June 19.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
179 
otherwise luxuriance may be easily promoted at the ex¬ 
pense of flowering. This will further appear, if we con¬ 
sider that in our best summers we cannot command such 
an amount of clear and powerful sunlight as they receive 
in their native localities. Hard, firm, well-exposed, 
rather than spongy, luxuriant shoots, should be our ob¬ 
ject. Fourthly. The less their opportunity for giving the 
plants strong concentrated sunlight, the less should 
window-gardeners attempt the thick, succulent-stemmed 
kinds, such as G. speciosissimus, and the more should 
they patronise the thin, flat-stemmed kinds, such as 
EpiphyUum AcJcermanii, speciosum, do. Fifthly. The 
plants must have moisture about the stems and roots 
when starting into bloom, blooming, and making fresh 
growth; but after that, they must have a period of rest 
and dryness. Unfortunately, the winter period of rest 
with us has none of the bright sun which they enjoy 
j at home before the rainy season comes. The advice so 
often given to bloom and grow Cacti in summer, and 
I rest and keep them dry in winter, is, as a general 
I rule, good; hut the mere carrying it out would be pro¬ 
ductive of no favourable results, unless in the case of 
the very free-blooming kinds. Our window-gardening 
friends must not only keep water from their plants in 
winter, and keep the atmosphere about them dry too ; 
hut the starving and roasting system must begin before 
our sun has declined in power and brilliancy. 
In order to make the matter more plain; suppose that 
a Cactus is blooming on the 2nd of June; it had been 
brought from its winter quarters, and exposed to more 
light, warmth and moisture communicated to stem and 
roots, in April and May. Whilst in bloom, shade it a 
little, if you wish to preserve it as long as possible; but, 
as soon as the flowers are gone, prune away any too old 
shoots, and kee}i your plants in the hottest and lightest 
place you can command in the window or greenhouse. 
Water as required, until towards the end of July, 
and then begin to lessen the quantity. Then, and if you 
are not well supplied with conveniences in doors, before 
then, set the plant full in the sun against a south 
fence of any kind ; hut if of a light colour, to reflect 
both heat and light, all the better. Continue decreasing 
the water until about the second week in September, 
and then finally stop, using means to prevent what 
comes from the heavens reaching it; but giving all 
the sun you can, removing it to the house before 
there is danger from frost; and if a fine, late autumn, 
placing it, for a time, in the driest and lightest part 
of the house, If, after this, you can let it remain in 
such a house, and kept dry all the winter, all well; but 
after being so firm from exposure to draught and sun- 
lieat, it matters very little where it is kept, provided it 
is dry, and in a temperature not lower than 35° and 
40°. A stable, a byre, a hay loft, a warm close shed, are 
all good in their way. Comparative darkness during 
the dark days of winter is of little importance, so long 
as these conditions are attended to. Other things being 
equal, the longer this rest or dormancy is maintained, 
the more freely will it flower and grow when it again 
receives moisture, heat, and light. Of course, dark¬ 
ness, or even great shade in a heat that would set 
it a growing, would be ruinous. Dormancy, in com¬ 
parative darkness, must be maintained by a dry atmo¬ 
sphere, and a cool equal temperature. On these accounts 
the hay-loft is a better place than the stable. All plants 
should have changes effected gradually. Therefore, 
when proceeding to grow Cacti, the stems should be 
moistened, even before the roots are deluged. But a 
somewhat sudden change from cold to heat, &e., is often 
advisable in their case. Hence, in the case of those 
plants kept in a greenhouse during the winter, instead 
of allowing them to be gradually excited by the suns of 
March, a more regular blooming is often secured by 
removing them for a month to a cooler place, and then, 
when introduced again, as the sun has gained more 
power, the flower-buds break more simultaneously, and 
there is a greater mass of bloom at tire same time. 
With the exception of Cereus flagelliformis, Malle- i 
sonii, and others of a trailing habit, that look well | 
hanging from a pot, or grafted several feet in height 
upon the Speeiosissimus or Tetragonus, I have inci¬ 
dentally alluded to those most fitted for the window, and 
similar in habit. Several dealers possess interesting 
hybrids as varieties. For windows, the plants are best 
on their own roots. For greenhouses, the weaker growing 
kinds are best grafted. The mode of doing so, and pro¬ 
pagating, has already been referred to. Manure-water 
may be given when the plant is growing, but the great 
thing afterwards is refraining from water altogether, it 
being a better sign, in the end of autumn, to see the 
plants brown and somewhat withered by the sun, than 
nice and green looking. R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
variegated-leaved stove plants —( Continued from 
page 151). 
Cypripediuji barbatum (Bearded C.); Malacca.— 
Leaves green, clouded, and blotched with white. A 
pretty terrestrial orchid. 
C. purpuratom (Purple C.); Nepaul.—Like the pre¬ 
ceding in foliage. 
C. venustum (Charming C.); Nepaul.—Leaves green, 
with purplish lines and stains. 
Culture.-— Increased by division. The soil they require 
is a mixture of loam and peat. These plants have, 
besides their beautiful foliage, handsome flowers, and 
will grow quite as well, if not better, in a common stove 
as in the orchid house, and for that reason we have 
placed them here. 
DracjEna terminalis variegata (Terminal varie¬ 
gated D.); E. Indies.—A stove shrub, with long, lance¬ 
shaped leaves, of a deep chocolate colour, beautifully 
shaded, and striped with red and crimson. To see the 
beauty of this foliage to the greatest advantage, it should 
be so placed that the eye may look at it, or through it, 
from the under side. Its colours are, in such a position, 
of a truly unique character. The flowers are small and 
white. 
D. purpurea (Purple-leaved D.) ; East Indies.—The 
foliage of this species is of an uniform purple chocolate 
colour. In form much like the preceding species. The 
flowers are white and inconspicuous. 
Culture .—To grow these fine-foliaged plants to the 
greatest perfection, a tan-bed, of moderate temperature 
to plunge the pots in, will he advantageous. Soil: loam, 
peat, and leaf-mould, in equal parts. Increase by cut¬ 
tings of the roots, stem, and young tops. 
By Roots .—Take an old plant, turn it out of the pot, 
and cut off some of the thickest roots. Cut these again 
into lengths, two or three inches long, preserving all the 
fibres belonging to each; place them round the edges of 
a five-inch pot, in the compost recommended above for 
the plants. Let the top of the roots be just level with 
the soil; plunge them in a hot-bed, and give a gentle 
watering. They will soon form buds, shoots, and new 
roots, and may then be potted off singly into small pots. 
By Cuttings of the Stem .—If the stems have attained 
any length, and it is desirable to increase the number of 
plants, cut them down to within six inches of the soil. 
Cut the stem into short pieces, two inches long, and 
plant these pieces round the edges of the pots, and 
manage them like the cuttings of the roots. These make 
nice plants even more quickly than cuttings of the roots. 
The young top may also be put in as a cutting, but will 
require to be placed under a hand or bell-glass. 
Dieeeenbachia maculata (Spotted-leaved D.) ; South 
