178 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 5. 
thin them as they do Raspberry-stools; three of the 
strongest keep in Tin eight-inch pot, and only four in the 
eleven-inch size. I would not keep a larger size, and 1 
would not disturb the roots for years, in case old roots, 
like old branches, may assist the plants to seed; but in 
the way to that stage, take the chances of a sport, by 
grafting as many different kinds, next May or June, as 
you can stick on. Should no sports appear for tiio first 
two years, nothing is lost; you have still two strings to 
your bow, the chance of sport, and the sure way of 
bringing all the grafts into a seeding ago and condition. 
Two birds were never killed with so little shot and 
powder, and so good an aim. 
But is there no easier way ? I really think there is ; 
but I am not certain of it. If we, or rather you, as 1 am 
out of it now, could get rid of the suckers altogether, it 
would be a real help in these experiments. I am 
firmly of opinion that all suckers can he got rid of 
by the process which keeps off suckers from Gooseberrios 
and other bushes, which is, to get rid of the bottom eyes, 
or buds, when you make the cuttings. Therefore, if 
you understand the drift of the story, the best way will 
be to keep some plants with all the present shoots 
standing till next March, and then to thin them as I 
propose, and make your cuLtings from the middle parts 
of the old stems, instead of from the suckers in the 
usual way; then, if you make the cuttings four or six 
inches long—they will root if you make them ever so long 
—then, with a deep cut above the eye, and another deep 
cut under it, you will get it out with all its roots, if it 
has any; if you do so with all the bottom eyes, and 
leave four or five, or even three eyes at the top to form 
a head, it strikes mo you will never see another sucker 
on any of them. When they are rooted, potted oil’, and 
quite established, you must call them stocks, and the 
grafts will take to them all the better, at the proper time, 
that is, when the shoots are long enough and firm 
enough to take the grafts. I would not graft them very 
close to the main leader or trunk, so that a shoot or two 
of the stock may rise as well as the graft, to form a head. 
I would graft in the simple splice way, as they do the 
Larch, at Mr. Jackson’s, which I mentioned the other 
day. I would bind the graft with worsted, and tie a little 
moss over it, then put it under a hand-glass till the 
grafts had taken. There are many who do not care a 
fig about experiments of this sort; yea, who think other 
people are half mad to think of such things; but every¬ 
body likes a nice-looking plant, and, therefore, everybody 
must graft six kinds of Chrysanthemums on one sort, 
for the look of the thing; for there never was such a 
nice way of seeing them before. D. Beaton. 
A GOSSIP ABOUT SOME RECENTLY-INTRO¬ 
DUCED PLANTS. 
'CISSUS DISCOLOR. 
Whatever may be said of variegated foliage being 
a sign, or concomitant of disease, there can be no 
question, that among the masses, beautiful variegated 
plants will ever bo looked upon with admiration. We 
have frequently noticed that this plant, and the one 
immediately to follow it, have arrested whole companies 
of admirers, when fine specimens of other flowers were 
passed-by comparatively unnoticed. The flowers of this 
plant, like others of the same family, are not worth 
looking at. It makes the best appearance when en¬ 
couraged to climb and hang from a fair-sized trellis, the 
supporting medium being wholly concealed by shoots 
and largish leaves; theso latter having a beautiful 
crimson colour underneath, and splashed and spotted 
with white on the surface. 
For this beautiful gem wo are indebted to the Messrs. 
Rollison; a firm, to whom is greatly owing the awakening 
of the taste for admiring and possessing variegated 
plants. I am not quite sure of the period of its 
introduction from Java. Its island habitat, however, 
is of more importance than the day of its introduction. 
Although there are mountain ranges in Java, I am not 
aware that any of them are so lofty as greatly to 
influence the temperature of what is next to a sun 
vertical, tropical climate. Most of our readers will, 
therefore, be aware, that throughout the year, the day 
and night will not vary, at the greatest, more than an 
hour in length, and that the temperature also will be 
somewhat uniform, averaging about 80° of Fahrenheit. 
Unless for short intervals, it will thus be manifest, that 
this plant requires the temperature of a warm plant- 
stove to grow and obtain its greatest amount of beauty. 
This we can only expect to do in this country during 
the spring, summer, an$ autumn months; and during 
these seasons, when previously well grown, I have seen 
the plant remain quite healthy and beautiful, in a 
temperature ranging from 00° to 70°, and even a few 
degrees lower than the first-named figure. To maintain 
the plant in beautiful condition all through the winter, 
will require a temperature seldom below 70°; and even 
then, for want of sunlight, it is doubtful if its natural 
characteristics could be fully maintained. Like many other 
plants that become extremely pliant and flexible to our 
management, I have no doubt that this plant may bo kept 
in winter, at a temperature of from 50° to 00°, but then it 
must be risked; comparatively little air given, and most, or 
the whole of the leaves, be expected to fall, and especially 
if the thermometer at all falls below 50°. So far as the 
future beauty of the plant is concerned, this deciduous 
state, or nearly so, in winter, is no disadvantage, as, 
when the sun gains strength in spring, the buds will 
begin to break under an increased temperature, when, 
in old-established plants, the young shoots should be 
pruned back, and, ere long, under the increasing light 
and augmented heat, the plant will again be covered 
with its striking foliage. I mention this, because many 
might bo disposed to sacrifice the beauty of the plant in 
winter, if they could secure it in summer, without such 
an expenditure in fuel. Many things, comparatively 
tender, may be kept in a coolish greenhouse, rather dry, 
if placed, at the warmest ond, under a hand-light that 
fitted rather close, and which was duly covered at night 
and cold mornings. When this plant is fairly growing, 
it will not be easy to give it too much heat and atmos¬ 
pheric moisture. 
Propagation .—Short young shoots, two or three inches 
in length, striko easily in sand over well-drained peat 
and loam, in a pot, plunged in bottom-heat and covered 
with a bell-glass, the temperature being from 70° to 80°. 
But these stiff shoots are obtainable chiefly in spring, 
just after the plant has commenced fresh growth after 
being pruned. At other seasons, during the summer, 
it will be always easy to procure small, thin, long- 
jointed shoots, appearing almost like half shoot, half 
tendril appendages. Many have complained to me that 
they could not get on with striking this plant, the 
cuttings kept damping-off so; and I apprehend the 
difficulty arose from waiting too long, and using these 
puny, drawn shoots for the purpose. Now, thero are 
several climbers that, just like this Gissus, are rather 
troublesome to strike, in the usual way, from such thin 
and drawn shoots; and yet they can be struck success¬ 
fully by just departing a little out of the usual routine. 
The best method to adopt with these small climbing, 
or dangling shoots, is as follows:—Take a piece of these 
shoots, with its growing point left untouched, and from 
six to twelve, or even eighteen inches in length. Cut 
across with a sharp knife at a joint, and remove the 
leaves there, and if the shoot is long, a few of the upper j 
larger leaves also. Daub the base of the cutting into a i 
