176 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
When the plant has flowered, a portion of the old soil is removed from the 
surface without disturbing- the roots, and some nice fresh soil added. It will 
soon commence growing, when it must be kept shaded from the bright sun; for 
the young growth especially is very impatient of the sun’s rays. I keep the 
plant -sprinkled twice each day, and evaporating-pans constantly full of water. 
The plant generally makes two growths in the summer. The growing tempera¬ 
ture is 75° at night, and from 85° to 100 p by day. 
In the autumn, when the wood begins to ripen, I give less shade, and re¬ 
duce the supply of water for about three months, but do not allow it to be very 
dry, and keep some of the evaporating-troughs full of water during the winter. 
Winter temperature 70° to 75°. In January I give more water, and the 
plant will begin to show flower by the end of the month, the flowers pushing 
out very rapidly and continuing to open for five or six weeks. 
There have been this year fifty-five racemes of bloom open, and there are 
three more to open, in all fifty-eight, with from ten to sixteen flowers on each 
raceme. The greatest number of racemes with flowers open at one time w r as 
about twenty. 
WINTER-FLOWERING PLANTS. 
Perhaps there are few branches of gardening which give more pleasure to 
proprietors than a fine display of flowers in winter. All kinds and sizes are 
admired at that time, from the humble Snowdrop to the majestic Camellia. 
Though there are a number of stove and greenhouse plants which can be had 
gay in the dull months, yet there are many common things very easily forced, 
which will hold their own among the finest exotics we have, especially where 
a gay conservatory is kept up, or cut flowers required in quantity. An old 
favourite for this purpose is the Deutzia gracilis ; though this plant is so gene¬ 
rally grown, yet it seldom receives the attention it deserves, even by those who 
grow it largely for sale. We have for several years bought a number for 
early forcing, our own stock being prepared for later work; but as well-ripened 
plants are difficult to procure, we now prepare a few dozens for early work. 
Three years ago, when I commenced to get up a stock of these plants, several 
hundreds of young cuttings were put in, as one would Verbenas, and they rooted 
in nearly as short a time. They were then potted off singly into small pots, 
using loam, peat, and a little-sand to begin with. The young plants were kept 
in heat, where they grew rapidly. A mild bed of leaves, with a frame placed 
over it, is most suitable for this purpose, though we often use the floor of a 
Peach-house, or similar structure. About midsummer a shift was given, and 
the plants were still kept growing freely, exposing them to air in proportion as 
they became near the size required. About the middle of July the plants were 
hardened, and gradually exposed to the full action of the weather, and after¬ 
wards plunged in coal ashes, fully exposed to the south. The young wood soon 
became hard, and ripened in good time. About the end of October the best 
of the plants were selected for early forcing, and taken under protection along 
with large Deutzias, and many other things prepared in the same way. The 
remainder of the small Deutzias were turned out into a space prepared for them 
in the reserve ground, to do as they might till they were required. It is a good 
system to have a number of all kinds of forcing plants kept in reserve, with the 
view of having something to fall back upon in case of misfortune. 
The old Deutzias, after they have done their work for a season, are cut 
down close to the surfaces of their pots, and allowed to break. If rather late in 
the season they are helped with a little moist heat. They are then taken out 
of their pots, and a quantity ot the soil taken off the roots. The plants are 
