THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 19. 
! 318 
I same group. This crassicaule is not much of itself, and 
j probably many a geranium grower would not pick it off 
j the walk, but wheel bis harrowful of compost right over 
it, and pass it by as useless. It is, however, the very 
best geranium in the world for the cross-breeder, and if 
all the geranium-worts in the world were at the bottom 
of the sea except this one, with fulgidum, reniforme, and 
! two more I cannot name, it would be possible to stock 
I the gardens over again with as good sorts as we now 
I possess, and with a greater variation than many of us 
think possible at the present. If I were allowed the 
expression, I would say that this crassicaule is the only 
species known to us in which the genuine milk of the 
race can be detected, and for this milk, or, in other 
words, for the purity of its white, or milk-white blossoms 
it is invaluable for the cross-breeder. D. Beaton. 
OLEANDER CULTURE. 
This subject has frequently been referred to of late, 
and so far as I recollect, was discussed at some length 
at an early period of the history of this work, by our 
friend Mr. Beaton. Under these circumstances, I should 
have preferred referring to the past, instead of going 
more fully into detail, were it not that the enquiries and 
statements on this subject could not be satisfactorily 
attended to in the correspondents’ column. 
The plants popularly termed Oleanders are, botanic- 
ally speaking, varieties of a species of that name, be¬ 
longing to the genus Nerium. The derivation of this 
family name, from neros, moist, furnishes a hint as to 
the general treatment the plants require. Of the species, 
I have never seen the yellow one, and have never 
grown the thyrsiflorum. Nerium oleander is the species 
most generally cultivated, and, according to the variety, 
its flowers are produced single or double, pink, or red, 
or white, or variously striped. The pinkish red, and 
white double-flowering, used to be our favourites. 
Native Locality. —I am not aware that these plants 
have been found in the new world, but they are at home 
in an extensive tract in the old, ranging somewhere from 
the 31° to a little beyond the 36° north latitude. No 
doubt they will! be found in suitable positions nearer 
the equator than the first point indicated, but that will 
generally be on the Asiatic continent; while, in the 
higher latitudes indicated, they will be met with on the 
northern shores of Africa, and the southern points of 
Europe. Nor would the relative circumstances in the 
two cases, as respects temperature, be so different as at 
first sight would be supposed. In the first-mentioned 
latitude in Asia, the air will be somewhat cooled by the 
large body of water to the south ; while, on the other 
hand, in the higher latitude indicated, an extra heat 
is imparted to the atmosphere from the radiation taking 
place from the hot lands and burning sands of Africa. 
Though, therefore, the plants will grow nicely in a 
common greenhouse, yet even upon the score of heat 
alone, some management is required to bloom them 
there year after year. Whatever may be the locality as 
to latitude and longitude, the position in which the 
plants are found is generally the same, namely, by the 
sides of rivers, lakes, and swamps, likely to overflow 
their banks in the rainy season, and to become dry and 
hard-baked under the dry season that succeeds. 
These things known, we are presented with the first 
principles of successful culture. But will attention to 
these alone insure success? No, unless these principles 
are made subservient to our peculiar circumstances. 
Inattention to this is the source of most of the disap¬ 
pointments that reach us. In this island, we have no 
clearly defined wet and dry, hot and cold, bright and 
dull seasons regularly following each other. In the case 
of tender exotic plants naturally obtaining all these 
conditions, we think we do well when we get them to 
grow in summer, and manage to give them a rest, by 
dryness and a low temperature, in winter, forgetting 
that the dry period the plants possessed in their own 
land, was one not associated with cold and gloom, but 
with the greatest heat and the brightest sunshine. To 
succeed, therefore, with such plants as those under con¬ 
sideration, we must contrive to give them not merely 
rapid growth, but the maturing of that growth; in fact, 
to combine a rainy and dry season in the length of one 
of our summers. The rest we give such plants in win¬ 
ter, is not to consolidate the wood, or set the flower-buds, 
but just to keep them as the autumn has left them, ready 
to be favourably operated upon when an accession of 
moisture, heat, and light is imparted. Excess of tem¬ 
perature in winter, with a fair supply of moisture—excess 
of moisture in a cool temperature—excess of dryness, will 
severally yield you growth and barren flower-stems next 
spring and summer. 
These general matters conned over, let us now glance 
at particulars; and, first, the propagation by cuttings, 
and the condition of the cutting. The young shoots 
that start from the base of the flower-stem, as mentioned 
by a correspondent to-day, will do, if placed in a bottom 
heat; the tops of young shoots that have not bloomed 
will answer better; failing these, the stems that bloomed 
last season will answer well, cut into lengths from six to 
twelve inches long, several of the lower leaves, if remain¬ 
ing, being removed, and the base cut across at a joint. 
The two first kinds of cuttings will strike best in moist 
sandy soil in the usual way; the last kind will emit 
roots soonest in water, such as in a wide-mouthed phial, 
and the water frequently changed. All of them will 
root quickest by obtaining the assistance of a hot-bed. 
Those struck in water, should not remain long in it after 
roots are emitted, and they will require to be kept more 
moist afterwards, for a fortnight or so, than those struck 
in sandy soil. 
Time of Striking. —If you have a hothouse, or hotbed, 
you cannot strike too soon in the spring. If you have 
no convenience but your greenhouse, it will be time 
enough to place them under a glass in the warmest part 
there in April. In the first case, you may obtain bloom¬ 
ing shoots the following season; in the second case, you 
can hardly expect them until the second summer. As 
the main points of treatment will be identical, to avoid 
confusion we shall suppose you are propagating now. 
Then— 
The Potting should proceed as soon as the plants 
are struck. Small*-pots should be used, and rather 
light compost, to encourage rooting; sand, leaf-mould, 
and peat, may share with loamy ingredients in several 
first stuffings; as the plants progress in size and age, 
nothing is better than one part dried cow-dung to two of 
stiffish fibry loam, with a little charcoal. In all cases 
where you expect bloom the following year, the last 
I shift should be given by August. One reason why a 
correspondent’s flowers ran off to nothing in July, was 
; his shifting them in the previous April. A check was 
- first given, and then an impetus afforded to the growing ! 
instead of the flowering principle. 
After-management: Growth. After potting, this must 
be the hobby. The flowers next season are pro- ! 
duced at the points of shoots, grown and consolidated j 
in this. From cuttings with a terminal bud, just let it 
grow on, and be content with one strong shoot. From 
plants formed of older stems you may grow on one, 
two, or sometimes three shoots, if they look vigorous. 
Every shoot intended for blooming must be of equal 
strength, or nearly so ; this is accomplished by depres- i 
sing the stronger and elevating the weaker. In one 
mode of culture we shall by-and-by see that it is not 
desirable that all should be of equal strength, because 
all are not wanted to bloom. Meanwhile, as stated, 
