30 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
habit; a propensity to flower freely; and as far as it can be obtained, a 
hardiness that can sustain to some extent, when bedded out of doors, the 
effects of a cold and inclement period that will occasionally bring up the rear 
of an English summer. ~ 
THE ALBERT SPROUT. 
This hardy Sprout promises to be a very useful addition to the kitchen 
garden. It is a hybrid between the Drumhead Savoy and the Brussels Sprouts, 
the head manifesting most unmistakeably the parentage of the former. The 
Sprouts, which are very large and a little blistered like a Savoy, are freely pro¬ 
duced on the stalk, but as seen by me, not so near to the base of the stalk as in 
the Brussels Sprouts. Its unusual lateness is its great recommendation, being- 
fit for use when other Sprouts are over. T Jr 
OH PROPAGATING CENTAUREA CANDIDISSIMA. 
At the request of a lady who was on a visit here last autumn I send the 
following account of the way in which I propagate this Centaurea—a plant 
with which I was very successful last summer; and I hope that it may prove 
satisfactory to the readers of the Florist and Pomologist to know that this 
favourite plant may be increased with some degree of certainty, for I hear of 
many failures in propagating it in different quarters, instead of a good stock 
having been secured for planting out in May. 
My own stock was but small, till I began to grow it in the same way as I 
have done Cineraria maritima for some time. 
In May I plant a few of the strongest plants in some by-place for the pur¬ 
pose,. of furnishing cuttings, taking care that the soil is well enriched either 
with good rotten dung or leaf mould. By July the plants will be large enough 
to be used for making cuttings, which are made as follows:— 
I take up the plants and cut them to pieces with a sharp knife ; every piece 
with a leaf and an eye will make a plant. After having been prepared, the 
cuttings are laid on the potting-bench for a few hours that the wounds made 
by the knife may dry, and, consequently, that the danger of damping-off may be 
diminished, for the shoots of the Centaurea are very full of juices; on no 
account, however, should the cuttings be exposed to the sun, as they would 
flag and never recover. As soon as the wounds made by the knife have some¬ 
what dried over, the cuttings should be pricked out under hand-glasses in a 
light rich compost, containing plenty of coarse sand. I prefer road sand and 
leaf mould in about equal quantities. The soil having been well mixed, and 
sifted through a rather fine sieve, some open spot should be selected for the 
hand-glasses, so that these may receive all the sun possible—by no means 
should they be shaded. 
Immediately after the cuttings have been inserted they should be well 
watered, and the glasses ought then to be put on and kept close for some time. 
Very little water should be given to the cuttings till they begin to grow, which 
they will do in about six weeks. They should then be potted-off, using pots of 
different sizes, according to the quantity of roots which they may possess ; 
some will require 48’s, others small 60’s but too large pots should not 
be used to winter them in. The cuttings after having been potted should be 
placed either in a close pit or frame till they have emitted fresh roots, and about 
the beginning of October they should be removed to the warmest and driest 
