I was satisfied that they would 
never again be worth their room, were thrown away. >?uch being my expe¬ 
rience and its results, I can only describe the system of culture which, 
judging from the results of my not-over-satisfactory practice, is the best; and 
if any of your readers can and will give us better directions for the culture of 
these, or point out anything which they may consider wrong in the following, 
no one will be more pleased than the writer of this. 
The treatment which I consider the most suitable for these is simply that 
required by New Holland plants generally, only these—particularly H. tulipi¬ 
fera—seem to be more easily injured by a close damp atmosphere, or excessive 
dryness at the root, than almost any plants I have tried to grow; but if I give 
my culture of these in detail, I shall doubtless best enable persons who can 
correct it to do so. I will therefore suppose that young plants are procured 
at once. These, when received, I would carefully turn out of their pots ; and 
if I found the roots to have made their appearance on the surface of the ball, 
I would shift into pots two sizes larger—othenvise replace and press the balls 
firmly into the pots in which they had been received. Whether repotted or 
not, they should be placed near the glass in the front of a cool house, where 
they would have air on every favourable opportunity without being exposed to 
cold winds, and they must be carefully attended to with water, never allowing 
the balls to get too dry, nor giving water before it is required; and if mildew 
begins to make its appearance, dust the plants with sulphur. This I also do 
occasionally, at all seasons, as a preventive of mildew. As early in spring as 
the weather may be favourable for securing a somewhat warm, moist tempe¬ 
rature without the aid of fire heat, or keeping too close, place the plants in a 
pit or frame. Here air should be admitted on every favourable opportunity, 
but only by raising the sash at the back so as to avoid drying currents of cold 
air. Both varieties make roots very freely, and before hot dry weather sets in 
they should be repotted if they either appear to want more pot room, or look 
as if they would do so, before the summer is over, for I have found it to be a 
dangerous practice to repot them during hot, dry weather, especially H. tulipi¬ 
fera ; and I never repot these without using a pot two sizes larger than that in 
which the plant has been growing. If the weather is bright, with drying 
"winds, directly after repotting air should be given cautiously, and the floor, &c., 
sprinkled so as to keep the atmosphere moist, and the plants must not be 
allowed to get dry in the old balls ; and as soon as the sun becomes powerful, 
shade, using a thin material, so that the plants may have light without being 
exposed to the full force of the sun; and when the weather becomes warm 
and settled in summer, draw the light off at night so as to expose them to the 
night dews. As to training and stopping, the habit of both varieties is so good 
that very little attention will be required in this way, but any over-luxuriant 
shoots should have their points pinched out, and the branches should be tied in 
