This family is well known as a most useful winter shrub, some kinds very fragrant, and being evergreens, they are particularly desirable. They are propagated with facility by cuttings in the spring. But these cuttings, with every appliance, will require a second season's growth to make them into nice little plants, or, in other words, to commence blooming fairly. They become annually finer, and, of course, larger, until, of course, in a few years, they become too large and too coarse for ordinary purposes. Their soil may be two parts a sound loam and one part peaty material. Their culture otherwise is very simple. They are essentially greenhouse plants, but will endure low temperature readily; absence of frost, however, is requisite. But to have them blossom through the winter, a little coaxing at the proper period is requisite. The best plan I have found out concerning them is to treat them on a similar principle to such things as Camellias, viz., to force them into early growth, pinching away freely all the while, and after accomplishing this, to turn them out of doors in a half shady situation at midsummer, housing them again by the middle of September: this I say with regard to winter blossoming.

But they must not be coddled; they must have a light situation, with a moderate temperature. Perhaps C. racemosus is one of the most useful, but there are several species so much approaching each other, that they are a little awkward to distinguish. I may add that they are very useful for bouquets. - R. Errington.