March  25,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER , 
257 
moist  they  will  soon  make  a  move  both  in  leaf  and  root  action.  After 
they  have  got  a  fairly  good  hold  in  the  leaf  mould  they  should  be  potted, 
and  if  they  are  wanted  to  be  increased  the  tubers  may  be  cut  in  two  or 
more  pieces,  depending  on  their  size. 
The  pots  first  used  should  be  just  sufficient  to  take  the  tubers  so  as 
to  allow  for  larger  pots  eventually,  the  most  useful  size  for  flowering 
in  being  6  and  8-inch.  The  plants  should  still  remain  on  the  shelf  in 
the  same  house  until  the  weather  permits  them  to  be  removed  to  a  cold 
frame,  where  they  should  be  freely  ventilated  and  shaded  from  the  sun 
in  hot  weather. 
They  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  flower  until  they  are  in  their  final 
pots,  and  all  the  buds  should  be  picked  out  until  the  plants  are  well 
established  in  them  ;  then  remove  them  to  the  conservatory,  where  for 
the  next  few  weeks  they  will  be  one  of  the  chief  features,  arranged  in  a 
bank  of  Maidenhair  Fern  or  other  foliage  plants,  and  frequently  watered 
with  weak  soot  water.  As  regards  soil,  I  have  always  seen  them  do  well 
in  good  fibrous  loam  and  a  little,  but  good,  leaf  mould  with  the  addition 
of  some  coarse  sand  and  old  manure  from  a  spent  Mushroom  bed.  The 
pots  should  be  clean  and  carefully  crocked,  as  the  watering  of  the 
Begonia  must  be  carefully  done,  so  a3  not  to  allow  the  soil  to  get 
sodden,  aB  the  roots  are  tender  and  apt  to  decay. 
Ripening  and  storing  the  tubers,  or  commonly  called  drying  them  off, 
is  one  of  the  chief  points  in  Begonia  culture.  As  soon  as  they  have 
finished  flowering  and  the  leaves  begin  to  change  colour  and  look  shabby 
the  plants  should  be  removed  from  the  conservatory  to  another  house 
where  ventilation  is  provided  more  freely,  and  there  gradually  dried  off. 
They  may  be  stored  in  a  fairly  warm  cellar  or  under  a  greenhouse  stage 
where  the  frost  and  water  from  the  plants  above  cannot  reach  them. 
Care  must  be  taken  not  to  place  them  near  the  hot- water  pipes  or  flues. 
Although  stored  away  in  their  resting  place  they  should  not  be  forgotten, 
as  if  there  are  any  mice  about  it  is  surprising  what  damage  they  will  do 
in  a  couple  of  nights  to  the  tubers. — W.  Lock. 
Dracaenas. 
In  dealing  with  the  propagation  and  culture  of  Dracaenas,  I  will 
divide  the  subject  into  two  groups — first,  the  large-leaved  strong-grow¬ 
ing  varieties  ;  and  second,  the  narrow-leaved  delicate  varieties,  commenc¬ 
ing  with  the  former.  To  obtain  large  plants  in  9  and  10-inch  pots, 
cuttings  should  be  placed  in  a  shallow  pan  or  box  about  the  end  of 
July.  I  find  those  taken  from  the  roots  of  old  plants  succeed  the  best. 
The  roots  should  be  cut  in  lengths  of  about  half  an  inch,  and  inserted 
in  a  compost  of  one  part  leaf  mould  and  one  part  silver  sand.  Place  in 
the  propagating  box,  and  keep  them  close  until  small  shoots  appear 
above  the  soil,  when  they  may  be  lightly  syringed,  and  given  a  little  air 
on  bright  days. 
About  the  end  of  August  we  should  have  plants  ready  for  placing  in 
8-inch  pots,  using  a  compost  of  one  part  good  loam  (not  too  rough),  and 
half  a  part  each  of  peat  dust  and  silver  sand  ;  place  in  a  propagating  box, 
keep  the  plants  well  syringed,  then  little  or  no  water  will  be  required 
at  the  roots.  About  the  end  of  September  the  pots  will  be  fairly  filled 
with  roots,  when  they  may  be  taken  out  of  the  propagating  box  and 
placed  on  a  shelf  near  the  glass  in  a  temperature  of  from  65°  to  70°, 
never  falling  below  60°.  They  must  be  carefully  watered  through  the 
winter  or  the  roots  will  suffer. 
Transfer  the  plants  to  5-inch  pots  about  the  middle  of  January  in  a 
compost  of  two  parts  loam  and  one  of  peat,  with  a  good  sprinkling  of 
silver  sand  and  fine  bones.  Apply  water  very  carefully  ;  syringing  may 
be  sufficient  until  the  plants  begin  to  grow.  As  soon  as  the  roots  touch 
the  sides  of  the  pots  give  another  shift  into  7-inch  pots  in  the  same 
compost  as  before,  with  the  addition  of  a  little  artificial  manure,  such 
as  Clay’s  or  Thomson’s.  The  plants  must  now  be  shaded  from  bright 
sunshine  and  kept  well  syringed,  also  the  floors  of  the  stove  well 
damped.  About  the  beginning  of  July  the  plants  will  be  growing 
vigorously,  and  may  have  their  final  shift  into  9  and  10-inch  pots,  using 
a  compost  of  two  parts  good  loam,  one  part  rough  peat,  half  a  part 
Mushroom  bed  refuse,  half  part  silver  sand  and  rough  bones,  with  a 
sprinkling  of  artificial  manure.  Well  drain  the  pots  and  pot 
firmly.  The  shading  must  be  removed  in  September  and  plenty  of  air 
admitted  through  the  day  to  get  the  plants  well  coloured  and  hardened 
before  being  taken  to  the  house. 
Some  of  the  Dracaenas  for  the  above  treatment  are — Shepardi,  Youngi, 
Mooreana,  amabilis,  Lindeni,  Baptisti,  H.  K.  Freake,  Gladstonei,  Victoria 
Regina,  and  australis.  Large  plants  of  these  stand  in  the  house  for 
weeks,  and  some  of  them  months,  without  much  injury.  They  are 
extremely  useful  for  dark  recesses  and  corridors  where  flowering  plants 
would  be  out  of  the  question. 
I  will  now  deal  with  the  narrow  leaved  varieties.  These  are  more 
graceful  than  the  former,  and  are  better  adapted  for  table  plants  and 
lighter  forms  of  decoration.  The  cuttings  should  be  inserted  in  shallow 
pans  in  January  in  sand  and  peat  dust  in  equal  proportions,  this  they 
seem  to  take  root  in  very  readily.  Place  in  the  propagating  box,  and 
when  the  plants  are  large  enough  to  handle  transfer  to  thumb-pots, 
using  the  same  compost  ub  for  cuttings,  place  back  in  the  propagating 
box,  and  keep  syringed  ;  no  other  watering  will  be  required.  When  the 
thumb-pots  are  full  of  roots  shift  tie  plants  into  3-inch  pots,  adding  a 
little  fibry  loam  to  the  compost,  and  keeping  the  plants  in  the  propa¬ 
gating  box  until  they  commence  to  grow  again,  when  they  must  be 
removed  to  a  shelf  near  the  glass,  in  the  stove,  and  shaded  from  bright 
sunshine. 
About  the  middle  of  June  they  will  be  ready  for  their  final  shift  into 
5  ancj  6-inch  pots,  using  a  compost  of  one  part  Bound  fibry  loam,  half 
a  part  of  peat,  with  a  good  sprinkling  of  silver  sand  and  artificial 
manure.  A  second  batch  of  plants  should  be  brought  on  later  in  the 
season,  and  established  in  3-inch  pots,  these  being  very  useful  for  table 
decoration.  They  are  best  grown  in  twos  or  fours  of  each  variety. 
The  tops  may  be  taken  from  some  of  the  older  plants  by  mossing  them, 
