2:1 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[October 10. 
will easily be made to carry a few flowers; but when 
tine masses of bloom at particular periods are wanted 
more attention is required. Here we think it would be 
better to introduce our correspondent’s second question, 
“When should I prune them?” because the time of 
doing so has much to do with the success; as here, as 
I well as in most other cases, both processes should not 
take place simultaneously, but advantage should bo 
taken of the shoot’s own leaves to form fresh roots, and ! 
these when vigorous should he employed in forcing [ 
vigorous young shoots after pruning bad taken place. | 
Hence, when some years ago 1 grew a number of China 
and Tea and Bourbon roses to bloom in a warm conser- : 
vatory from Christmas to April, the first flowering ones 
when done with were removed to a pit, where they wore j 
protected from frost. In April or May they were re- 
potted into fibry loam enriched with old cow-dung, and 
kept in the pit until the roots had nearly filled the pots, 
[ when they were placed right in the sun in June and July, 
plunged in coal-ashes, the flowers being chiefly removed, 
set against a north wall in August, kept rather dry, 
pruned by cutting-in the strong shoots in September, 
returned to a warm spot in the sun when the buds 
swelled, placed ultimately in the pit, and watered freely 
with manure-water, and then transferred to the warmest 
and lightest part of the conservatory towards the end of 
October. 
Other successions just require less trouble. For 
instance, to bloom freely in March, the plants should 
be repotted in summer, shaded for a time from 
the sun, and then exposed to its influence, watered 
lreely, the points of the shoots nipped, just to swell but 
not burst or break the lower buds, the pots plunged in 
ashes, old tan, &c., pruned in October, defended from 
frost, set in a heat of 45° in December, and gradually 
increased to 55° and 60°. 
To bloom in April and May, the plants should 
be repotted in summer, plunged in a non-conduct¬ 
ing medium, and, in the case of all the tenderer 
kinds the tops should be protected with fern, and be 
[ pruned in February, and then be gradually brought for- 
j ward. Hardy kinds, about which there was no danger, 
[ had better be pruned in the end of autumn, as the buds 
would thus be better swelled. Without the half of all this 
trouble, we have had a good show in winter and spring, 
by merely thinning out the older wood, and giving rich 
top-dressing and manure-watering always several de¬ 
grees higher than the air of the house, but 1 never had 
such a mass of flowers at one time. 
Our correspondent will now judge for himself whe¬ 
ther he will prune or not. Jf he can protect them, 
the sooner he does it the better. As to potting 
now, wo decisively say no! because, without using 
artificial heat to plunge in, the roots would not be 
sufficiently in advance to cause the buds to break 
strongly, more especially if you wish for early flowers. 
Here the matter is very different from out door planting. 
If partly pruned as recommended by Mr. Beaton the 
other week, and then some time afterwards transplanted, 
there is plenty of time for fresh roots to be formed b.e- 
| fore a demand is made upon them by the shoots in April 
and May. Instead of potting, our correspondent should 
| remove the surface soil, top-dress and give plenty of 
| liquid-manure when they are commencing growth, 
j and afterwards. By these applications, a rose-plant, if 
the drainage is right, and the roots are prevented getting 
into the plunging material, may be kept in vigorous j 
health for years in the same pot. 
The questions, “ whether the plants should he taken 
into the greenhouse, when should they be taken in, 
1 or should they be plunged out of doors?” have been in¬ 
directly answered. If late flowers this year or early 
ones in 1851 are desired, prune out the smaller twigs 
and house them at once, it you have no turf or other cold 
I pit to transfer them to. If spring flowers are what are 
wanted, keep them plunged and mulched out of doors, 
raising the mulch in a cone over the pit, so as to throw 
off a portion of very heavy rains; and unless you are j 
certain of the perfect hardiness of your varieties, do not j 
prune until you wish to start them, by removing them 
under shelter, but rather tie some fern or twiggy 
branches of spruce over their heads. R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
STOVE PLANTS. 
Franciscea. —This is a genus varying greatly in ap¬ 
pearance and qualities, yet the greater number of its 
species are desirable plants, easily grown, free blooming, 
often very fragrant, and with handsome flowers, though 
not highly coloured; that is, we have no scarlet or 
crimson Francisceas; the colours that mostly prevail 
being blue, purple, lilac, and white. 
F. augusta (August F.).—Pale blue stove shrub. 
F. confertifolia (Crowded-leaved F.).—New, with fra¬ 
grant flowers. 
F. eximia (Noble F.).—Not yet introduced into this 
country generally, and we believe has not flowered: but 
the continental nurserymen describe it as a very fine 
species indeed. 
F. Uopeana (Mr. Hope’s F.).—Blue and white; a very 
neat desirable old plant. 
F. hydrangeaiformis (Hydrangea-flowered). — A new 
plant, not much known at present. 
F. latifolia (Broad-leaved F.).—This is also a very 
desirable old inhabitant of our stoves, not nearly grown 
so much as it deserves to be. No other leaves that we j 
know have so beautiful a green, especially when young. 
The flowers are as large as a half-crown, and when first 
expanded are of a beautiful pale blue, but as they become j 
older they gradually change to white ; and as the plant 
produces a succession of bloom, it frequently happens 
that the plant presents the phenomenon of having blue 
flowers and white ones at the same time, and both per¬ 
fect; for in the white stage the flower lasts some time. 
F. macrophylla (Very broad-leaved F-). — A noble 
plant, formerly known as F. hygrangeeformis ; flowers 
blue, in large heads ; leaves very broad and numerous ; 
lasting a long time in bloom. 
F. Pohliana (Mr. Pold’s F.).—Pale blue, changing to 
lilac; a neat, free growing, and abundant flower. 
Culture. —The plants of which the above is a select 
list of the best, are such as may be easily grown; do not 
require so much heat as most other stove plants, but will 
thrive in an intermediate house, or even in a pit deep i 
enough to allow a little fresh air occasionally, and bead J 
room for the plants. Frequently in winter the plants | 
here look completely dead, having wintered in a cold pit 
or frame just protected from frost. As soon as the grim 
winter passes away, the plants being then quite bare of j 
foliage, are repotted and placed in gentle heat; a tan 
bed is the most cougeuial, excepting, perhaps, one made 
of leaves. The internal beat should not exceed 55“ by 
day nor 50° by night, for the first month. After that 
period it may be allowed to rise to 60° by day and 55° 
by night. The soil suitable for them is a compost of 
loam, peat, and leaf mould in equal parts, mixed with a 
sufficient quantity of sand to give it a sandy character, j 
In this soil they will grow finely, if all the other points 
are attended to. 
Water. —In the early part of their growth they require 
very little water at the root, but the syringe may be used 
once or twice a week as the weather will allow, increas¬ 
ing the quantity of wafer at the root as soon as the 
loaves begin to clothe the plants with their beautiful 
green. When fully expanded they require a pretty large 
and constant supply of the liquid element, pure some- 
