56 
CULTURE OF THE BOUVARDIA TR1PHILLA. 
years’ shoots will have attained nearly a yard in length, and will be 
crowned with fine luxuriant clusters of splendid trumpet-like flowers. 
As soon as frost is apprehended, take up the plants with balls of 
earth attached to their roots, disturbing the young growing fibres as 
little as possible, and place them carefully in pots that will admit of 
a little good mellow soil under the ball, and around it. 
When they are thus carefully replaced in pots, and watered so as 
to settle the mould, those which are in luxuriant bloom may be 
mixed amongst the greenhouse plants, where they will make a splen¬ 
did appearance till January. 
When the plants begin to shed their leaves, and the flowers are 
nearly gone, put them out of sight, as mentioned above, until April. 
This treatment may be continued with the same plants for many 
years; for the application of fresh soil, the trimming of the old roots, 
the great luxuriance gained by growing without confinement of their 
roots in congenial soil in summer, renovate the plants, which could 
not be effected by any other means of culture. 
Bouvardias are propagated by cuttings of the roots, which are ma¬ 
naged as follows :—fill some large fruiting pine pots with good fresh 
mellow loam; well blended with either thoroughly rotten dung or 
vegetable mould. 
Plant the roots all over the pot, beginning in a circle round the out¬ 
side, opening the soil and planting them with the finger, continuing 
to fill up one circle within another, till it is finished in (he centre of 
the pot, leaving no more of the root visible above the surface than 
just at the top. 
When planted, water, and place them in a hothouse, where the 
temperature at night is kept between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 
As soon as the shoots have grown to between four and five inches 
high, transplant the plants singly into pots of a small size, and by 
degrees harden them, after they are established. 
When they have made some progress after this transplanting, plant 
them out into a bed, four feet wide; place the plants in rows, eight 
inches apart, and four inches from plant to plant in the rows, where, 
if the soil be good, many will soon be in flower. Pot them again 
before frost, and treat them as directed for the older plants. 
The above excellent mode of cultivating this beautiful plant was 
first described by Mr. Mearns, Gardener to His Grace the Duke of 
Portland, Welbeck, Notts., in a letter to the London Hort. Society, 
and in whose “Transactions” it was published, Vol 7, p. 501. The 
plan answers well, and deserves to be followed by all who grow this 
lovely plant: we have, therefore, given the details nearly in Mr. 
Mearns’ own words. 
