April 5, 1877. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND OOTTAGB GABDENEB. 



253 



pure white, with sharply-defined red margin on the lower 

 side. Separate flowers 31 inches and upwards long, borne in 

 clnsters of four to seven. Treated as an annual 200 to L'GO 

 flowers are produced on a plant in August." I mention the 

 German Flag variety in hope that it will soon be procurable 

 in Cferman seed — coUeotions similar to Asters, &c. Imagine a 



taken aback at observing in the cultural directions, with which 

 seed citalogues are now so replete, the following piece of in- 

 formation appended to this plant:—" Sown in the open air in 

 May, it has thriven and bloomed exceedingly well without any 

 care. It must be sown in a dry, hot, sunny situation. It 

 should never be watered." This struck me as bearing out the 

 idea of growing the German Flag variety, "Treated as an 

 annual, 200 to 2rj0 flowers on a plant in August ;" the place 

 bemg Germany, not Britain. In its native habitat Clianthus 

 Dampieri has two temperatures — never less than 50' in the 

 cold season, and in summer CO' to G5' night, 70' to 75' day 

 up to S3' or 90', and higher; having a very open exposure, and 

 tho atmosphere dry, particularly after the plant attains to a 

 flowering state. Soil a rich vegetable oie— the d^b ris of vege- 



Fig. 84.— ClianthuB Dampieri. 



bed of the species and the German Flag variety intermixed, or 

 with the B[ eoies in the centre and a broad band of the variety 

 surronndirg it ! It would produce a sensation. 



That it is practicable to grow Clianthus Dampieri as a bedder 

 in the southern half of England I have no doubt ; in fact the 

 Messrs.,Veitch, Chelsea, have, I understand, treated it in that 

 way very sucoessfuUy— indeed I saw at their establishment very 

 healthy admirably bloomed plants in June, ld74 ; but I was 



tation overlying a oooi wet bottom. Everybody, of conrre, 

 linows that it is a native of Australia, and generally accepts it 

 with C. pnnicens as a climber. None of the plants I have 

 grown of C. Dampieri have any climbing tendency. The first 

 shoot, it is true, rises erect, but is not long ere it seeks a 

 dependent habit, and from the neck or collar of the plant 

 emanate shoots about the same time as the primary growths 

 begin to depend, and those have not an upward tendency. 

 This habit is so decided that I can imagine no finer subject 

 planted upon a knoll or raised bed with the shoots allowed to 

 ramble at their own " sweet will " in aU directions. The trusaea 

 of flowers will rise 4 to inches clear of the foliage, appearing 

 as jewels of coral set in silver. Or, grown iu a large deep pot 

 raised so as to be level with the eye, the shoots depending all 

 around would be when in flower strikingly effective. Half a 

 dozen or more plants might be grown in a pot or placed in the 

 centre of a bed ; but not having put the idea into practice for 

 want of space in the one case and of unsuitableness of climate 

 in the other, I will proceed to describe the culture by which 

 plants were successfully flowered iu pots of moiTerate size for 

 greenhouse decoration. 



The seed is sown early in June and placed in a hotbed, 

 covering the seed about a quarter of an inch deep, the com- 

 post consisting of tnrfy loam three parts, sandy peat one part, 

 leaf soil a part, half a part charcoal iu sizes from a pea to a 

 hazel nut, and half a part of silver sand, the loam and peat 

 broken up rather roughly, tbo whole well incorporated. No 

 difference is made in the compost afterwards, only old cow 

 dung supplants the leaf soil at all subsequent pottings, and 

 in case of the loam not being fibrous, equal parts of it and 

 peat are taken. The seeds are placed two in a 4-inch pot, or 

 several in a 0-incb, but the latter is not so good as the former, 

 as the plants have to be potted off, which checks them oon- 

 siderably. So soon as the seedlings appear they are raised ou 

 an inverted pot near to the glass, the object being to keep the 

 plants from drawing, especially the stem beneath the first 

 leaves. Water is given sparingly, and always just within the 

 rim of the pot, it being only given when the soil becomes dry. 

 The pots are afterwards placed upon slates, as when stood 

 upon soil the roots speedily find their way into it through the 

 drainage. One crock and a lump of charcoal are employed for 

 drainage. Shade is given the young plants after potting them, 

 but when established they are fully exposed to the sun. Only 

 one plant is grown in a pot, and with a genial atmosphere they 

 grow freely. In a cold, moist, stagnant atmosphere they will 

 not thrive, and drip upon their branches will destroy them. 



When the roots show at the bottom of the pots shift into 

 7-inch, keeping well up in the centre and forming a dish all 

 around just within the rim, using charcoal as before for drain- 

 age. If moderately moiat when shifted, the soil employed 

 being also moist, do not water after potting but wait a while, 

 returning the plants to the frame. Never water until the soil 



