The Statice family is well worthy of more attention than is generally bestowed on it. Many of the varieties are extremely useful for greenhouse and conservatory decoration during the autumn months, when blooming plants are rather scarce. They are also very useful for sitting-room stands and vases, more especially the one which my present object is to bring under the notice of your readers.

We have no fear of being called in question by any one who is acquainted with the extreme usefulness of Statice profusa when we say it is one of the most useful pot-plants in cultivation, fully justifying the name it bears by yielding an enormous profusion of flowers. An individual plant will continue in bloom from July to November in a cool greenhouse, and by having plants in different stages of growth there is no difficulty in having it in bloom throughout the year. It can be grown in greenhouse temperature, but to grow it quickly into large plants, an intermediate temperature suits it better during the spring months. It also strikes freely from cuttings placed in a gentle bottom-heat in July or August ; they will root in four or five weeks. When well rooted, pot them, if strong cuttings, into 4-inch pots. The compost which suits them best is two parts loam, one part leaf-mould, one part peat, and one part silver sand. If large plants are wanted quickly, they should be grown in the coolest part of the stove all winter, where they will have a temperature of 55° or 60°, keeping them near the glass. They will require a shift early in February into 8-inch pots, using the same soil, only somewhat rougher, with the addition of a little charcoal and half-inch bones.

In these pots they will make fine flowering-plants, and yield dense heads of bloom from 18 inches to 2 feet across. If wanted for late autumn blooming, the first flower-spikes must be pinched off as they appear; these, however, generally yield the finest heads of bloom. After they have been potted, grow them in a temperature of 60° during the spring months, bedewing them overhead morning and evening. A slight bottom-heat will materially assist them in making a rapid and vigorous growth, but the latter is by no means indispensable. As they throw up their flower-spikes they should be hardened off, and ultimately placed in a light airy house, when they form beautiful objects amongst autumn flowering-plants. When intermixed with a collection of Zonal Geraniums the combination is very pleasing and effective. When the flowering season is past, remove the flower-spikes and winter them in the greenhouse, keeping them rather dry at the root. In spring they will want repotting. Reduce the balls, and pot them in the same sized pots, or in a size larger; but the size of plant required must regulate the size of pot into which they are shifted. Place them in an intermediate temperature. A slight bottom-heat will assist them to start more freely.

When the pots are well filled with roots, give them frequent waterings with weak liquid manure. This will materially assist the size and character of the flowers and duration of bloom. They are very subject to green-fly at all times, and fumigation with tobacco-paper must be resorted to. Red-spider also attacks them in dry hot summers, but a few washings with the syringe will rid them of this pest. It has also been planted out in summer, and has succeeded perfectly. To all those who have much to do in the way of decoration with pot-plants we would strongly recommend it.

Down South.