74 



THE GARDEXER'S MOXTHLY 



{March, 



•occasionallr \v;i,><l)iiii: tlu" li'a\ ts. It is piopo- 

 i;ato(l by seeds uiul divisions. I would advise 

 the i)ooplt' when purchasing,' a phint of this 

 Anthuriuni to endeavor to ^et Iho hirsje leaved 

 variety, for be the culture ever so <;ood, but little 

 satisfaction is derived from the small leav«'d 

 kinds. 



UniTORIAf. NOTES. 



Stei'hanotis FLOKinrxDA.— With this .spe- 

 cies we have enmnerated some of the best stove 

 climb(>rs that can be grown, but none are more 

 admired than the Stephauotis, and it deserves 

 attention wherever there is room for it. Pot 

 plants are nothing compared with a good climb- 

 ing specimen. yielding flowers in al)undance both 

 large and fine. Goood loam and peat in ecjual 

 (luantities, and plenty of sand, make the proper 

 compost for it. A bottom-heat from 75° to 80° 

 is high enough, good drainage is essential, and 

 plenty of water at the root during the growing 

 season, but not much in Winter. The shoots 

 will grow to an enormous length if allowed, and 

 as it breaks freely there is never any ditliculty in 

 keeping the wires furnished from top to bottom. 

 To keep the shoots clean and free from mealy 

 bug, its worst enemy, not more than two or 

 three should be trained to one wire, and the 

 wires should be five inches or six inches apart, 

 and within eight inches of the glass. The only 

 way to keep down a mealy bug is by vigorous 

 syringing, so as to never let it obtain a peaceable 

 footing, and attention with the brush to prevent 

 the enemy clustering in a1)out the axils of the 

 leaves. In a stove the flowers continue to be 

 produced for a period of six weeks or two 

 months, but by having a plant in an inter- 

 mediate-house also the blooming season may be 

 prolonged con.siderably. None of the species 

 here treated of require shade in summer pro- 

 vided the ventilation be sulHeient ; but when the 

 stove has to be shaded for the sake of its other 

 inmates, the climbers will suffer no injury if the 

 shading be not too thick nor used oftener than 

 required.— i^te/rf. 



Winter Decorativk Plants.— In addition 

 to the many tlowering plants grown for decora- 

 tive purposes at mid-winter, Ferns play an im- 

 portant part, and especially the Maidenhair 

 Fern, A. cuneatum, and the elegant A. gracilli- 

 raum. At the Royal Xursery, Ascot, Messrs. 

 Standish & Co. grow these two in immense 



(juantities, and at ( "liristmas there could be seen 

 two long span-roofed houses quite filh'd with 

 some thousand plants of A. cuneatum, the great 

 m.ojority in 32-potH,with larger examples in pot.s 

 of an incrciised si/e. Kvery plant was a perfect 

 spi'cimen in itself, so adniiral)ly was it grown. 

 The i)lants are not marketed, but simply grown 

 for the fronds, and they are constantly being 

 sent to London. The ripened, developed fronds 

 are those gathered, as they stand much better 

 and last longer than the young ones. They are 

 gathered and carefully laid in baskets, and n^ach 

 their destination without taking harm. A gra- 

 cillinium is wonderfully grf)wn at A.scot. There 

 are those who term it a '' mifly grower,'' and say 

 '.hey cannot do anything with it, but at Ascot it 

 is the very perfection of vigor, and if anything, 

 j more robust than A. cuneatum. It is a very 

 ! fast grower. 



j A large numl)er of plants had been raised from 

 I seed, and it was curious to note that in a very 

 young state the pinna; were Jis large as those of 

 A. cuneatum ; but when it gets into size, the 

 young fronds take on that small elegant form 

 peculiar to it. So rapidly do the plants come on 

 from seedlings, that there were admirable speci- 

 mens in 48-pots that were in the seed-pans a year 

 ago. Some extra-large specimens showed off" 

 the character of the species to the very best 

 advantage. It may be that failures with this 

 Fern arise from the use of too much peat in the 

 soil ; at Ascot no peat whatever is used. The 

 soil is a sandy, turfy loam, and a little horse- 

 manure, and strong plants have a little weak 

 manure-water once a week, and rather more in 

 summer-time. The experience gained at Ascot 

 teaches that A. gracillimum will not grow in 

 peat. The cuneatum is increased by dividing 

 the plants when they break into growth after 

 being cut over for the London .season. The 

 plants, as soon as they begin to be active, are 

 cut to pieces, and potted in 32-pots. 



Asparagus decumbens is much grown for table 

 decoration at Ascot ; its long handsome shoots 

 are very acceptable for clothing the stems of tall 

 epergnes. This species was growmg m 48-pots. 

 and a line of plants along the front of a stage of 

 Camellias, etc.. hung down like a fringe. The 

 plant puts forth pseudo-bulbs like an Orchid, and 

 is nearly deciduous in Summer, but most orna- 

 mental in Winter. — Gardener's Chronicle. 



A New Fa.shion in Cut Flowers. — A very 

 prett}' innovation is to wear the same flowers in 

 the hat or bonnet as are held in the bouquet in 



