8 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENER, 
October 7 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
I srtALL shortly advert to several plants, to meet the 
iu(|uiries of several subscribers. 
CANTUA DEPENDENS. 
“ I have a jdant twelve months old; should I let it get 
quite dry in winter, or how manage it?” This plant may 
he treated, in many respects, as a fuchsia, hut it will not 
stand so much dryness in winter, because its stems are 
much more slender, and less succulent. Even fuchsias, 
though rejoicing in a rest in winter, are frequently in¬ 
jured by being kept too dry at that period, especially 
when it is intended to preserve any part of the old stem. 
One of the finest plants I have seen of the Cantua, was, in 
my opinion, injured in a similar manner. It had been 
grown freely during summer in an intermediate house, 
and was beautifully branched all round from a central 
stem. It was then put in an airy place, in autumn, to 
ripen the shoots, and kept cool and dry in winter; but 
in spring and summer it only showed a few flowers from 
tlie strongest and terminal shoot. I think one of two 
courses should have been followed;—to have kept the 
plant slowly growing without a check, and waited for the 
sunny-days of spring and an airy position to get masses 
of bloom from the end of the shoots ; or, what I should 
ju'efer, with a strong established plant, allow the wood to 
get ripened before autumn, give the plant a temperature 
of about 45° in winter, with no more water than would 
keep it just moving; then prune it back considerably 
in spring, place it in a warmer place, or the closest and 
warmest end of the same house; re-pot, if necessary, 
when the young shoots are one inch in length; shade, 
syringe, and encourage with suitable moisture, and, if 
possible, additional heat, and an open airy position, and 
the stiff, but luxuriant shoots will furnish you with its 
beautiful dependant fuchsia-like flowers. The plant will 
thus require similar management, but a little more care 
than a fuchsia. 
Propagation.' —The small side-shoots, formed after 
pruning back, when a little firm at their base, and from 
two inches in length, make the best cuttings. Take 
them off, if possible, close to the old stem, wounding it 
as little as may be; use a lancet-like knife for cutting 
clean across at the base ; remove a few of the lower and 
small leaves, and then insert the cuttings in silver-sand, 
over sandy-peat, in a well-drained pot, cover (after 
watering) with a bell-glass and place any where where 
shade can be given, and a temperature secured a little 
higher than the parent-plant previously enjoyed. 
Potting.-—On getting a small tiny plant, you may 
continue giving succession al pottiugs as the pot gets 
filled with roots; but after twelve or eighteen months 
growth, when the plant is pretty well established, one 
potting, as instanced above when growth was pro¬ 
gressing, would, in every respect, be preferable. 
Compost. —Sandy peat, a little turfy loam, and broken 
pots, for the first potting, increasing the loam in subse¬ 
quent pottings. When the plant gets established, let 
the loam be nearly one-half, with a portion of charcoal, 
broken pots, and dried nodules of cow-dug. 
Watering .—Give liberally when the plant is growing 
freely; lessen as autumn apinoaches; just see that the 
soil is not dry in winter; apply weak liquid-manure 
when the first flower-buds peep, and let the water be 
aerated, and always as warm, rather warmer, than the 
temperature in which the plant is growing. 
Temperature.~4Si° to 45° in winter, 50° to 55° in 
spring, 6j)° in summer, 50° to 55° in autumn, with from 
10 to 15° rise for sunshine, during which, in spring 
especially, the syringe may be used. 
Insects Keep free, is the grand thing; fumigate for 
fly, use sulphur for the spider, but carefully, as the plant 
IS very sensitive to brimstone. 
DEUTZIA GRACILIS. 
It is complained that “this will not grow.” It is, 
however, one of the prettiest things lately introduced; 
but I suspect it always will be a plant of slow, as well 
as slender growth. A correspondent may expect his 
plant, four inches high, to produce its pretty white 
flowers next March, or the beginning of April, if he 
keeps it all the winter in a common greenhouse. After 
satisfying himself with seeing the first flower, I would 
recommend every flower-bud to be removed, and the 
points of the shoots to bo stopped, and the plant placed 
in an airy, warm corner, to encourage growth. Not 
that the plant ahsohitely requires heat, for I believe, 
ultimately it will bo found that it is as hardy, or nearly 
so, as D. scabra ; while that, again, in many iflaces, has 
proved itself as hardy as the Philadelphus, or Mock 
Orange. So long as D. gracilis is rather scarce, and in 
a small state, it would be folly to place it in a sbrubbery, 
or even at the foot of a wall, though, no doubt, ere long, 
it will bo placed in both positions. At present, and 
especially when in a small state, a dry, cold frame, or pit, 
or a common greenhouse, will be the most suitable winter 
quarters. It produces its flowers one season on the 
slender, well-ripened shoots produced in the preceding ; 
this must be kept in mind when growing and pruning. 
It grows so slowly, that little pruning, farther than 
nipping the points of shoots and thinning the young 
ones, will be required. If these young shoots are well 
ripened in autumn, extra heat will bring the flowers 
out any time in winter, especially after Christmas. 
Compost. —Equal parts of sandy peat and loam, 
when young, increasing the loam, and adding leaf- 
mould and cow-dung as the plant gets older and larger. 
Watering. —Give liberally when growing and flower¬ 
ing; lessen the quantity in autumn, and just see that 
the soil is moistish in winter. In bright days, at the 
latter period, it will be better to lessen evaporation, by 
a dusting over the top with the syringe, in preference to 
soaking the roots. On this account, many small plants, 
in little pots, that require rest in winter, are best kept 
when plunged in, and the pots surfaced with moss. The 
roots are thus kept easily in an equal state, neither wet 
nor dry. 
Propagation. —Cuttings of ripened one-year-old wood, 
taken off in autumn, and inserted in sandy soil, under 
a bell-glass or hand-light, in a cold-pit, the glass, 
however, not being pressed close down; or small side- 
shoots in spring, when inch long, inserted under a 
bell-glass, and placed in a temperature a few degrees 
higher than that of the plant from which the cuttings 
were taken. 
DEUTZIA SCABRA. 
This, though an old plant, is still a most interesting 
one, whether used for the greenhouse or the oj)cn 
shrubbery. It is easily propagated by young, stiff, side- 
shoots, under a hand-light, in a shady place, in June ; 
but easier still, by inserting ripened young shoots in a 
shady, sandy border in autumn, just as you would do a 
currant cutting. If grown in pots, and taken into the 
greenhouse, it will bloom in the end of March and in 
April. If wanted earlier, it will stand a gentle forcing. 
Few things are more lovely than its shoots, from two to 
four feet in length, covered with its beautiful snow- 
white flowers. When done flowering, and the young i 
shoots are growing freely from the bottom, all the old I 
shoots should be cut away, and the young ones thinned ; 
to the required number; five or seven being a good | 
number for a large pot. When growing, the plant will ^ 
relish manure waterings. Ripening the young shoots ! 
is the great thing to ensure fine flowering. Treat it in 
every respect as you would a favourite raspberry-bush, 
A good loamy soil suits it. j 
