THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
347 
March 28.] 
call them, love flowers) the splendid blooms of this 
beautiful shrub, they think them worthy to be ac¬ 
cepted by their idol named Ixora, as an offering to 
him either to appease his wrath or propitiate his 
favour. The name of the idol has descended to the 
offering, and botanists have immortalized this idol 
by giving his name to this fine race of plants. 
The first species, Ixora coccinea, or grandiflora, for 
it is known by both names, is, without doubt, the 
finest of all stove plants. Though introduced a long 
time ago there are no plants that surpass it, when 
well grown, for beauty and grandeur; the only 
charm it is deficient in is fragrance, in that particu¬ 
lar its relative Luculia far surpasses it; in all other 
points it surpasses all its compeers. 
The culture that it requires is what we have prin¬ 
cipally to do with, and in detailing the culture for 
Ixora coccinea we shall describe that which will suit 
the whole family. The first thing an amateur wants 
to know when he receives a plant is—what soil does 
it require ? Generally speaking, we may say he will 
obtain that information by observing the kind of soil 
it is growing in when he receives it from the nursery, 
but that is not always to be depended upon, besides, 
he may obtain a plant or a cutting from a friend, 
and in either case he is at a loss to know what soil 
to pot his plant in. It is to supply such wants that 
the writers for The Cottage Gardener tax their 
brains and brush up their memories, and strive, in 
plain, homely language, to give all the information 
their years of experience have given them, to make 
the culture of all kinds of plants easy to the tyro in 
gardening. 
The soil that we have found Ixoras to thrive and 
flower best in, is peat obtained from a place where 
there is a constant deposit annually of leaves; these 
decaying, layer upon layer, form a rich suitable soil 
for numbers of stove plants, but particularly desir¬ 
able for the plants about which we are now writing. 
If such soil is difficult to be found light loam and 
rotten leaves, well decomposed, with a fair mixture 
of white sand, will answer nearly as well. 
Culture. —The way to obtain, or to make, a fine 
specimen fit either 'for ornament or exhibition, we 
shall next endeavour to describe. A young plant in 
a 5-inch pot should have four or five branches 
springing from the bottom; if it has not these 
branches they may be obtained by cutting the plant 
partially down. These should be stopped at the 
third pair of leaves, and as this is the best month in 
the year for that operation, let them be potted im¬ 
mediately into 8-inch pots, well drained ; when that 
is done tie down the branches nearly to the edge of 
the pot to short sticks, give a gentle watering, and, 
if possible, plunge them into a gentle bark-bed heat, 
this will assist their growth greatly. In three months 
they will require potting again, into 11-inch pots ; if 
they have grown well (which they are sure to do if 
properly managed, that is, if frequently syringed and 
moderately watered, and shaded from the midday 
sun) they will then require stopping again, and the 
young branches that have sprung up from the centre 
should be tied down again nearly to the first tier; 
they may then be replunged in the bark-bed, and 
remain there till September. If they have pro¬ 
gressed as they ought the plants should be more than 
a foot in diameter, thick and bushy, and half a yard 
high. They had better now be lifted out from the 
tan and placed in the stove, to remain there all 
winter; place them as near the glass as possible, 
and keep them rather dry. This treatment will 
induce a gentle rest, and will cause them to bloom 
freely the following season. If very large plants are 
desired let the same treatment be followed the next 
year, allowing no flowers to be produced, and in¬ 
creasing the size of pots, stopping and tying out the 
branches so as to form a pyramid of them ; the lower 
branches should be encouraged to push out, so that 
the plant will be widest at the bottom. At the end 
of the second year the plants should be at the least 
two feet in diameter and the same number of feet in 
height, and should produce 12 or 15 of their magni¬ 
ficent heads of scarlet orange flowers. 
The above description and treatment we intended 
more particularly for Ixora coccinea, but the same 
treatment will suit the whole genus, including that 
fine new species lately introduced, the Ixora Java- 
nica. Below is a selected list of the species more 
particularly worth growing. 
Ixora coccinea (Orange scarlet Ixora). 
„ crocata (Saffron coloured I.). 
„ longifolia (Long-leaved I.), scarlet. 
,, flammea (Flame coloured I.). 
„ Bandhuca (Bandhuc I.), flesh coloured. 
„ Obovata, or purpurea (Obovate leaved I.), 
purple. 
„ Javanica (Java I.), pink. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
We trust our amateur florists have been wide 
awake during the sharp frosty weather we have had 
lately, and have taken advantage of our almost 
weekly warnings that such weather might come upon 
us unexpectedly, which, if not daily or rather nightly 
guarded against, would be very injurious to the 
delicate and beautiful objects classed as florists’ 
flowers. We can only this week find room to reite¬ 
rate our warnings, for we are by no means yet certain 
that our favourite plants are safe from spring frosts. 
We remember an old successful florist, Mr. Emerson, 
of Barnet, many years ago urging upon florists the 
necessity of warmer covering than usual at this un¬ 
certain season, and recommending even good warm 
blankets, to protect the rising blooms of Auricula and 
Polyanthus, and other tender favourites. 
Carnations and Picotees ought now to be quite 
finished potting. Below is a very select list of the 
best show kinds, which every florist intending to 
exhibit a stand of 12 ought to possess. 
carnations. 
Scarlet Flakes. per pair- 
Cardinal Wolsey (May’s), one of the best. 3 0 
Firebrand (Hardwick’s), very fine . 3 5 
King of Scarlets (Ely’s), extra fine. 2 
Orlando (May’s), a good firm flower . 3 0 
Fuse Flakes.* 
Orlando (May’s), extra fine, a well formed flower.. 5 () 
Ariel (May’s), also good, with beautiful colours .. 5 0 
Prince Arthur (May’s), extra fine, with long pod.. 5 0 
Briseis (Tomlyn’s), very good, hut not quite constant 2 0 
Purple Flakes. 
Beauty of Woodhouse (Mansley’s) clear purple and 
white . 3 6 
Squire Trow (Jackson’s), extra fine, a good show 
flower . j* 0 
Will. Penn (Turner), extra large, fine flower - 3 5 
Queen of Purples (Holiday’s), heavy colour, pure ^ 
white, a truly grand variety . ® ^ 
* Brookes’s Flora’s Garland is undoubtedly the finest of all Rose 
Flakes yet known, but we have already recommended it. 
