268 
THE FLORIST. 
placed in the warmest part of the house to which they have been trans¬ 
ferred, and guarded from currents of cold air; but if they can be kept 
in an intermediate house the flowers will be larger, and the blooming 
season will be prolonged; still, a close kept conservatory will supply a 
suitable temperature, at least during summer and early autumn. 
When they have done flowering they may be thrown on the rubbish 
heap, merely preserving about two pots of each variety for stock ; these 
should be kept sparingly supplied with water, and if they can be 
removed to a warm dry house, the ripening of the tubers will be better 
secured than under other circumstances. Water must be altogether 
withheld as soon as the leaves assume a sickly appearance, and when 
the tops die down the pots may be removed to any dry situation, where 
they will be free from frost, and where they may remain till the tubers 
are wanted for starting next spring. 
For soil, take light sandy turfy loam, peat, leaf-soil, and thoroughly 
decomposed cow-dung, in about equal proportions, to which add as 
much sharp sand as will ensure a free percolation of water through the 
whole materials. The loam and peat should be used in a rather rough 
state; the dung should be broken up and intimately mixed with the 
sand before it is added to the compost. All the Achimenes are very 
impatient of stagnant moisture at their root; therefore secure perfect 
drainage by using plenty of potsherds or lumps of charcoal; indeed, 
when pots are used, they may be one-third filled with draining 
materials. 
S. 
ORCHARD HOUSE CULTURE. 
There is not much required to be done to the Peach trees you are 
supposed to have selected, further than to pinch back to one joint only 
any secondary growths which theyjnay have made. You will now 
perceive, in looking into the axil of each leaf on the shortened shoots, 
that two or three buds are being produced at each joint. If such is 
the case it will be satisfactory, for these are the fruit buds; and it you 
can make them perfect by getting the wood to ripen well (which you 
will know by its turning a reddish brown in September), you may 
expect these small buds to give you fruit next season. Should any of 
the shoots which have pushed since the cutting back have the appear¬ 
ance of these buds at the top instead of forming leaves, let them remain ; 
they will form a natural spur and produce fruit as certainly as the 
others. Mind the drier the w^eather is from the present time, the 
better chance have you for ripening your wood; therefore, do not wa'er 
the plants on any account. 
The loam which, as before advised, should have been procured, 
may be turned over and exposed to the weather, so as to become 
mellow and ready for use when wanted. 
If it so happens that a stock of young trees were purchased and potted 
in the spring to grow on for next season, these will require the same 
pruning process as the former, i.e , to have the ends of the growing 
