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131 
what may be considered the most desirable form. Both varieties are very free 
growers, and if thriving plants are obtained, and properly attended to, they 
will make wonderful progress in course of the season, and may be in want of 
another shift before winter ; but at this season they need not be repotted until 
they actually require more pot room, for this can be done with safety at any 
time during the cool weather. The plants should be removed to the front of 
the greenhouse when the weather becomes cold and damp, and wintered as 
already directed. If either of the plants show any flowers, these should be 
pinched off. I would attend to repotting if this seemed necessary before 
warm, dry weather sets in, and treat them, during the spring and summer, 
exactly as recommended for the first season, and they will be nice-sized plants 
by autumn, and may be allowed to set for bloom; but if large-sized specimens 
are desired in the shortest possible time, I would pinch off the blooms as they 
made their appearance, and winter and otherwise treat them another season as 
before. When they are considered large enough for blooming they should be 
rather freely exposed to light and air after the middle of September, so as to 
induce them to set freely or at every point. H. tulipifera seems to be very apt 
to go off or die suddenly, after blooming heavily ; hence I recommend its not 
being allowed to bloom until the plant is a fair-sized specimen, which it will be 
with ordinary management, after three seasons’ growth. H. Hookerii does not 
seem to suffer as much from being allowed to bloom heavily; but allowing it 
to carry flowers prevents its making the progress in size of specimen which it 
otherwise would do, and I would not allow either to bloom until they had 
made what I considered useful-sized specimens. When they are set for bloom 
they should be wintered in an airy, light part of the greenhouse, and not 
shaded in spring until the flowers are open and fairly coloured; then they 
should be protected from anything like direct sunshine, but they must be 
allowed a free circulation of air, and the atmosphere kept moist by frequently 
sprinkling the paths, &c. Treated in this way, the flowers will last in their 
full beauty from two to three months, and when they begin to fade they should 
be picked off, and when done with place the plants in a pit, or where they can 
be kept rather closer and moister to encourage growth, and as soon as they 
have made a moderate growth, expose them gradually to a free circulation of 
air and sun so as to cause them to set freely for bloom ; and during fine weather 
they may be placed out of doors in a shady sheltered situation, but care must 
be used to prevent the balls being sodden by rain ; and this is so troublesome, 
especially in wet localities, that if room can conveniently be found for them in 
a cool, light house, I would not stand them out of doors during the autumn. 
But plants which have to make their growth after the beginning or middle of 
July, which will be the case with specimens that have bloomed, will require a 
freer exposure to light and air in autumn to get them set at every point than 
young plants which were encouraged to make growth early in spring; and this 
should be attended to either by placing the plants out of doors as soon as they 
have made a short growth, and properly protecting them while there from 
heavy rains, &c., or affording them a situation in a cool, light house, where no 
attempt is made to keep the atmosphere particularly moist. 
A rather strong, rich, fibry peat, nicely broken up, so as to clear it of 
coarse roots, &.C., and liberally mixed with silver sand, is what I use for grow¬ 
ing these. This, when used, should be in a proper state as to moisture, and 
neither variety should, on any account, be repotted when the ball is either too 
v r et or too dry ; and in repotting efficient drainage should be secured, dis¬ 
turbing or injuring the roots as little as possible, but the fresh soil should be 
firmly pressed about the old ball. 
About the propagation of these I will only say that it is a somewhat 
