March 27.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
399 
being so liable to clamp off. And this rule applies to a 
great number of similar woody stove plants. If a culti¬ 
vator has not a good propagating-liouse, with all its 
conveniences of heat, moisture, shades, bell and hand¬ 
glasses, and plenty of time to attend to all the regular 
shading, watering, wiping of glasses, &c., he had better, 
generally, choose his cuttings of such a state of wood¬ 
ripeness as to ensure a strike, though he has to wait a 
few weeks longer before his cuttings put forth roots. 
Generally, the best time for planting cuttings is in the 
early part of the year, in order that they may be rooted 
in time to receive at least two shifts from the cutting- 
pot before the growing season is over. This gives them 
time to become well-established woody plants before 
winter, with its dark damp days, sets in, which, if it found 
them in a soft green state, might destroy them. Prepare, 
then, the cutting-pots and bell-glasses, compost and 
sand, as near this time of the year as circumstances will 
admit. The compost we have described this week will 
suit most kinds of cuttings to root into ; but to prevent 
the decomposing power in the compost from acting upon 
the young and tender cutting, an inch deep of pure 
white sand is indispensable. Proceed, then, in the way 
we have often described, and still press upon the attention 
of those desirous to increase then - plants, that is, lirst 
drain the cutting-pot in a more careful manner than is 
done in merely repotting established plants. Place first 
a large piece of broken potsherd over the hole at the 
bottom of the pot, prop it up on one side with a very 
thin piece of blue slate, or thin potsherd, then place an 
inch, or rather less, of potsherds upon the large one, and 
upon them about half an inch of still smaller broken 
potsherds; upon them place a thin layers of moss or of 
the fibrous sittings of peat, then one to prevent the finer 
particles of the compost being washed down by frequent 
waterings amongst the drainage, which would soon choke 
up the drainage, cause the soil to become sour, and 
bring disease and death amongst the cuttings, even after 
they had put forth roots. This most important opera¬ 
tion (in the art of striking cuttings) being well and duly 
performed, then fill in the compost to within one inch 
of the top, shake it gently down, and smooth the surface 
with a circular piece of wood. Then place upon it an 
inch of fine pure silver sand, filling the pot quite level 
with the rim, give a gentle watering, which will give a 
smoothness and firmness to the sand, rendering it in 
a fit state to receive and hold fast the cuttings. It 
may then stand on one side till the cuttings are taken 
off and prepared. If a bell-glass is used, the pot should 
be of such a size as to allow the glass to rest upon the 
sand just within the rim of the pot, and should now be 
fitted to it, pressing it down so as to leave a mark 
which will serve as a guide within which to put the 
cuttings. 
Preparing the Cuttings. —In the case of the Calliandras, 
take them off, bearing in mind the above remarks on the 
age of the wood ; above all things do not make them too 
large. It may be laid down as a rule almost without 
exception, that the smaller the cutting, the more surely and 
quickly it will root; and more especially this rule applies 
to such small twiggy shoots as those of CaUiandra; 
coarser growing, such as Clerodendrums ; or more soft- 
wooded plants, such as Gloxinias, may have their cut¬ 
tings made a little larger; but all others should be made 
as small as possible. One inch, or one and a half inch, 
with a very few leaves at the top will be quite large enough. 
Make as many cuttings ready at once as will fill one pot, 
put them in pretty close to and within the mark made by 
the rim of the bell-glass, incline the leaves inwards so that 
they may not touch the glass when it is put on, that the 
moisture which condenses on the inside of the glass may 
not wet the leaves, and so cause them prematurely to 
decay; put the cuttings in with a small smooth stick, 
one made of ivory is the best; press the sand to the 
bottom of each cutting, and do not allow the cuttings to 
be very close to each other; for if one happens to decay 
suddenly it might infect its neighbours, and thus cause 
destruction to the whole crop. Fill up the holes with a 
little dry sand, give then a gentle watering, and allow 
them to become a little dry before the glass is finally 
fixed upon them. If you have the convenience of a bark¬ 
pit, however small, within the propagating-house, plunge 
the cuttings in it quite up to the rim of the pot, smoothing 
the bark close to it by patting it down with a small 
piece of wood. The cuttings are now in the best possi¬ 
ble state and condition. The care necessary will be 
to shade them from bright sunshine, or even strong 
light, for a few days, or, perhaps, weeks will be necessary, 
till they root. They must be examined daily, and all 
decaying leaves or dying cuttings removed as soon as 
they occur. The glasses should be wiped quite dry at 
least every other day; should the sand become dry, it 
must have a supply of water; but the glasses must then 
be kept off for an hour to allow the leaves and the sur¬ 
face of the sand to become moderately dry. Early in 
the morning is the best time for this watering to be done. 
With this minute and daily care it may be expected the 
cuttings will most of them grow. When they begin to 
show signs of growth, the glasses should be left off for 
two hours every morning, and if they appear to bear 
this exposure well, they should be examined to see if 
roots are formed. This may be performed either by 
gently raising one of the most promising, or by lifting 
the pot out of the bark, turning it carefully upside down, 
giving it a gentle blow on the edge of the potting-bench, 
and then catching the ball in the hand so as not to 
break it. If there appear plenty of roots they may be 
divided at once, and potted singly into 2-j-inch pots, and 
placed under hand-glasses till new roots are formed; 
shading and watering regularly. After this gradually 
inure them to bear the full air and light, and then 
remove them into the stove, placing them on a shelf 
near to the glass. 
Simmer Culture. —From April to September inclusive 
the heat should be by day 65° to 75°; by night 55° to 
60°. Air must be given to keep the temperature to 
within a few degrees of these points. 
Pot in March, and if the plants are young, again in 
June. Young plants place in a cold pit or frame from 
July to the end of August, or the middle of September, if 
the season is fine. We have found stove plants, at least 
all that will bear it, to be greatly benefited by being 
planted out in a sheltered sunny border during summer, 
taking them up and potting early in September. One 
beautiful stove plant, the Hindsia longijiora, and the 
variety alba, we never could get to form dwarf handsome 
bushes by any other means than planting out; and it is 
a practice we strongly recommend for a number of other¬ 
wise diflicult-to-manage stove plants. 
Winter Culture. —Having got summer over, and a 
good growth upon the plant, another less congenial 
season approaches; but if rightly managed during its 
progress it will be found equally as beneficial to stove 
plants as it is to our hardy shrubs out of doors. This 
is the season when we must induce our hothouse plants 
to go to rest. Calliandras, especially, require it. if they 
lose the greater part of then leaves, so much the better; 
they will then require a careful pruning. All coarse 
strong shoots should be shortened in, and very small 
twiggy ones cut out entirely. This will strengthen the 
remainder, audit is from the shoots made towards spring 
that the flowers are produced. As we mentioned above, 
they are now, in March, in flower at Kew, and the 
flower-buds appear amongst and along with the young 
shoots; the pruning, then, ought to be performed in the 
early part of the winter; the month of December, we say, 
is the best month to do it, because then the plants are, 
or ought to be, in a dormant state. During this season 
