98 
THE FLORIST. 
our more cliilly regions, and tlie experience of the last two 
seasons has shown us how disappointed we may he in the 
prospect of a bloom. 
Nothing has been added to our knowledge of the culture of this 
flower during the past year or two, and we are dependent more 
on climatic influences than on any difficulty in soil. A sunless 
summer and a cold dull autumn baffle even the most expe¬ 
rienced cultivators ; and we have to lament too often failures, 
even after all our care. The grower for exhibition still pursues 
his plans, and gets up most astonishing flowers, the parents of 
which would never know their own offspring. But may we, 
who are amongst the profanum vulgus,” not be wise to save 
ourselves some trouble in the method at present generally 
adopted of shifting two or three times. The Chinese, we are 
told, adopt an entirely different plan, and at once pot from the 
cutting pot into those they are to bloom in; and that by this 
means they acquire well-feathered plants, and not tall gawky 
things. We all know that if we plant a cutting in the open 
ground, how very soon it outstrips its companion whose 
energies have been cramped in a small pot, and the next best 
thing we can do is to imitate this, and give it plenty of room. 
By growing them on the one-shift system, potting them from 
the small forties or sixties into 11-inch pots at once, lateral 
shoots will at once start out, and without the care and fuss of 
tying out, will soon furnish the plant. To those whose time 
is limited, and who grow only for their own pleasure, this 
surely is preferable to that stunting and starving they too often 
have to endure at that early stage of their growth. It is a 
mistake, I fancy, to grow them in too rich stuff, that stimulus 
to their growth, which arises from gross feeding, being better 
supplied in the shape of liquid manure afterwards. Two- 
thirds loam and one-third rotted frame-dung is as good a 
mixture as we can give them. During the summer months 
they should be ^kept perfectly cool, and it is a good plan to 
place on the top of the joots something that will retain moisture 
well. Moss, rotted cocoa-nut fibre, or spent hops, are used by 
various persons for this piiiq)ose. When the blooming buds 
appear, then liquid manure may be applied, but not profusely, 
the practice of the Chinese not being quite adapted for us, with 
our colder and damper climate. 
And now as to new sorts. I carefully went over Mr. Salter’s 
collection, when in bloom, and noted those which seemed to 
me worthy of cultivation, and from those notes I now give the 
following list; some of the varieties (those figured were 
amongst them) had not then been named, but a reference to 
the numbers they bore, which Mr. S. has obligingly given me, 
has set that matter right. The cream of the collection has 
