198 



TJie Horticulturist and Joimial 



glass outside ; it can be removed at pleasure^ 

 and the rain will wash it away by autumn. 



Climbers. 



IF unprovided with climbers for roof of 

 greenhouse, do not omit to plant a few ; a 

 moderate amount of shade is an advantage to 

 the plants grown below, if utility as well as 

 ornament is required. There is no objection 

 to training a few European varieties of grape 

 vine on the roof; but if this is done, there 

 must be provision made for training them out- 

 side to be protected during the winter, for the 

 temperature required to grow flowers will con- 

 tinue the vines in growth, so the only crop 

 grown will be leaves and insects, if there 

 should be any of the latter in the house. In 

 old-fashioned places, in England, there were 

 frequently double side lights to fit the front 

 of the houses, and the grape vines were turned 

 down and wintered safely between the two 

 lights ; in other cases, the vines were simply 

 turned outside and covered with boards or 

 straw ; but this was a very unsatisfactory plan, 

 the vines being out of sight ; and when un- 

 covered, in spring, it was often found that 

 rats and mice had taken lodgings in the same 

 place and barked some or all the vines and 

 rendered them useless. To those requiring 

 vines from a distance, winter is the best time 

 to purchase them, for at that season being at 

 rest, they can be packed in a small space and 

 travel without injury, but when in foliage, 

 although grown in pots, the leaves are tender 

 and easily injured. 



In a warm greenhouse, that is, a house in 

 which the temperature does not fall below 

 50 deg., plant Passijhra Prmcesse ; this 

 plant flowers all the year, and the rich raceme 

 of scarlet flowers are very useful cut for large 

 vases of flowers ; this plant grows best in a 

 mixture of peat and loam, and requires a 

 large quantity of water; if allowed to get 

 very dry, the flower buds drop off without 

 opening. 



Thiinbergia Harissi is another valuable 

 plant for the above temperature and same 

 treatment. A plant put out last spring now 1 



covers a roof space of about 200 square feet, 

 and it is at the present time completely cov- 

 ered with its beautiful lavender-colored flow- 

 ers, in some instances as many as thirty flowers 

 in a bunch. 



Delphiniuin Sinensis flore 7>Ze»Jo 



The Double-flowered Chinese Larkspur is spe- 

 cially referred to by a correspondent of the 

 ; (Irish) GardeJier's Record, who says : 



"A bed of it during the past summer was 

 one of the most beautiful objects imaginable, 

 as if a patch of purer and deeper ether than 

 the far-famed Italian skies can boast, were 

 i transferred to earth awhile. It is perfectly 

 • unaccountable why this plant is not more ex- 

 tensively grown, as it is perfectly hardy, and 

 its cultivation of the easiest. It is a true her- 

 baceous perennial, and may be readily in- 

 creased in the spring by division ; or cuttings 

 taken off" when the shoots ai*e but a few inches 

 high will root freely. It also comes very 

 freely from seed, Avhich should be sown in 

 boxes or pans, and kept in a cold pit or frame 

 during the winter. In procuring seed, be 

 careful that the true variety is obtained, and 

 that it has none of the ' candelabrum ' strain 

 in it. The height of the double-flowered Del- 

 phinium is usually from 9 to 1'2 inches." 



Fuchsia s!ffin(j<ffloi'a is strongly re- 

 commended by the Revue Horticole as a fine 

 decorative and market plant. It is of vigor- 

 ous habit, attaining 6 feet or 7 feet in height, 

 with sub-elliptic leaves, from 5 inches to G 

 inches in length, and very numerous flowers 

 of a beautiful soft, rosy tint, arranged in a 

 paniculate bunch, which recalls the inflores- 

 cence of the Lilac. F. syringcpflora flowers 

 from October till February. The culture is 

 most easy. To have fine plants, it is recom- 

 mended to plant them out in prepared soil 

 early in the season ; to pinch in freely, so as 

 to obtain well-furnished plants, the last pinch- 

 ing taking place in July or August ; and on 

 the approach of frost to take up the plants, 

 pot them, and place them in a greenhouse, 

 where they will flower about the time stated. 



Begonias for Baskets. — Begonias gen- 

 erally recommend themselves to the cultivator 



