18G 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 
and so every winter in future, unless we wish to 
cover more space with them. In that case a young 
shoot, or shoots, are left longer and trained that way, 
and any time in the summer when the young growth 
extends too far for the space allowed, their tops may 
he cut off without prejudice to the flowers, for they 
come out from the sides of the recent wood lower 
down. The four long shoots are now trained down 
to fill the bottom, and next spring we shall inarch 
two of them into the old stem near the ground, to 
furnish young wood from the bottom. D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
f Winter Conservatory Plants. — For several 
weeks we have adverted to the means to he used 
for preserving plants, when placed in rather unpro- 
pitious circumstances; believing that such state¬ 
ments would meet the position of many lovers of 
flowers, whose means do not allow them to obtain 
greater and better conveniences. We shall now 
advert to a few plants that are extremely useful for 
ornamenting a warm greenhouse or conservatory 
during the winter; hut most of which, from being 
what are termed stove-plants, can only he enjoyed by 
those who have some other structure, in which a 
higher temperature can he maintained, at certain 
seasons, than would suit a greenhouse, where the 
chief object during winter is merely the exclusion of 
frost. By a warm greenhouse, or conservatory, we 
mean a house where the temperature ranges from 
45° to 50° during winter, with an allowance of 
from 5° to 10° rise from bright sunshine. The 
plants, when in bloom, will stand at times a lower 
temperature than we have indicated; but, if con¬ 
tinued, the colours of the blossom will be inferior, 
and the buds will not open freely. 
Cactus truncatus, now named the Epiphyllum trun- 
catum. —The family name is from epi, upon, and 
phyllum, a leaf, owing to the flowers being produced 
upon, or, as in the case before us, at the end of the 
leaf-like branches. Truncatum is from truncus, 
chopped off, owing to the appearance of the points 
of the jointed shoots. It is a native of Brazil. In al¬ 
most every catalogue and dictionary that has come in 
my way, midsummer is set down as the period of its 
flowering; but, though it may be made to blow at al¬ 
most any time, I have always found it did so to most 
advantage in the months of November, December, 
and January, when flowers are the most grateful 
and cheering. Its individual pinkish blooms stand 
longer than most of tlm Cactacece. As soon as the 
plants have done blooming, they should be kept in 
the same warm greenhouse; or, what is better, re¬ 
moved to any other stove, or forcing-house, or pit, 
where a still higher temperature is maintained; kept 
near the glass; exposed to sun; encouraged to grow 
with manure-water; set out in the middle, or to¬ 
wards the end, of July, on the south side of a fence, 
exposed to sun and air, but defended from rains; 
allowed to get dry in September; set in-doors dur¬ 
ing October, full in the sun; the front of a vinery, 
where a little fire was wanted to ripen the wood, 
would just be the place; give a temperature of 50°, 
at least, and water the roots toward the end of the 
month; and by the middle of November they will be 
coming into bloom, and may then be moved to the 
flowering-house. By adopting the main features of 
this system, you may grow the plant in a common 
greenhouse; but then the season of rest and dryness 
must take place in winter; and you could not expect 
[January 3. 
flowers until late in spring, when plenty others of 
the same group will be in bloom. As a successor 
for this winter blooming, wc mention the Speciosum , 
but it wants a longer period oi rest and dryness, 
and should not be started with heat and moisture 
before January. In the case of young plants which 
you are more anxious to grow than to bloom, the 
putting them out of doors, or even drying them in 
winter (if you can keep them growing on), may be 
dispensed with. 
Propagation. —The E. truncatum, like an other 
Cactacese, is easily propagated by cuttings. 1 liese, 
as in the case of other succulents, succeed best when 
the cut end has been previously dried ; and even 
then, instead of inserting them in a pot in the usual 
way, they will root more quickly it placed in some 
shady corner, and the ends covered with rough leaf- 
mould and fine gravel. Many succulents are easily 
struck by this rough method, which are apt to rot 
and damp when put in pots among fine soil. As, 
however, the plant we are considering seldom rises 
above a foot or fifteen inches in height, even though 
its branches should extend a yard in diameter ; and 
as, in addition, its shoots have naturally a pendulous 
habit, it is greatly improved in appearance by being 
grafted upon some of the stronger-growing kinds. 
The Percskia acuminata (the only family in the group 
possessing true leaves), was, and is, used tor this 
purpose; but I find that splendid plants can only 
be kept in good order for a few years, owing to the 
great difference existing between the succulent graft 
and the comparatively hard and woody stem oi the 
stock. Of the strong growing kinds, the Cereus 
speciosissimus seems to answer admirably for a stock; 
for the low and weak-growing kinds, such as trunca¬ 
tum, truncatum violaceum, and the beautiful small- 
branched Busscllianus ; while many of the whip-like 
creeping kinds, such as C. Mallisonii, and C. jlagelli- 
formis (creeping cereus), are improved from being 
grafted upon it, at the height of several feet, and 
their shoots allowed to hang in a pendulous manner. 
The mode of grafting is extremely simple. Cut in 
a slojung manner, so as to remove the bark from 
both sides of the scion, giving it thus a wedge-like 
shape; make an incision at the top of the stock to 
receive it, if your object is to obtain an umbrella¬ 
looking plant; or at "the base (or by sloping notches 
along the side of the stock, each of which is to be 
furnished with a scion), if you prefer having a bush. 
If the scions are small, the glutinous matter exuding 
from them and the stock together, will hold them in 
their places; but, to make sure, it is advisable to 
stick through them both, with a fine wooden pin (a 
good prickle from a thorn hedge would answer ad¬ 
mirably) ; and, to make assurance doubly sure, tie 
round the join with a strand of matting, and shade 
with a little moss. Keep the plants slightly shaded 
and growing freely, and the junction will soon be 
complete. 
Soil. —What we use for this, as well for cacti in 
general, is three parts sandy, hazely, fibrous loam, 
and one part of each of the following; lime-rubbish, 
charcoal and dried cow-dung. 
2. Poinsettia Pulcherrima: this belongs to the Eu- 
phorbiacece, or Spurges. —The generic name was given 
in compliment to its discoverer in Mexico. Its speci¬ 
fic name is very appropriate for it—it is very beautiful. 
The beauty, however, consists, not in the flowers, for 
they are quite lost sight of amid the blaze of the 
bright crimson scarlet bracts, or floral leaves. For 
the colour to be the most vivid and dazzling, the 
plants should stand in a temperature of 00°, with 
