1870.] 
THE AMATEUE’S PAGE. 
Ill 
a good proportion of sand in tlie compost, wliicli may consist of one-tliird friable 
loam, one-third leaf-mould, or very rotten manure, and one-third sand ; this, well 
mixed together, will answer well for the first shifting. 
Many persons who have only a slight amount of experience in horticulture, 
imagine that gardeners owe a great part of their success to the use of stimu¬ 
lating manures, and although this may be true to a certain extent, it is a very 
dangerous doctrine in the amateur’s hands; for gardeners, as a rule, make it a 
particular study to learn the conditions under which stimulation may safely be 
applied, whilst inexperienced persons, seizing hold of the great idea that stimu¬ 
lating composts are the necessary means for producing great results, make too 
liberal a use of the strongest they can find, and thus defeat their own ends. It 
is of no use to apply stimulating food until there are mouths to feed on it, that 
is, until the pots are well filled with roots, and up to that time the plants ought 
to find sufficient in the compost used to maintain them in a healthy state of 
growth. Hence when the plants are at the last shifted into the 8-in. pots for 
blooming, a less amount of sand and more thoroughly rotten manure should 
enter into the compost, and to it may also be added about one-eighth part of 
the parings from horses' /ioq/J?, which may readily be obtained from the black¬ 
smith’s shoeing-shed. This is a most powerfully stimulating manure, and contains 
a large per-centage of ammonia, which is given out so slowly that there is no fear 
of the plants being over-stimulated and gorged with food, as is frequently the 
case when softer and more soluble manures are used too liberally. 
This compost, then, ought to keep up a free and healthy state of growth until 
September, without the application of anything stronger than plain soft water. 
By that time the pots will be full of roots, and the plants throwing up side 
branches for bloom; and at this stage some extra stimulus, in the shape of liquid 
manure, should be applied, at least twice a week. The clear drainings from a 
large heap of manure make a very good liquid for the purpose, or it may be made 
by putting sheep-droppings, horse-droppings, and cow-manure into a good sized 
tub, filling it up with water, and stirring it round frequently, using only the 
clear liquid. Failing this, the amateur might use some of the soluble manures 
of which there are so many advertised, and one of the best for his purpose would 
be Standen’s Gardener’s and Amateur’s Friend. At the final shift, which gene¬ 
rally takes place in the hottest weather, the plants are to be again placed on a 
level bed of coal-ashes, a foot or so apart, and it is desirable (although not 
absolutely necessary) to fill up the intervening spaces with finely-sifted coal 
ashes, which will keep the roots cool, and save much time in watering. 
When the fiowers commence to expand, the plants should be moved under 
cover ; they do not require artificial heat, but the shelter of glass is necessary to 
the attainment of their greatest perfection. If glass shelter is not at command, 
a temporary awning, consisting of a slight framework in the shape of a small 
span-roof, and covered with Russian mats, may be erected over them, but the 
mats should be removed in the day, and invariably thrown over at night. 
