JULY. 
153 
a book on practical gardening, but it is one, nevertheless, that all nursery¬ 
men and gardeners—young nurserymen and gardeners especially—should 
read. Joyous in spirit, clear, vigorous, and simple in style, reminding us 
in this respect of Swift without any of his coarseness, it bears a forcible 
contrast to much of our garden literature. No fine words, no bungling 
sentences, no flippancies or conceits—the tale runs on like a smooth river, 
flowing through well-kept banks studded with bright and beautiful trees 
and flow T ers, redolent of odour, joyous with song. Our young writers on 
gardening, wdiose style is not yet fixed, could not do better than take this 
as their model. 
The book is plentifully adorned with pleasing illustrations, and is a 
marvel of cheapness even in this age of cheap literature. 
W. P. 
POINSETTIA PULCHEltftIMA. 
Among the various matters that engage a gardener’s attention through 
the different seasons of the year, that of providing a large and constant 
supply of plants for conservatory and in-door decoration during the winter 
months, is one that requires a good deal of forethought and labour. There 
are a great number of plants now-a-days well adaj)ted for this purpose, and 
among them Poinsettia pulcherrima has a strong claim on our attention. 
Its bright scarlet bracts are very effective, and they remain perfect for a 
very considerable time, which is a matter of some consequence. 
The floral envelopes of this species are generally largest and finest on 
young plants with only one stem, and as these are generally most useful 
for in-doors, a number of young plants should be grown every season. 
These are easily raised from eyes of the previous season’s wood, like Vines, 
put in early in April and plunged in a nice bottom heat. As soon as they 
are rooted they should be potted off singly into small pots, using a compost 
of peat and loam, mixed with plenty of silver sand. When potted they 
should be returned to the frame or pit, and again plunged in a nice bottom 
heat, and kept rather close for a few days until they begin to grow, when 
air should, at every favourable opportunity, be abundantly admitted. They 
should be freely sprinkled overhead with -water when they require it; but 
care must be taken not to give them too much water at the root, parti¬ 
cularly whilst they are plunged. Towards the end of June, or by the early 
part of July, they will be nice little plants, and will, if they have done well, 
require a shift into a larger-sized pot about that time. After they are 
shifted into larger pots they will do very well in any of the vineries, if not 
too shaded, until September; but should be kept near the glass that they 
may not be drawn. In September they should be put into the stove, and 
should be carefully watered and freely syringed overhead. In due time 
they will unfold their brilliant scarlet bracts. They should have every 
attention paid them -whilst in flower. When they begin to go out of flower, 
water must be gradually withheld from them, and the plants should be 
rested in a dry part of the stove. 
In the spring the branches of the previous year should be cut down to 
within three or four eyes of the old wood. Shake off all the soil from the 
roots, and repot them into as small pots as possible ; then plunge them in 
a nice bottom heat. When they have grown a little and made some fresh 
roots shift them into larger pots, and return them to a situation where 
they may enjoy a supply of bottom heat. They will then grow rapidly, 
