238 



WUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



[ AprU 8, 1889. 



400 faet. With ns tho cheapest coal is not less than 18s. per 

 ton, and if I can heat my houses at a cost of 6d. for twenty 

 hoars, and at so little cost of time and attention, the system 

 does not merit the wholesale condemnation I have alluded to. 

 My gardener seems perfectly satisfied with it, and I therefore 

 mention it as at least being worthy of consideration. — J. E. 

 Baktlett. 



SUBTROPICAL PLANTS. 



(Concluded from par/e 221.) 



[TnE following half-hardy Perennials should have preceded 

 "that which commences the list given last week.] 



*AcAcrA LorHANTHA. — Foliage graceful and elegant, growing 

 erect. It is a greenhouse evergreen shrub. The seeds are slow 

 of germination, therefore soalc them in water at 120° for about 

 six hours, then sow in sandy peat soil, and place in a brisk 

 bottom heat of from 70° to 75' or even 80°. When the plants 

 are well up keep them near the glass, and give a moderate 

 amount of air, potting-off singly, and forwarding in the hotbed 

 until established: then harden them off, and afford a light and 

 airy position in the greenhouse, shifting them as often as the 

 pots become full of roots into pots a size larger. Continue this 

 treatment up to October, keeping the plants well supplied with 

 water up to that time, but after that, and during the winter, 

 keep them dry, but the foliage must not be allowed to flag from 

 want of water. A compost of two parts peat and one part loam, 

 with a free admixture of sharp sand, will grow them well, good 

 drainage being provided. In March of the second year the 

 plants should be encouraged with an increase of heat and mois- 

 ture to make a vigorous growth, and be fresh-potted as may 

 be necessary. The compost used may be two parts sandy 

 fibrous loam from turf, and one part sandy fibrous peat, witii 

 a free admixture of sharp sand, which is more suitable after 

 the plants become established. They should be well hardened 

 oft before being planted out, which they may be early in June. 

 Take them up again at the end of September or before frost, 

 and winter them in a greenhouse from which frost is excluded. 

 They are desirable for the centres of large beds, and for the 

 back parts of borders. Height feet. 



Abutilon Due DE Malakoff. — Foliage large, hairy, with a 

 crimson hue, very ornamental. Flowers cream-coloured, veined 

 and striped with crimson. The seeds should be sown and 

 treated as recommended for Acacia lophautha; but it is not 

 necessary to steep them, and the soil should be kept dry in 

 winter and in spring. Cut the plants down to within G inches 

 of the soil, encouraging growth with a brisk heat, and planting 

 out in June. Height from 5 to 6 feet. 



♦Aralia papyrifera. — Foliage large and handsome ; growth 

 free and compact. It requires a good rich soil, and should be 

 sown early in March in a compost of two parts turfy loam and 

 one part peat. After sowing place the seeds in a hotbed, and 

 grow the plants there until they are well established, then 

 harden off and remove them to the greenhouse, affording a light 

 and airy position. By the second year the plants will be large 

 enough to plant out, which may be done in June, choosing 

 rich well-trenched soil, and supplying well with water in dry 

 weather. It attains a height of 4 feet, and is fine for groups 

 and masses. It needs to be taken up before frost, and to be 

 wintered in a greenhouse. 



AuDr.opoGON EOMBYciNus. — Ornamental Grass. Flower-heads 

 drooping and silvery, having a fine appearance. Sow in light 

 soil, pot-off, grow on in a frame in summer, and winter in a 

 greenhouse. 



ARnxDo DONAX. — A splendid Grass, attaining a height of 

 6 feet, and 10 feet in sheltered situations. Its seeds should be 

 sown in gentle heat, the seedlings potted-off when large enough 

 to handle, and grown in a pit, iu which the plant may be 

 wintered, protection being given from frost, and the pots 

 plunged to the rim in coal ashes. It should have a sheltered 

 and warm situation. 



A. VERsicoLor.. — This is very effective, having a broad stripe 

 along the centre of each leaf. It is best treated as a green- 

 house plant, planting it out in June, and taking it up in Oc- 

 tober. The soil should be light, rich, and deep, and a warm 

 situation given, otherwise it does not succeed well. 4 feet. 



*BoCCONIA CORDATA ROIDNDIFOLIA, B. FRUTESCENS, and B. JA- 



PONicA. — Large, grey or silvery leaves ; habit robust but com- 

 pact. These plants very much resemble Lomatia. Fine for 

 specimens on lawns or in groups. Height 3 to 5 feet. For 

 treatment, see Aralia. 



'Cannas. — C.Annei, orange; glaucous foliage, orange flowers ; 



5 feet. *C. Annel superba, dark purple foliage, salmon flow- 

 ers ; 5 feet. C. discolor floribunda, foliage green, veined purple ; 

 flowers red and yellow; 5 to 6 feet. C. gigantea major, foliage 

 green, flowers scarlet ; 6 feet. C. grandiflora floribunda, foliage 

 dark green with a purple tint, flowers red ; 4 feet. C. hybrids 

 Warscewiczoides, foliage veined, flowers red; 4 feet. *C. Kre- 

 lagei discolor, foliage purplish, red flowers ; 4 to5 feet. *C. me- 

 tallica, foliage bronzed, dark ; flowers crimson ; 4 feet. "C. mu- 

 Sicfolia, foliage green, large and fine ; flowers red ; 4 to 5 feet. 

 C. rotundifolia rubra, foliage dark purple, flowers scarlet; 

 5 to G feet. 'G. Eendatleri, bronzy foliage, orange flowers; 

 4 to 5 feet. C. Warscewiczii, foliage green, flowers blood red ; 

 3 feet. C. Warsctwiczoides grandiflora, foliage green, flowers 

 dark red; 3 feet. »C. zebrina, foliage striped violet purple, 

 fine ; flowers scarlet ; 5 feet. 



The above are stately ornamental-foliaged plants, which 

 require to be planted in sheltered situations, as the foliage is 

 large, and tears in all forms when exposed to wind. The seeds 

 should be sown from February to April, previously soaking 

 them in water at 125° for ten or twelve hours. For sowing use 

 a good, rich, sandy soil, and afterwards place in a hotbed of 

 from 70° to 75°, and when the seedlings have two leaves pot 

 them off singly in a compost of two parts light turfy loam and 

 one part fibrous peat or leaf mould, with a free admixture of 

 sharp sand. Continue the plants in a hotbed, potting as re- 

 quired, and at the end of May harden well off, and plant out in 

 June. They should have a bed of deep, rich, light soil, well 

 drained, and enriched with leaf mould or old rotten manure. 

 They should be well supplied with water in dry weather, and 

 the ground in which they are planted may be mulched with 

 cocoa refuse dust or old rotten manure. In autumn the plants 

 should be taken up before frost and potted, placing them 

 in a light airy house ; and when the foliage decays they may 

 be removed to a cool dry place until February or March, when, 

 if placed in a hotbed of 70°, they will start into fresh growth ; 

 being encouraged with a good supply of water and a moist 

 atmosphere, they will become strong by the middle or end of 

 May, when they should be well hardened-off, and they should 

 be planted out at the beginning of June. It is a common 

 practice to leave the plants in the open ground until cut off 

 by frost, and then store the roots away as Dahlia tubers are. 

 This plan answers tolerably well ; but the growth not being 

 perfected, though the tubers start freely in the following year, 

 the plants are not equal to those that are taken up, potted, and 

 placed in a light airy house, where they not unfrequently con- 

 tinue to expand their blossoms for some time if supplied with 

 water throughout October ; then gradually discontinue watering, 

 so as to have the plants thoroughly dried off by the beginning 

 of December, when they should be kept cool and dry until the 

 beginning of March. They should then be fresh-potted and 

 forwarded in a hotbed until of good size, and be hardened 

 well off and planted out in June. In some warm sheltered 

 spots, and in sandy gravelly soil where water does not lodge in 

 the subsoil, the roots may be left in the ground during the 

 winter, mulching them in October with about 3 inches thick of 

 half-decayed leaves, and after the stems are cut off by frost 

 they should be cleared away, and a covering of litter placed 

 over the beds before severe frosts set in. In March the litter 

 should be removed, and the bed pointed over with a fork, not 

 going so deeply as to injure the plants. 



Centaubea 'eabylonica. — Foliage large and silvery, hand- 

 some. Height. 3 to 4 feet. Flowers yellow. 



C. CANDiDissniA.— Silvery foliage ; well known. 1 foot. 



C. Fenzlii.— Foliage large, glaucous green; flowers pale 

 yellow. 3 feet. 



0. GYMsocARPA.— Foliage silvery, graceful. IJ foot. 



These are the finest of all the silver-foliaged plants, and fine 

 either for beds or borders. The seeds should be sown in March 

 in a compost of two parts fibrous light loam, and one part 

 sandy peat, with a free admixture of silver sand, placing them 

 in a hotbed. When the plants have two rough leaves pot off 

 singly in small pots, and forward in the hotbed until well esta- 

 blished ; then well harden the plants, and remove them to a 

 cold frame, potting as required up to October. Afterwards 

 place on an airy shelf in the greenhouse, giving no more water 

 in winter than enough to keep the foliage from flagging. In 

 spring encourage with a slight increase of heat, and shift as 

 the pots become filled with roots, harden well off in May, and 

 plant out in June. The plants should betaken up before frost, 

 potted, and wintered in a light airy greenhouse, keeping them 

 dry over tho winter, but not so much so as to cause the shrivel- 

 ling of the stems and foliage. 



