February 5. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
291 
through the partition wall, along the back, across the 
end, then along the front, and through the end wall, 
furnishing it there with a stop cock, to allow the con¬ 
densed water to run away. 
But, fourthly, if you did all this, I would not be 
satisfied unless you added two or three feet to the width 
of your house, for as it is, you must take up about the 
third of it in path room. But, perhaps, you cannot go 
farther soutli; well, by placing your upright front glass 
near the outside of your stone wall, you will gain the 
best part of a foot in width, making the space seven feet, 
instead of six. Then, instead of, as you propose, having 
the entrance to the boiler and the greenhouse close to 
the partition wall, place the door in the middle of the 
end of each respectively, and they will look as symme¬ 
trical in the one case as the other, while the advantage 
t will be, you can open your greenhouse door opposite to a 
pathway near the middle. Then, further, supposing 
your front wall to be two-and-a-lialf feet in height, you 
might have a shelf there two feet in width; then, at 
three-and-a-half feet from the ground at the back, you 
might have a platform, or the lowest of three shelves, 
ten inches wide, or more shelves if you wished small 
plants. While, beneath this, there would be stowage 
room for many things in a dormant state in winter. 
But for my limited space, I might enlarge on the 
appropriateness of such a structure for propagating —a 
small pipe from the boiler, conveying the steam at once 
into recesses formed by large stones, clinkers, &c., 
covered with smaller ones—and how, not only green¬ 
houses, but hot-houses, might be heated, by such steam 
discharging itself into a close chamber, formed of heat- 
conducting material; but this would be expensive, and 
I must stop. R. Fish. 
LUCULIA CULTURE. 
Luculia gratissima (The most-agreeable Luculia), 
is a native of Nepaul. It is a branching shrub, with 
large laurel-like leaves, and terminal heads of very fra¬ 
grant pinkish flowers, blooming in winter. Each flower 
is about half-an-inch across; the petals, four in number, 
flat, aud spreading. 
Luculia Binciana (Pince’s Luculia) is like the former 
in all its parts, excepting the colour of the flowers, 
which are pure white. Plants of either cost 3s. 6d. 
These two charming plants are great ornaments to 
the stove when in bloom; and the delicious fragrance 
of their blossoms deservedly render them great favourites 
with such cultivators as are successful in growing them 
to perfection. L. JPinciana, though equally handsome, 
and quite as fragrant as the former, is rather more 
difficult to bloom. We have bloomed it at Pine-apple- 
place, but by no means so well or freely as L. gratissima. 
We possess a specimen of this species that, this winter, 
had more than twenty heads of bloom upon it. It is, 
however, in a warm conservatory, planted out in the 
border, that these plants show themselves off to the 
j greatest advantage. There is a plant of L. gratissima 
planted out in the border of the conservatory in the 
j Horticultural Gardens at Chiswick, that grows and 
i blooms in great profusion, scenting the air of the whole 
\ house with its agreeable perfume. We cannot too 
; strongly recommend this fine plant to the notice of such 
cultivators as may not possess it. If attention is paid 
to the following particulars of culture, these plants may 
be made to grow, and induced to bloom, as easy as any 
plants we know. 
Soil .—These plants, being of a woody character, re¬ 
quire a somewhat strong soil. We use a compost of 
good strong loam, one-half; leaf-mould, one-quarter ; 
and turfy peat, one-quarter, with a small admixture of 
sand, just to keep it moderately open and porous. 
These, after a due preparation of turning over to de¬ 
compose the vegetable parts, are well mixed together at 
the time of potting, but without sifting. The mixture 
is then placed in a situation to dry and warm, and wlfen 
it is in order it is placed upon the bench. 
Potting .—The best season for this operation is about 
the middle of March. The plants having been severely 
pruned-in about a month previously, are brought into 
the potting shed, turned out of their pots, the old 
drainage picked out from amongst the roots, and as 
much of the old soil removed as can be done without 
injuring them. In the meantime a fresh pot, two sizes 
larger, is prepared to receive the plant. If an old pot, 
it is well cleaned by a thorough washing; if a new one, 
by steeping it in water for awhile. The pot is then 
thoroughly drained, by first laying a large piece of 
broken pot over the hole at the bottom, then a few less 
pieces upon and around it, and lastly, about one inch for 
a medium plant, and two inches for a large one, of 
smaller-sized potsherds over them. We place some 
rough pieces of the compost, and as much soil upon 
that as will raise the ball nearly level with the rim of 
the pot; then we spread the loosened roots as much as 
possible amongst the new soil, and the soil is gradually 
worked among the roots till the pot is filled. After that, 
a gentle watering is given, just to settle the earth, and 
the plants are placed in the coolest part of the stove. 
Cultivation in Pots .—It requires rather more heat than 
the greenhouse to cause it to grow strong. This is 
indispensable to bring out fine large heads of flowers. 
It will exist in a greenhouse, but never flourishes so 
well, at least, in pots. Planting it out in a conservatory 
is another affair. Many plants will do well planted out 
in a cooler house, that would thrive very indifferently in 
a pot in the same temperature; the plants in pots being 
placed in a moderately-heated house (50° to 55° in 
spring, and 60° to 65° in summer) flourish exceedingly 
well. As, for instance, the plant did here mentioned 
above, and managed as we have indicated. 
Sumner Treatment .—After the plants have made a 
considerable growth, they should be placed out-of-doors 
in a warm sheltered nook of the garden, and kept there 
till the end of August, giving them liberal supplies of 
water, and syringing them freely, to keep them clear of 
red spider. 
Winter Treatment .—In September, bring the plants 
into a greenhouse, and keep them there till the end of 
October, then remove them into the stove, where they 
will soon show flower. 
Propagation .—The only way to propagate these plants 
is by cuttings. The very youngest shoots are the best 
for this purpose, and a discrimination must be used; and 
even in them the strong leading shoots are too full of 
sap, and will damp off immediately, therefore the small 
weak side-shoots must be taken; cut them off with a 
sharp knife, and trim off the lower leaves, leaving the 
two small uppermost ones on. The cuttings must be 
small, not more than two joints below the leaves; put 
them in a duly-prepared cutting-pot, well drained, with 
soil upon the drainage to within an inch of the rim of 
the pot, that inch to be filled up with the purest white 
sand ; give a gentle watering after the cuttings are put 
in, and place them under a hand-light upon a heated 
bed of sand or coal-ashes. Bell-glasses are too close for 
them; they soon damp off under them. Great care is 
requisite in watering, shading, and giving air in the 
mornings for an hour, to allow them to dry. We have 
struck hundreds here by this method carefully pursued. 
As soon as they are rooted, pot them off directly, place 
them under the hand-light again for a fortnight, and 
then gradually harden them off to bear the full sun and 
air. T. Appleby. 
