236 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
bright and pleasing appearance for a long time after 
the branches have been cut. I have had them in as 
good a condition two months after their removal as when 
they were upon the plant, although during that time 
they have been employed in various decorations. The 
long slender shoots are placed in small earthenware jars 
filled with water, and fitted with corks to hold the 
shoots steady, three of the sprays being as a rule placed 
in each. When so arranged they can be employed to 
great advantage in the decoration of in-door apartments, 
and when not required in-doors they can be placed on 
the conservatory stage with other objects. Care must, 
of course, be taken to place them where the portion of 
the stems bearing the berries will be seen above the 
other plants, and the receptacles hidden from view. 
By cutting the berry-bearing shoots in the autumn the 
fullest advantage can be taken of the decorative value 
of the berries without removing the plants from the 
stove. Moreover an earlier growth can be obtained 
than when the pruning is deferred until late in the 
spring.” * 
•* 
* * 
A new feature in bedding-plants may be seen in the 
geometrical beds m the Boston Public Gardens, where 
one of our native yxalis is much used to fill in between 
the borders of echeveria; its very dark foliage, and low, 
compact habit of growth render it particularly well 
adapted to the purpose, forming a very pleasing 
contrast. 
•X* 
* * 
The following useful information in regard to the 
Oleander will, we trust, be duly appreciated by many 
of our readers: 
‘“I was very much interested by the remarks con¬ 
tained in the extract from the letter of Mr. F. W. Bur- 
bidge, Curator of the Trinity College Botanic Gardens, 
Dublin, sent to your correspondent ‘ W. J. M.,’ on the 
culture of this beautiful plant in Paris. I also have 
often wondered why our nurserymen do not send out 
flowering-plants in small pots, as are seen in Paris, for I 
find the culture very easy. I always grow them in this 
way, and am able to raise flowering-plants from nine 
inches to one foot high even in three-inch pots. The 
stock plants are allowed to grow in the open air during 
the summer months and ripen the wood on which the 
flower buds are formed. At the approach of cold 
weather they are brought into a vinery. In March, 
when the blossom buds are formed and beginning to 
swell, cuttings about six inches long are taken and in¬ 
serted in bottles of water, which are plunged into cocoa- 
nut fibre in a stove having a bottom heat of eighty to 
eighty-five degrees. These cuttings produce roots very 
rapidly, and when these are about one inch long the 
cuttings are removed from the water and planted in 
the fibre. In about ten days or a fortnight they can be 
lifted, and the plants, with the mass of roots and fibre 
adhering to.them, placed in three or five-inch pots and 
again plunged into the fibre. If treated in this way the 
plants do not receive the slightest check from the time 
they leave the parent plant until they bloom, and when 
the roots fill the pots the blooms are fully expanded, 
and the plants can then be removed from the hotbed^ 
In this way I have succeeded in flowering them in six* 
to eight weeks. 
* 
* * 
We would call the attention of our readers to the 
advertisement in another column of the auction sale of 
rare greenhouse plants. Mr. Such’s reputation as an 
Orchid grower is well known, and his collection 
embraces all that is desirable for the most extensive 
establishment. As the sale is positive, there will be an 
opportunity to get choice specimens on the most favor¬ 
able terms. 
* 
* * 
We notice with pleasure the return to journalism, as 
one of the editors of the American Agriculturist, of 
Joseph Harris, Esq., who for many years was on the 
editorial staff of the Genesee Farmer. The ripe experi¬ 
ence of Mr. Harris cannot but be of great benefit to the 
readers of the Agriculturist, many of whom are fa¬ 
miliar with his writings. While Mr. Harris is a practi¬ 
cal farmer, he is no less an interesting writer. ■ 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Eucharis Amazonica.— L. Murray —The Eucharis 
Amazonicawill not succeed as a window-plant, although 
it is a plant by no means difficult to manage. It is, 
moreover, one of the most beautiful plants for the 
greenhouse under cultivation; and for whatever pur¬ 
pose white flowers are wanted, there are none that equal 
these, as they combine all the properties that constitute 
the perfect flower. The plant is found growing on the 
margins of a river in tropical South America; conse¬ 
quently moisture and heat are essential to the develop¬ 
ment of its flowers. It was formerly considered a diffi¬ 
cult subject to manage, but the ease with which it is 
now grown, and the fact that a few large specimens 
will furnish flowers nearly the whole year, gives it a 
prominent place among all collections of rare plants. 
The plants may be potted at any time of the year, 
taking care not to damage the bulbs or roots. The soil 
should be composed of loam, leaf-mold, sand, and well- 
rotted manure in equal proportions, and the pots should 
be provided with liberal drainage. When in an active 
growing state, they should be liberally watered, and 
given liquid manure twice a week, and syringed twice 
each day. The temperature of the house during the 
winter, should not fall below 70°, and the plants should 
have a good share of sunshine. If wanted to flower 
during the winter months, water should be used spar¬ 
ingly from August to October. The bulbs should be 
disturbed as little as possible, repotting when necessary, 
without division. Side-shoots may be taken off at any 
time and potted in small pots, and if well-managed, 
they will flower in a year. The green-fly and thrip are 
apt to trouble them, and in order to destroy these ene¬ 
mies, smoke the house every alternate day for a week. 
There are several species of this plant under cultivation, 
all of which require the same general treatment. 
Andromeda Speciosa.— Mrs. T. Weitmeyer —We do 
not know that any of our nurserymen have this plant in 
