162 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
is very easily cultivated, indeed it will grow well and flower under conditions 
and treatment that would be certain destruction to many decorative plants. 
Cuttings put into sandy soil and plunged in a little heat root freely; they will 
strike in almost any situation under glass if kept tolerably dry, but will be 
longer in doing so than when placed in heat. When rooted they should be 
potted otf and stopped back to cause them to throw out shoots. 
Plants with half a dozen or more shoots should be selected in spring for 
growing into specimens. These should have their sboots stopped, and after 
they have broken they should be very carefully potted, giving them a liberal 
shift. The pots should be well drained. A compost of two-thirds peat and 
one-third turfy loam, with plenty of sand, will suit them admirably, putting in 
plenty of small pieces of broken pots among the soil. When potted, to start 
them into growth, the plants should be placed in a house or pit where they 
can have a temperature of from 50° to 55° by night and of 65° to 70° by day, 
rising to 80° or upwards with sun heat. The plants should be kept near the 
glass, and they should have a moist atmosphere until they begin to grow freely, 
when a drier atmosphere and more air will be required. Water should be 
given sparingly at the root until they begin to grow freely and take hold of 
the fresh soil. 
Towards May the plants, if kept in pits, should have abundance of air at 
all favourable opportunities. If they cannot have this where they have hitherto 
been growing, they should be removed to a warm part of the greenhouse where 
they can have plenty of air and full exposure to the light. With careful 
attention in watering they will become strong and grow vigorously. Towards 
the middle or end of July they may be placed out of doors for a few weeks. 
The principal point now to be attended to is the important one of well ripen¬ 
ing the young growth that has been made, and for this purpose the plants should 
have all the sunlight possible. They should not remain out of doors later 
than the first week in September unless the weather be very fine, when they 
may be kept out a week or two longer. 
The plants arc best wintered in a greenhouse ; they will, however, do very 
well in a pit, but it requires considerable care to keep it dry and well aired. 
During the winter months water should only be given when absolutely neces¬ 
sary ; but on the return of spring, when the days lengthen and the plants get 
more air and light, water will be required more frequently, and as the season 
advances it should be given liberally. Under this treatment the plants will be 
objects of great beauty in July, and will continue so until the end of September. 
When very large specimens are required the plants should not be allowed 
to flower in the second season, but should be stopped in the previous July ; 
they would then push out more shoots, and in the spring of the second year 
they should again be stopped. When they have broken they should all be 
shifted into larger-sized pots, giving the strongest and most vigorous plants 
liberal shifts, well draining the pots, and using a compost the same as before, 
but if anything in a rougher state. When potted they should be placed in 
the warmest part of the greenhouse, and be kept rather close for a few days. 
As soon as they begin to root freely into the fresh compost they should have 
plenty of light and air. Water should be given carefully until they be pretty 
well rooted. They may be syringed occasionally" after warm day r s. As the 
season advances they will require liberal supplies of water, and an occasional 
watering with liquid manure will be very beneficial. Under this treatment, 
and with abundance of light and air, they will make strong, robust growth. 
In August the plants should be set out of doors in a sheltered, sunny, open 
situation where the y T oung shoots can get well matured. They maybe wintered 
in a cool, airy part of the greenhouse, and should only’ have water given them 
