44 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ March, 
of eacli pot, burying as much of the stem 
below the seed-leaves as possible, lightly 
pressing it or jarring it down. Water them 
in, using tepid water both now and at all times ; 
assign them a warm position, and shade from 
bright sunshine till they are rooted afresh. 
When this is found to be the case, return them 
at once to the shelves, and cease shading, in 
order to prevent their becoming drawn. 
When they are grown into sturdy plants 
about G in. or rather more in height, shift 
them into fruiting pots, which may be 9 in., or 
a size larger. Drain lightly, especially if 
coarse soil is used ; a suitable compost being 
two parts turfy loam and one of half-decayed 
manure, broken up finely. Failing turves, use 
the best loam procurable, rather more manure, 
or some leaf-soil, and mix in a few broken 
crocks, to keep it porous. When potting, which 
is best performed in the house in which they 
are growing, unless a potting-shed is ad¬ 
joining, place some of the coarsest of the soil 
over the drainage, and pot rather deeply, 
allowing one-third of the depth of the pot for 
future top-dressing. 
The plants may be dotted thinly amongst 
the other plants on the front stage, if the house 
be high-fronted ; and if low, on the back or 
central staging, and staked uprightly and 
strongly; or they may each have a wire taken 
up the roof, about 9 in. clear of the glass, 
allowing two plants to each light, and cutting 
out all side-shoots as they form. If the point 
or head is occasionally taken out beyond a 
bunch or pair of bunches, it will improve and 
accelerate the ripening of the fruit. Give a 
good top-dressing of equal parts of loam and 
manure when the first fruits are set, and 
another top-dressing of good manure later on. 
When the fruit is swelling, the plants should 
be carefully watered, and be given abundance 
of liquid manure. These small fruiting varie¬ 
ties are mostly very prolific, set freely, and if 
well attended to, will continue fruiting for a 
long time. 
Those without a stove or forcing-house of 
any kind, but who possess a vinery or a cool 
plant-house, should, if possible, rear their 
plants in a frame over a mild hot-bed, sowing 
early in March. Failing a hot-bed, the seed 
should be sown early in April, the pots being 
covered with glass and placed on a shelf and 
shaded. Although these will make slow pro¬ 
gress, they will be ready for their first shift 
early in June. In the vineries they may be 
fruited on the end shelves or staging, or on the 
back walls; and in the greenhouses, as advised 
for the early plants in stoves. They may also 
be put into larger pots, and be allowed to ram¬ 
ble over back walls, or be trained up pillars, 
and a variety of other positions, according to 
the internal arrangements of the house. Crowd¬ 
ing the plants, and allowing them to grow un¬ 
checked, are very frequent causes of failure, 
and cannot be too often spoken against. A 
few strong, leading stems, with all side shoots 
kept constantly rubbed out, are the most 
capable of carrying and perfecting good crops. 
Tomatos will be found by no means un¬ 
sightly, if grown on the front walls of villas; 
and if nailing is objected to, each plant may 
receive a strong stake, should there be no 
wires to train to. Some of the smaller- 
fruited varieties, such as Nesbit's Victoria, 
Queen of the Tomatos , Burghley Pet, lied 
Cherry, Yellow Cherry, Turk’s Cap, Royal 
Cluster, Red Currant, Grapeshot, and others, 
may be trained up pillars of porticos and also 
of conservatories, where they will not only be 
found highly ornamental, but will produce fruit 
of excellent flavour.— W. Iggulden. 
FICUS EXSCULPTA. 
£ghp)HIS is a very elegant stove shrub, its 
l eaves > as will be seen from the 
annexed figure from Mr. Bull’s Cata¬ 
logue, being curiously compounded, though not 
compound in the botanical sense. It comes 
from the South Sea Islands, where it forms 
an evergreen bush, with woody branches, which 
are furnished with shortly-stalked leaves of a 
broadly lanceolate outline. These leaves are 
bipinnatifidly divided, with remarkably broad 
wings to the costae and ribs, so that the outline 
very much resembles that of some of the more 
compound-leaved oaks, the blade being first 
deeply sinuate-lobate, and the segments again 
sinuately-lobed, thus producing a prettily cut 
margin, “ the curious crenations,” as Mr. Bull 
observes, “ giving the leaf the appearance of 
having been stamped or punched out.” The 
