JULY. 
217 
rately well filled with healthy roots, using pots one or two sizes larger, 
according to the vigour of the plants. If in bottom heat, great caution 
will be necessary, ibr a fortnight or so after potting, to apply water 
properly; for when the pots are plunged, it is not so easy to judge of 
the state of the soil as when they are exposed; and so little is required 
in this case, that beginners are very apt to water too frequently, and 
many a promising plant is thus ruined. Care should always be 
exercised to ascertain the state of the soil before giving water, and 
there should be no dribbling, or mere surface watering, but enough 
should be given to thoroughly moisten the ball, giving no more until it 
is absolutely wanted. As the season advances, it will probably be 
necessary to afford a slight protection against bright sunshine, but 
only a th'n shade should be used, and this as sparingly as can be safely 
done. As soon as the pots are found to be well filled with roots, give a 
second shift, unless that should not be the case until towards the end 
of the growing season, when it will be better to avoid shifting till the 
following spring. Maintain a thoroughly moist atmosphere, and syringe 
the plants overhead on the mornings and evenings of bright days in 
summer; and also keep the shoots regularly tied out and stopped, as 
may be necessary to secure a compact bushy habit; but in the case of 
plants intended to bloom the following spring, stopping must not be 
practised later in the season than will allow of getting the young wood 
jToperly matured before winter. If the plants can be placed in a pit 
or house where the temperature may range about 55°, this will form a 
suitable situation fur them in winter, and if proper care has been 
exercised to get the wood well ripened in autumn, the night tempe¬ 
rature may be allowed to fall as low as 45° in hard weather. Give 
very little water to the soil at this period, only just sufficient to preserve 
the roots in a healthy state, but draw the syringe over the foliage occa¬ 
sionally on the morning of a bright day, so as to clear it of dust, &c. 
I f it is intended to grow large specimens before allowing the plants to 
flower, place them in a moist temperature of about 65°, by fire-heat, 
as early in spring as circumstances will permit, and afford them a brisk 
bottom heat, to induce a vigorous root action. See to the sta‘e of ihe 
roots, and shift before these suffer for want of pot room; also keep the 
shoots tied out and stopped as may be necessary to secure bushy growth, 
and otherwise treat the plants as recommended for last season. While 
in bloom the specimens may be placed in a cool house, but they must 
be carefully guarded from damp in the atmosphere, and after flowering 
they should'be cut back as may be required, and re-potted; but with 
an occasional watering of manure water during the growing season, 
they may be kept in good health for several seasons without repotting. 
For soil use good fibry peat and loam, in the proportion of three parts 
of the former to one of the latter, adding a sufficient quantity of silver 
sand to ensure a free percolation of water through the ball after the 
decay of the fibre. Cuttings of moderately young wood soon rot if 
planted in sandy soil, covered with a bell glass, and afforded a sharp 
bottom heat of 80° or 90°. 
J. S. 
