of foliage all round, absolutely neces-
sary for a partial shade to the swelling
fruit. Some intervening spray between
CUK
ci i;
each two branches must be served like- I
wise ; and if growing freely, the leading
points of the shoots may be stopped also.
Culture in the rest season. Early
pruning is the first thing to be thought
of, as soon as possible after the leaves
are fallen. Every healthy branch in a
bearing state will, during the summer,
produce abundance of side-shoots from
amongst the spurs; this is the wood
we have first named as being all the
better for stopping in June. All this
must be cut back at the winter's prun-
ing to within one inch or so of the main
stem. An exception must, however, be
taken in favour of gaps or blanks, and
a shoot here and there must be re-
served to fill such ; taking care that
they are Avell placed, and that they are
low enough down ; the lower the bet-
ter. Pruning being thus far carried,
it is best to shorten every terminal
point. This induces a liberal produc-
tion of side -shoots in the ensuing sum-
mer, and the base of each becomes
a centre, around which a host of fruit
spurs will be engendered. Any decayed
or decaying wood must be cut away;
but if there is much of this, it is best
to destroy the bush, and plant anew ;
for it seldom makes a good bush
again. Those who have not top-dressed
in the summer, may now do so, and
the winter's work will be complete.
Fruit: uses; how to keep. The fruit
commences ripening, under ordinary
circumstances, in the end of June, and
continues hanging for a length of time,
it' unmolested by the birds or wasps.
The white will hang nearly two months,
and the red we have gathered unco-
vered and unprotected in the first week
of November. The ordinary way of re-
tarding the currant, is by enclosing the
trees in mats when the fruit is rather
more than three parts ripe. These
mats should be taken off at least once
a week on dry days, to dispel the damp.
All decaying leaves and berries should,
at such times, also be carefully re-
moved. Some train against north
walls, Avhere the fruit keeps very late.
but is exceedingly acid. A White Cur-
rant or two, planted against a smith
wall or fence, will come in very early
for the dessert.
Diseases. We are not aware of any
except a premature decay of the old
shoots after the manner of apricots;
the causes of which are not well under-
stood.
Insects. The caterpillar sometime
attacks them, but their greatest enemy
is an aphis, which distorts the leaves
in a puckered form, producing red
blisters. Tobacco water is the best
remedy.
CruKANT (THE BLACK).
I r arieties. We are not aware of any
more than two in this section really
deserving of notice, which are
The Common Black. A good bearer,
but fruit small.
The Black Naples. A short bunch,
but noble berries.
The latter kind is now almost uni-
versally cultivated, it both requires
and deserves a generous treatment.
The "Black Grape" is recommended
by some, but Ave question if it is not
synonymous Avith the Black Naples.
Propagation : by Cuttings, Seeds, and
Layers, similarly to the Ked and White.
Soil. Moisture of a permanent
character is the great desideratum
Avith this shrub; dry soils can never
do justice to it. A soil someAvhat
adhesive in character suits it best,
but not a cold clay; although, Avith due
culture, we have known them succeed
Avell in a soil of Avhich clay or marl
formed one of the principal com-
pounds. A soft and darkish looking
soil, such as the scouring of old ditches,
resting on a clayey subsoil, and espe-
cially if large trees overhang, becomes,
by the action of Avater, an excellent
mat ciial for a Black Currant plan-
tation. The clayey principle is gene-
rally incorporated Avith it; and being
rich in vegetable matter, it constitutes
a fat and pulpy mass. It must, IIOAV
ever, be thrown out some time to mel
low, previously to its being mixed Avitli
(lie soil. In Cheshire, it is very usual
to see them planted on the sides of
ditclies, which convey the impure drain -
ag from the house or farmstead, and
there they luxuriate Avith a very infe-
rior course of culture in other respects,
ll may, nevei tlieless, be observed, that.
almost any ordinary garden soil, if of
CUE
tolerably sound texture, will grow them
pretty well, with the mulchings we shall
have to recommend.
Culture in the Growing Period. There
are three essential points of spring and
Bummer culture, viz. mulching, wa-
tering, and the extermination of the
aphides. Mulching we prefer done in
Novemher, as soon as the hushes are
pruned ; we will, therefore, advert to this
under "rest culture." If, however, it
has been omitted at that period, apply
it in the early part of May, immediately
after a liberal rain. If dry weather en-
sue between the period of the berries
attaining the size of small peas and
their tinal change towards ripening, the
water-pot must be used freely. The
want of a permanency of moisture is
the predisposing cause towards a severe
visitation from the aphides ; but these
are easily destroyed if the bushes are
syringed two evenings in succession
with soap-suds, in Avhich tobacco, after
the rate of six or eight ounces to the
gallon, has been well soaked.
Culture in the rest period. Prune and
then top-dress. The pruning should
be done as soon as the leaves have
fallen, unless the trees are very gross,
when it will, perhaps, be as well to
allow them to waste a little of their
surplus strength, for fear of the bud
being impelled too early into action.
In pruning, very little of the shortening,
as applied to the red and white kinds,
is necessary in fact, we practise none
at all, unless in the case of overgrown
bushes, when we merely remove al-
together, or shorten back, those which
are becoming inconveniently high. The
whole of the process of winter pruning,
therefore, resolves itself into " thinning
out," except in the case of young trees
forming their head. In thinning bear-
ing trees, suffer no two shoots to touch
in any part of the tree. Endeavour to
remove all cross or very oblique shoots,
in order to promote easy pruning in
subsequent seasons ; and where a bare
part of the bush occurs, let a strong
shoot or two, in a proper situation, be
shortened back about one-third their
length, in order to cause young wood
to abound in that pail the following
year. As a general rule, let the shoots
average four inches apart all over the
tree when pruned. When trees acquire
some age, let the primer, as his first
act, look carefully over the bush, and
see what old shoots may be completely
pruned away ; all those which possess
merely a twig or two of young wood at
the extremity may be at once cut out,
for they take more from the tree than
they repay. As to forming young trees,
the directions given for the other cur-
rants will apply very- well ; only there is
no necessity to preserve the interior of
the bush open, as in the red and white
kinds. A young tree, therefore, at three
years old, may contain ten or twelve
shoots, at equal distances. As soon as
such a number can be obtained, short-
ening may cease.
Fruit : how to keep. This fruit is
soon over ; for once ripe enough for the
table, it is gone in a few days ; and it
is so liable to drop, that this is one of
the very few fruits that bid defiance to
the art of keeping on the bush. Keep-
ing on the tree, if attempted, must be
on the retarding principle; and canvass
or mats must be thrown over the
bushes when the fruit is about one-
third ripe.
CURRANT SPHINX. (Trochihnn tipii-
liforme.} Every one acquainted with
old gardens must have frequently no-
ticed that one or more of the branches
of the currant-trees tenanting them
have suddenly withered and died with-
out any apparent cause. In such cases,
if the wood of the branch be split down
the centre, the pith will be found all
consumed, the tube Avhere it had been
blackened, and nothing remaining but
the excrements of a caterpillar, which
may also be caught at his work of des
traction if the examination is made so
soon as the branch first shows symp-
toms of withering. This caterpillar,
lleshy, whitish, with four yellowish
brown spots near its head, is the larva
of the Currant Sphinx. The parent
moth is beautiful, and may be seen at
the end of May and early in June du-
ring hot sunshine, either settled on the
leaves of the currant, or flying around
the flowers of the syringa and lilac. It
is about three -quarters of an inch across
the wings when these are quite opened ;
CUR
CUT
the prevailing colour is bluish black,
with various parts yellow ; the antennce
black ; the breast with a yellow line on
each side ; the abdomen, or lower part
of the body, has three yellow rings
round it in the females, and four in the
males ; the fore-wings are barred and
veined with black ; it has a brush of
fine scales at the end of its abdomen,
which fan it can expand as it pleases.
The red, white, and black currant, and,
wo think, the gooseberry, are all liable
to its attacks. It lays its eggs at this
time in openings of the bark of a young
shoot, and the caterpillar, immediately
it is hatched, penetrates to its pith and
eats its way down this until it reaches
the pith of the main branch. The only
securitive measures are to kill the moth
whenever seen, and to split open the
withered brandies and serve the cater-
pillars similarly. The CottayeGardener,
ii. lir>.
CU'SCUTA. Dodder. (From kechotrt,
its Arabic name. Nat. ord.. Dodders
[Cuscutaceae]. Linn., 5-Pentandria 2-
Diyynia).
One peculiarity in all the Dodders is that
their seeds germinate in the earth ; but as soon
as the roots of the seedlings are grown suffi-
ciently to take hold of a neighbouring plant, or
even of each other, they lose their attachment
to the soil. Curious parasitical plants, with
white flowers ; sow in April. They will live
upon almost any plant they can lay hold of,
such as the common stinging-nettle, clover,
hemp, &c.
STOVE.
C. America 1 'na (American). August. South
America. 1816.
Hooke'ri (Hooker's). September. East In-
dies. 1823.
odora'ta (sweet-scented). January. Lima.
1820.
verruco'sa (warted). August. Nepaul. 1821.
GREENHOUSE.
C. Austra'lls (Southern). August. New Hol-
land. 1818.
Chile'mis (Chilian). August. Chili. 1821.
Chine 1 -nsis (Chinese). August.
mono'gyna (one-styled). July. Levant. 1818.
HARDY.
C. Calif o'rnica (Californian). July. Califor-
nia. 1847-
epili'num( Flax-frequenter). July. Britain.
Epi'thymwn (true Dodder). July. Britain.
Enrojxp.'a (European). July. Britain.
lupulifo'rmis( Hop-like). July. Silesia. 1824.
macroca'rpa (large-seeded). July. Siberia.
182?.
trifo'lii (Clover Dodder), July, Britain.
CURTI'SIA. Hassagay Tree. (In
honour of the late William Curtis, who
originated the Botanical Magazine.
Nat. ord., Cornels [Cornacese]. Linn.,
3-Triandria \-Monoyynia) .
Cornels are entirely distinct from Caprifoils,
with which they have long been associated.
The Hottentots and Caffres make from this tree
the shafts of their javelins. Greenhouse ever-
green tree ; sandy loam and peat ; cuttings in
sand, under glass in heat.
C.fagi'nca (Beech-leaved). 30. Pale. Cape
of Good Hope. 1775.
CUSSO'NIA. (Named after P. C-usson,
a French botanist, Nat. ord., Ivyworts
{ Araliacere] . Linn., 5-Pentandria 2-
Diyynla. Allied to Panax).
Greenhouse evergreen shrubs from the Cape
of Good Hope, with green flowers ; cuttings in
sand, under a glass, with bottom-heat ; loam
and peat.
C. spica'ta (spike-flowered). 6. I'SQ.
thjtrsifio'ra (thyrse-flowered). 6. 1795.
tri'pteris (three-winged). 4. 1810.
CUSTARD APPLE. Ano'na.
CUTTING is a part of a plant capable
of emitting roots, and of becoming an
individual similar to its parent. The
circumstances requisite to effect this
are a suitable temperature, and degree
of moisture.
A rooted cutting is not a new plant,
it is only an extension of the parent,
gifted with precisely the same habits,
and delighting in exactly the same de-
gree of heat, light, and moisture, and in
the same food. There are numbers of
plants which strike most readily from
the young shoots ; others from partially
ripened wood ; some from a leaf with a
bud at its base ; a fourth set from off-
shoots from the base of the old plants;
and a fifth from leaves or portions of
leaves only ; and in some rare cases,
from the mere scolloped edges of the
leaves ; whilst several can only be pro-
pagated by cuttings of the roots, and
a few by cuttings of the flower-stems.
Particular cases will be described under
the names of the species requiring
some peculiar mode. In this place }
only general hints can be given.
Cuttinys of hardy Jlowerintj plants.
Most kinds of quick growing soft-
wooded plants are best propagated by
the young shoots or tops of the plants.
The following list embraces the prin-
cipal of t\iem:>S'ift-icoodf'd plants.
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[ 305 ]
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Anagallis, Antirrhinums, Calceolarias,
Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Dahlias,
Dianthus, Double Wallflowers, Double
Stocks, Gorterias, Gaillardias, Dwarf
Lobelias, Fuchsias, Pelargonium, Pe-
tunias, Penstemoris, Pinks, Salvias, and
Verbenas. These may all be placed in
pots in sand in a frame heated either
by leaves, manure, or tan, or in a pit or
house built purposely, and heated by a
tank and hot water pipes. Greenhouse
hard-wooded plants or shrubs that strike
best from young shoots or tops. Aca-
cias, Aphelexis, Azalea (Chinese), Bo-
rouia, Bossirea, Chironia, Chorozema,
Crowea, Correa, Cytissus, Daviezia, Dil-
wynia, Epacris, Eriostemon buxifolium
(for stocks to graft the other species
on), Erica, Gastrolobium, Gompholo-
bium, Hardenbergia, Leschenaultia,
Kennedya, Mirbelia, Oxylobium, Plalty-
lobium, Pleroma, Podolobium, Pimelia
decussata (for stocks to graft the rest of
the genus upon), Pulteneea, Styphelia,
Tacsonia, Zichya, and all New Holland
shrubs of similar habit. These require
to be placed in a gentle tan-bed, planted
in pots in silver sand, closely covered
with bell-glasses, which should be wiped
dry occasionally, and shaded from clear
bright sunshine. Great numbers of
stove plants of woody habit require the
same mode of treating their cuttings,
for which see the body of the Dic-
tionary.
Cutting s of partially ripened wood.
Camellia, Cape Pelargoniums, Coni-
ferse, Erythrina, Echites, Gardenia,
Gordonia, Hakea, Magnolia, Metros! -
deros, Nerium, Portlandia, Rosa, es-
pecially the China, and Tea-scented,
and most kinds of hardy evergreen
shrubs.
Cuttings of leaves with a bud at the
base. When cuttings of any kind of
large-leaved plants are scarce, they may
be successfully increased by single
leaves with a bud at the base. We
need not particularize any species, as
most of the last section, and several of
the others that have moderate-sized
leaves, may be propagated in this mode
of making cuttings.
Cuttinys of leaves only, ivitliout buds.
The following will increase readily by
this mode: Achimenes, Gesnera, Glox-
20
inia, and all of similar habit, as well
as some Begonias.
Cuttinys of Offshoots from the base
of the old plants. Cinerarias, tall
Lobelias, Statices, and most kinds of
herbaceous plants, increase readily by
this mode.
Cuttinys of the Roots. There are a
few plants that will not readily increase
by any of the above modes, particularly
some herbaceous plants ; (Enothera
macrocarpa is one, and CEnothera cces-
pitosa is another. Amongst hardy
shrubs the Pyrus Japonica and its va-
rieties mil propagate by this mode,
also the Abele poplar. In the stove,
the Ardisias, Clerodendrums, Dracae-
nas, Ipomeas the tuberous-rooted spe-
cies, and the Petrea stapelria.
Cuttinys of the Flower-stem. Double
white and yellow Rockets, the tall Lobe-
lias, Double Lychnis, and a few others,
may be increased by cutting the flower-
stem into lengths, and placing the cut-
tings under a hand-glass in a shady
border.
In all hollow - stemmed plants the
presence of a node, or joint, to cut
through at is essential. This is the
reason why cutting through at a joint
is also of importance in other cases,
and also the reason why taking those
little shrubby side shoots as cuttings
is often so successful, what is tech-
nically termed the heel the point of
junction between the elder branch and
the young shoot being Avell supplied
with incipient buds which readily pro-
duce roots. Whatever may be the
mode and the time in which a cut-
ting is made, and whether it is ne-
cessary in the peculiar circumstances
to cut clean through at a joint, it is of
importance that the cut be made with
a clean sharp knife.
Time when cuttiuys sliould be taken.
When any particular period is men-
tioned for this operation in this work, it
is merely the period when, under gene-
ral circumstances, the practice would
be most suitable. Other things being
equal, spring and summer are the best
times for propagating greenhouse and
stove-shrubs, as thus the plants are
established before winter.
Leaves of a cutttiny, Unless, in
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[ 306 ]
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particular circumstances, as many
leaves should be removed as would
enable the cutting to be firmly fixed in
the cutting pot, and if the leaves be
large, a portion more may be removed,
or lessened in their dimensions, in
order to reduce the evaporating surface,
success consisting in keeping the cut-
ting healthy, and yet preventing it from
parting with its stored~up juices ; and
hence the reason why we cover them
with bell-glasses, and shade them from
bright sunshine. The more leaves
left, provided they can be kept healthy
and vigorous, the sooner will roots be
formed by the elaboration of fresh
material, and the more quickly will this
elaboration take place, the more light
the leaves receive, and do so without
flagging. Shading or diffused light is
essential at first, but the sooner it can
be dispensed with the better. Con-
tinued too long, the shading would
make the cuttings weak and spindly.
Soil. Except for particular cases,
nothing is better than silver sand
placed over a layer of soil in which
the plant delights, and beneath this
the pot to be filled with drainage. In
general cases, half an inch of sand,
and three quarters of an inch of sandy
peat, or sandy loam, will be amply
sufficient; and the nearer the cuttings
are inserted to the side of the pot, the
sooner will they protrude roots. When
a bell-glass is used that would come
close to the side of the pot, it is a good
thing to put one pot inside a larger
one, fill up the space between them to
within a requisite distance of the top
with drainage, then with the soil and
sand, and place the cuttings firmly
round the outside of the inner pot.
In this case the inner pot may be
empty, be supplied with damp rnoss, or
'even in some peculiar cases filled with
water, though the latter would be more
generally applicable to stove than
greenhouse-plants. The turning of a
smaller pot topsyturvy inside of a '
large one, so that the inner forms a
sort of chimney, and inserting the out-
tings round the sides of its inverted
bottom, now the top, is also a good
plan, especially when it is desirable to
give the plants the stimulus of a good
bottom-heat, as by stopping with pot-
sherd the hole in the bottom, now
uppermost, the stimulus is applied to
the base of the cutting, and thus roots
are encouraged, rather than lengthen-
ing upwards.
Bottom-heat. Unless where fresh
growth is rapidly making, and the
plants have received extra stimulus on
purpose, greenhouse-plants should not
have bottom-heat, in general, until a
callus is formed at their base. When
that is done, a mild, moist bottom-
heat a heat a medium between the
general temperature of a greenhouse
and a stove may be given with ad-
vantage. When, however, in many
hard-wooded plants heat has been
given to cause the protrusion of short
new shoots from one to two inches
in length, and these are taken off just
as their bottoms are getting a little
firm, then in their case a mild sweet
hotbed at once will just suit them,
care being taken that the atmosphere
is not kept too hot, to cause more
elongation upwards. Stove plants,
on the other hand, as they require
more heat at all times than greenhouse
plants, so scarcely ever do their cut-
tings suffer from bottom-heat, though
pretty strong ; and hence it often hap-
pens that they are more readily propa-
gated than greenhouse shrubs.
Cuttings of hardy Fruit-trees. Any
time between the fall of the leaf and
the first swelling of the bud in the
spring, such cuttings may be put out.
As a general rule, we should say that
the end of October is a very good time,
provided the trees in question have
cast their leaves. By early planting,
the wounded portions become as it
were healed by the callosity which
will frequently form at the lower end,
even during the winter. It is of im-
portance to select a good situation :
a sunny and dry spot is a bad one ; and
one too shady, especially if with over-
hanging trees, is apt to cause the cut-
tings to grow weakly. The north side
of a wall is very good, placing the cut-
tings not nearer than within four feet
of the wall, and not farther than seven
feet. Here they will get shading during
the more difficult portion of their root-
CUT
[ 307 ]
CYC
ing period, which will be during April
and May ; and by Midsummer, or soon
after, when all those which will succeed
will be well rooted, they will both re-
ceive and enjoy a liberal amount of
sunshine. The cuttings must be made
somewhat firm at their lower end ; and
if a very dry time occurs in March,
April, or May, it may become necessary
to lightly sprinkle them occasionally.
CUTTING - IN, is shortening the
branches.
CYANA'NTHUS. (From kyanos, blue,
and anthos, a flower. Nat. ord., Phlox-
irorts [Polemoniacete]. Linn., 5-Pcn-
tandria 1-Monogynia. Allied to Pole-
monium.)
A pretty little hardy herbaceous plant, re-
quires the same treatment as Alpine plants.
Divisions and cuttings, under a hand-light ;
sandy soil.
C. loba'tusQobed). 4. Purple, blue. August.
Chinese Tartary. 1844.
CYANE'LLA. (From the diminutive
of kyaiiGs, blue. Nat. ord., Lilyworls
[Liliaceoe]. Linn., Q-Hexandria 1-
Monogynia. Allied to Anthericum.)
Pretty little bulbous plants from the Cape of
Good Hope, which succeed best planted out in
a deep border of light rich compost in front, of
a greenhouse, to be protected from frost like
Ixias, and such-like bulbs. All the small bulbs
we recommend to be thus treated, may be grown
in pots like Ixias. Increased by offsets.
C. a'lba (white), l. White. July. 1819-
cape'nsis(Cape). 1. Blue. July. 1768.
linea'ta (lined). 1. Striped. July. 1816.
hi' tea (yellow). 1. Yellow. July. 1788.
odoruti'sslma (most fragrant). ]. Red. July.
1826.
orchidifo'rrnis(Orchis.like'). 1. Blue. Au-
gust. 1826.
CYANOTHA'MNUS. (From fyanos, blue,
and thamnos, a shrub ; referring to its
flowers. Nat. ord., Rueworts [Ruta-
ceae]. Linn., 8-Octandria 1-Monoyynin.
Allied to Boronia.j
Greenhouse evergreen shrubs from Swan
River. Cuttings in moderate heat, in sand
under a glass ; sandy loam and peat.
C. ramo'sus (branched). Blue.
te'nuis (slender). Blue.
CYANO'TIS. (From kyanos, blue, and
OHS, an ear ; referring to the shape of
the petals. Nat. ord., Spider worts
[Comrnelinaceoe]. Linn., 6-He.vandria
l-Monogynia. Allied to Tradescantia.)
Rich soil ; C. barbatd is increased by root
division, the others by seed.
C. axilla'ris (axillary). 1. Blue. August. East
Indies. 1822. Greenhouse biennial.
barba'ta (bearded). ). Blue. August.
Nepaul. 1824. Hardy perennial.
crista'ta (crested). 1. Blue. August.
Ceylon. 1770. Greenhouse biennial.
CYATHE'A. (From kyatheion, a little
cup ; in reference to the appearance of
the spore or seed cases 011 the back of
the leaves. Nat. ord., Ferns [Polypodia-
cese]. Linn., 2-Cryptoyamia l-Filices.)
Stove evergreen tree-ferns, except otherwise
specified ; loam and peat ; root division or seeds.
C. arbo'rea (tree). 15. West Indies. 1/93.
dealba'ta (whitened). New Zealand. Green-
house.
e'legans (elegant). Jamaica. 1843.
exce'lsa (tall). 20. Mauritius. 1825.
inte'gra (entire-leaved). Isle of Luzon.
medulla 'ris (pithy) . New Zealand. Green-
house.
petiola'ta (fcrng-lcaf-stalked). Jamaica.
CYATHO'DES. (From kyathos, a cup ;
referring to the form of the limb, or
expanded opening of the flower. Nat.
ord., Epacrids [Epacridacese]. Linn.,
5-Pentandria \-Monoyynia. Allied to