34 



THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Vines may be propagated now from 

 eyes in a dung frame, where the bottom 

 heat is steady at 75\ Vines in free growth 

 to have plenty of syringing, except while 

 in flower. A general rise in temperature 

 may now be allowed. 



Celery large enough to be pricked out, 

 to be removed forthwith to a sweet hotbed. 

 Sow again for the main crop. There are 

 no sorts to beat Cole's white and Man- 

 chester red. 



Stove. — The temperature may be in- 

 creased now with advantage. Achimenes 

 are pushing briskly ; these aud gloxinias 

 to be potted to succeed the first batch. 

 Soil equal parts turfy loam and fibrous 

 peat, with sufficient sand to render the 

 mass porous. These require full light while 

 growing, though their flowers must be 

 shaded. The whole of the plants will need 

 a general revision at this time of year ; 

 those that have been blooming all winter 

 require to be cut back, and encouraged to 

 break, then to be shifted to larger pots, if 

 needful, or have top dressings ; where very 

 large specimens are objectionable, the 

 plants may be kept in bounds by the 

 knife ; and to obviate the use of larger 

 pots, turn them out, remove some of the 

 soil from the outside of the balls, and re- 

 pot them with fresh compost in the same 

 pots. Justicias are now going out of bloom, 

 and may be propagated to any extent, 

 to make fine specimens for next season. 

 Poinsettia pulcherrima aud Euphorbia jac- 

 quinifeflora and splendens should be grown 

 in quantity, as they are invaluable for con- 

 servatory and drawing-room. 



Greenhouse plants in flower. — 

 Acacia grandis, florihunda, liolosericea. — 

 The soil should be sandy loam and peat, 

 in a rough state, with lumps of turf and 

 small nodules of charcoal. 'They occasion 

 no trouble, and will endure ^some amount 

 of ill-treatment without harm. Their 

 foliage is so beautiful, that they are worth 

 growing well, irrespective of their lively 

 yellow flowers. They are best propagated 

 from seed in a hot-bed in March, the 

 seeds to be soaked a few Lours before 

 sowing it. 



Azalea obtusa, triumphans, Perryana, 

 arncena, lateritia, tricolor, auruntiaca, 

 .Fortuni, squamata. — Any it may be de- 

 sired to propagate should be layered as 

 they go out of bloom. The layers will 

 require to be twisted and covered with 

 moss, into which the first roots will run, 

 and allow of the removal of the layers 

 earlier than by any other mode. 



Urachystma lanceolatum. — A beauti- 

 fulFabaceou* greenhouse evergreen climber 

 from Swan River. Flowers scarlet, abun- 



dantly produced. Soil peat and loam, 

 winter temperature 50' to 60 1 , summer 

 temperature 55' to 65', easily propagated 

 from half-ripe shoots in sand. 



Cytisus Jilipes. — This pretty white- 

 flowered broom is a charming plant for 

 forcing, but it will bloom at this season in 

 an interme'iiate house, and would be in no 

 way improved by stove treatment. All 

 the Cytisus are useful plants, and some of 

 the hardy kinds of moderate growth are 

 well worth potting, to decorate the con- 

 servatory. The best of the greenhouse 

 kinds are elegans, yellow ; tilipes, white ; 

 laniger, yellow ; rigidus, yellow ; nubi- 

 genus, yellow ; and proliferous, yellow. 

 Though not particular as to f oil, potted 

 plants should have a light mixture of 

 turfy loam with a little peat. 



Dielytra speclahilis is one of the 

 easiest plants to grow, and one of the most 

 beautiful to group with other spring 

 flowers, and with foliage plants and hya- 

 cinths in the conservatory. We usually 

 see it drawn and weak through insufficient 

 light and air, for like many other subjects 

 that bear ill-treatment patiently, it is 

 thrust into the dark or subjected to exces- 

 sive heat, and otherwise most unjustly 

 dealt with. It is much better as a pot 

 plant for the greenhouse than for the bor- 

 ders, for except in warm sheltered gardens, 

 the spring frosts do it much damage when 

 coming into bloom. The best way to deal 

 with it is to pot the roots in loam, leaf, 

 and old dung, equal parts, as soon as the 

 stems die down in autumn, place the pots 

 in a pit and keep them only moderately 

 moist. In November begin to force gently, 

 and continue to introduce a few to the end 

 of January. In May harden them off and 

 turn them out into a rich border, and 

 take up again when the foliage is wither- 

 ing. 



Ericas. — The early blooming kinds are 

 invaluable. The hardy heaths, such as 

 Erica herbacea, should be grown in plenty 

 wherever peat-beds form a feature in the 

 garden. 



Pimelia decussata. — These favourites 

 of the greenhouse are natives of New Hol- 

 land, and require the treatment usually 

 given to New Holland plants. The soil 

 should be sandy fibrous peat and fibrous 

 loam, with a plentiful admixture of no- 

 dules of charcoal, and good drainage. P. 

 decussata is entered in our list simply be- 

 cause we have happeued to have it in 

 bloom on the 23rd of February, in a warm 

 greenhouse. But spectabilis and Hender- 

 sonii are much better. Pimelias are of 

 very little use in small collections, as their 

 colours are neither rich nor striking. To 



