February 12. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
307 
they were taken out, and either repotted in similar or 
larger pots, using rough, light, rich loam, with plenty of 
charcoal, and comfortable as respects heat, and neither 
being dry nor wet; or, if the drainage was all right, and 
the pot deemed large enough, the surface soil was 
removed and a top-dressing communicated, of equal 
portions of loam, cow-dung, and charcoal. Before 
shifting, the balls, after losing most of the earth, were 
allowed to soak for several minutes in a pail of water of 
the temperature of 70°, and thus, after potting, it was 
not necessary to water much, if any at all, before the 
new roots were working in the new soil. After potting, 
the plants were removed to a place where they would 
have rather less air and more light, and, in the course 
of a fortnight, they were admitted to the window-sill. 
In all this there would not be a tithe of the trouble of 
keeping them in the window all the winter, while in 
most cases the results would hear no comparison. 
For vases and beds less care will be necessary, but I 
cannot intrude here at present; I will merely mention 
a fact, tending to show that in trying to keep the shoots 
of fuchsias alive out-of-doors there may be more than 
labour lost. Last season a bed of Fuchsia Riccartonii 
was found uninjured in spring, and breaking into fresh 
shoots all over; high hopes of its coming glory in 
summer prevented us cutting its shoots level with the 
ground, as usual. After being well top-dressed, and 
producing a few early flowers, it was a complete blank, 
keeping green, but neither flowering nor even growing 
much for the whole season. Other plants, cut down, 
were three times the height, and loaded with bloom, 
and, instead of being top-dressed, had merely some moss 
laid over the roots. R. Fish. 
PROPAGATION OF EXOTIC ORCHID ACEzE. 
{Continued from page 272.) 
Ancectochilus. — These plants, remarkable for the 
beautiful markings of their leaves, are readily increased 
by taking off the side-shoots as soon as they have formed 
roots, potting them in small pots, in a light sandy com¬ 
post of peat and leaf-mould, and placing them under a 
hand-light, upon a heated surface of coal-ashes or sand, 
which should be kept moist, so as to maintain a warm, 
moist atmosphere under the hand-light. The best time 
to do this is in early spring. The old plants will afford 
side-shoots more readily if the flower-stems are broken 
off as soon as they appear. The flowers, though curious, 
are not particularly pretty, therefore the sacrifice is of 
less consequence. 
Arundina. —To increase these pretty flowering plants, 
it will be necessary, at the time of potting, to divide the 
bulbs one from another, in patches of two or three each, 
so as to make good plants at once, treating the divisions 
exactly like the whole plant. 
Barkeria. —This genus sends forth numerous shoots. 
The way to increase it is either to break a large plant 
into small ones, or to take off two or three back pseudo¬ 
bulbs ; place them upon blocks, without moss, in spring; 
syringe occasionally till they break, and then more 
freely till they perfect the new growths. They may 
then, in the spring, be collected together, placed in an 
open wooden basket, and so form, in a season or two, a 
fine specimen. 
Bletia.— The pseudo-bulbs of this family approach 
very nearly to real bulbs. To increaso them, take off at 
potting time one or more bulbs, pot them, and give a 
little extra heat till they begin to grow; then cultivate 
them like the parent plants. 
Brassavola is increased by dividing the plants into 
two or more portions, which may be readily done, as, 
with one or two exceptions, they are much inclined to 
branch out freely. The exceptions are B. glauca and 
B. Digbyana. These are probably the best of the genus. 
They may be increased by cutting off two or three of the 
back pseudo-bulbs in one piece, placing them upon a bare 
block, syringing gently every other day till the dormant 
bud breaks, then increasing the supply of water till the 
new growth is perfected, and giving it after that the 
usual period of rest, and when it begins to grow again, 
potting it, and treating it like an old one. In this way 
these line plants may be successfully increased. It is, 
however, a tedious operation, and requires a large share 
of patience before they flower. T. Appleby. 
( To be continued.) 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
We gave the lessons on Dahlia growing as the lessons 
of 1832, not 52, and we chiefly gave them to show that 
there is nothing new in the writings of later date. The 
Chrysanthemum was treated at some length by us many 
years ago, and though we have treatises by new people 
coming out, there is nothing new in them. The same 
maybe said of thePnasey.the Carnation, Pink, Hyacinth, 
Geranium, and other florists’ flowers; and even the Rose, 
which Mr. Paul has had a turn at with Wakeling’s 
drawings, Mr. Rivers in his Rose Amateur s Guide, Mrs. 
Gore in what she calls The Booh of Roses, and sundry 
others, has been years ago reduced to a practice which 
the most humble reader could understand, though we 
certaiuly have not cared to tell where particular species 
and varieties were supposed to come from. However, 
we shall give all these lessons over again in as few 
words as possible. 
A Lover of the Hollyhock wishes to pursuade us that 
it ought to take the place of the Dahlia. He might just 
as well tell us it ought to drive out the Chrysanthemum. 
The Hollyhock is very graceful, very beautiful, very 
picturesque—nobody will deny that the artist borrows 
the Hollyhock for his pictures, and that it is most showy 
and effective in garden scenery. But when the Holly¬ 
hock has done its work, the Dahlia is in perfection, and 
continues to be the rich and varied ornament of a garden 
until the Chrysanthemum, if the season be mild, takes 
up the supply. We cannot spare the Dahlia, though we 
highly prize the Hollyhock. 
Camellias (J. PJ—Two blooms of seedlings are of 
the wrong character to be useful. The Aliheajloras are 
j good-for-nothing now, however striking they may have 
! been at one period, when we were glad of novelty, and 
| never looked at quality. If it be true that a nurseryman 
i has made an offer, our advice is to accept it—we would 
not grow the plants if they were given to us. (W. 
\ D.). —The flower is inferior to the double-white in 
every particular. (J. D. M.J. —Bloom imperfect, but 
1 we think it will come much better. It is like the starved 
bloom of any good variety, not fully developed. 
Cinerarias (M. M.J. —Not one of the whole seven 
| is likely to be good for anything, but if they are the 
first that have bloomed of a large quantity, there may 
be many good ones. The most common, that is to say, 
those nearest to the old and worthless sorts, are generally 
the most early. Throw away all that are no better than 
these the instant the flowers open. (W.S. S.J. —The 
pale blue variety is the only one likely to be useful. M e 
should like to see a truss when the plant is in full bloom. 
Polyanthus (J. S.J. —We cannot depend upon the , 
bloom sent. If we are to judge by the specimens sent, 
neither of them exhibit a decided character in the 
ground colour, but early blooms frequently come short 
in that particular. G. Glenny. 
(To be continued.) 
PROPAGATION OF THE VERBENA. 
( Continued from page 2P3.) 
By Cuttings. —There are two seasons for this ope¬ 
ration, the spring and the latter end of summer. The , 
