VISITS TO NURSERIES. 
251 
suitable is a mixture of about two thirds sandy peat and the 
rest turfy loam ; if more loam is used the plant often assumes a 
short stunted growth, and does not produce its flowers so freely 
or so fine. In potting, the soil should not be broken too much 
but used rather rough ; this allows the water to percolate through 
the entire mass more regularly than when packed in closely. 
When potted in the spring plenty of room should be allowed the 
roots, as they grow rapidly, and they may be reduced for the 
winter potting. At each shifting a good drainage must be 
provided by placing first a few pieces of broken pot, and on 
them some rough pieces of turf or peat. The plant delights in 
a moist heat during the growing season, which commences with 
it about the middle of December. 
I am glad to find you recommend seasonal treatment gene¬ 
rally —it is of vital importance in most cases. With respect to 
the plant under consideration, the difference need not be so 
strongly marked ; though a reduction in the size of the pot and 
so of the quantity of earth and also of moisture, both topical 
and atmospheric, should be observed at the close of the growing 
season, which, as with other plants, occurs about September; 
the plant is then in a better state to pass through the winter and 
to receive an increase of stimuli at the season of increasing 
vigour. It may be observed that as the plant produces its 
flowers from the points of the current year’s shoots or on the 
new wood, more flowers will be produced by pruning every 
branch at the time of shifting for the winter, which should be 
done at the usual period for such work— -September. 
J. E. Butcher. 
VISITS TO NURSERIES. 
We some little time since paid a visit to Messrs. Smith’s 
nursery at Hackney. The dahlias were then in fine bloom, 
though evidently struggling with the effects of the smoke, &c. 
of that confined district. Too much credit cannot be given to 
these gentlemen for their strenuous exertions to overcome so 
great an obstacle. In the collection, which is very large, we 
