3CG 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 11, 1876. 



Boni, and of the easiest culture. Planted out in a border of 

 two parts turfy loam and one part eaoli loaf soil and Bandy 

 peat it speedily covers a large extent of roof. The plant should 

 be freely watered during growth, and after the leaves fall, as 

 they will in autumn, be kept dry, but not causing the wood 

 to shrivel. Nothicg need be taken oil the long shoots but 

 their unripe ends, and every eye will put out a large cyme of 

 flowers. I cut off all the flowers, leaving three or four joints 

 of the wood next the shoot, and any young shoots wanted 

 are trained-in their full length ; and in February cut all side 

 shoots in to within two joints of the stems, and cut out any 

 bare shoots to make way for new growths. If cultivated in 

 pots the plants are potted about a fortnight after being cut- 

 in, and with moisture (moderate at first until growth is fairly 

 on the way) they soon become balls of white dotted with 

 scarlet; and after the main early-summer-flowering keep on 

 ever and anon until autumn. In fact, by drying-off in summer 

 — say August and September, bo as to give rest, adding after 

 the leaves are shed coolness for a few weeks, and then pruning 

 and introducing to a brisk moist heat, the plant may be had 

 in flower at Christmas or earlier, six to eight weeks being re- 

 quired to have it in bloom. It does well in a cool stove, and 

 is one of the freest and best for general cultivation. — G. A. 



CROTONS FOR TABLE DECOEA.TION. 



Crotons are amongst the very best of stove plants for dinner- 

 table decoration. They are effective at all times. Many of 

 them have a peculiarly graceful and pleasing habit, and when 

 well grown their markings are very striking. According to 

 some writers Crotons are notoriously ditlicult to grow well, 

 nothing short of a house and constant special treatment being 

 required for them; but such is not the case. Their colours 

 do become a little more definite by being fully exposed to 

 the sun ; but at the same time, plants of the finest and most 

 useful decorative description may be grown in miscellaneous 

 plant stoves. Proof positive of this may be found in hundreds 

 of stoves throughout the country. In many instances they 

 ?ven attain a wonderful degree of colour under glass shaded 

 throughout the summer as for the preservation of Ferns. 



Crotons are propagated by cuttings, which should be taken 

 from the youngest points of the shoots in spring. They root 

 in a mixture of sand and peat under a bell-glass or propagat- 

 ing frame, with a bottom heat of 75°. A number of cuttings 

 may be put into a 0-ineh pot, or each may be potted singly 

 in a 2-inoh pot. In either case they should not be allowed 

 to remain in the propagating quarters long after the roots 

 are formed, particularly when a number of them are rooted 

 in one pot, as the roots become entwined when a few inches 

 long, and they are liable to be destroyed when separated. 

 Each plant should be placed in a S-inch pot when it is shifted 

 from the cutting pot. Perfect drainage, even at this early 

 period of their growth, is of the very first importance. They 

 will grow in loam and sand alone. Some good plants are 

 grown in nothing else, and peat and sand is sometimes used 

 exclusively ; but a compound of the three is the most suitable. 

 They are gross rooters when once set a-going, and the loam 

 should be the best procurable. After being potted they should 

 be placed in a stove temperature, and they need not have 

 farther shading than is necesary to prevent the leaves from 

 drooping at first. Handsome little plants may be grown in 

 3-inch pots, but it is when they are placed in Tf-iuch pots 

 that they become most useful. This size of pot is very con- 

 venient for small vases, such as are generally placed in the 

 centre of small tables. In larger pots, both pot and plant 

 often become too big for many purposes. In repotting into 

 the 5-inch pot the same care is necessary in providing efficient 

 drainage. The same kind of mixture as that previously 

 employed should be adhered to. The roots must not be 

 disturbed further than removing the old drainage from the 

 bottom of the ball. The soil should be made very firm in 

 potting, as with attention to this and other particulars they 

 will remain for a number of years in the same pot. 



Their general requirements after this time are liberal water- 

 ings at the root, frequent syringings and spongings with soft 

 soap and water, and full exposure to light and heat when it 

 can bo given them. The hardier they are grown the less they 

 suffer through standing in rooms for days or weeks together, 

 and they do this better than most stove plants. 



The sizes most suitable for table decoration are between 

 lOinohes and 20 inches. Some varieties are most effective about 

 ihe first size, and others when of the latter. The old C. varie- 



gatum has a rather too stiff and erect habit to look graceful on 

 a table, and is consequently inferior to some other varieties. 

 C. Johannia is a favourite variety for the table ; its leaves are 

 from 1 to 2 feet long, from 1 to 2 inches broad, and they arch 

 from the stem and droop down in a semi-perpendicular style. 

 Their colour is a deep green, mottled with golden yellow. It 

 does well in a small pot, and should be grown in quantity. 

 C. angustifolium has a somewhat similar habit, and is a beauti- 

 ful plant on the table when well grown. 0. majesticum is 

 another grand decorative variety in a small state ; the leaves 

 are from a foot to 18 inches long, with an elegant drooping 

 habit, and richly marked with green, yellow, and ciimson. 

 C. Weismannii may also be included amongst the best; its 

 leaves are from 10 inches to 15 inches in length, and from 

 1 inch to 2 inches in breadth, tapering to a sharp point, and 

 beautifully blotched with green and yellow. Amongst the 

 shorter-leaved kinds C. Veitchii is the best. C. spirale and 

 C. volutum are curious-looking ; but they are somewhat diffi- 

 cult to grow into good form, and at best they are no better, 

 or not so good, for table decoration, as some of those first 

 mentioned.— J. MniR. 



THE WINTER PROPAGATION OF TEA ROSES 



IN MB. SMITH'S KUBSERY, 'WOBCESTER. 



Tea Roses are a special feature in this establishment, and 

 these are grown to a large extent under glass. Thev are grown 

 principally on the Manetti stock. As the demand for these 

 Roses increased, their means of propagation has been enlarged 

 and improved. This class of Roses is very Buccessfully pro- 

 pagated here all through the dull months of winter. Com- 

 mencing, for instance, with the close of November, or a little 

 sooner, to graft these on the Manetti stock, they had by the 

 beginning of March some thousands of the first-grafted Roses 

 big enough for sale — only, as may well be expected, they were 

 not hardened off sufficiently to be placed in cold houses, much 

 less for packing off. By the 1st of May, perhaps, they may have 

 thirty thousand Roses of the past winter and spring's grafting 

 fit for sale. Many of the earliest-grafted Roses of this season 

 have been producing blooms ever since the beginning of March. 

 Of course it cannot be expected of them to yield many blooms. 

 They are generally cut off as soon as seen while so young ; 

 but even two or three blooms from a plant propagated and 

 grown in four or five months' time, and this done in the 

 coldest and dullest season of the year, is worthy of notice, 

 and especially so when this is done here, not by a few dozens, 

 but during winter to the extent of many thousands of plants. 

 In the growing of these a good deal of careful attention is 

 required. Every gardener knows how very liable are young 

 and tender plants to damp off while in confined air even in 

 summer, much more so while in strong heat and confined 

 air in the cold, cloudy, and sunless days of winter. It is 

 quite a sight to see, as here, houses about 70 yards long by 

 24 feet wide, cram full of these highly fragrant and delicious 

 Roses, and few of them perhaps more than half a year old. 

 This collection is no less varied and choice than it is exten- 

 sive. — G. Dawsok (in The Gardener). 



SUBTROPICAL BEDDING.-No. 3. 



BED No. 5. 



1. CiLADiuM ESCULENTUM. — This is without doubt one of the 

 most striking subtropical plants in cultivation, and but few 

 can be found to equal it. When planted in a damp situa- 

 tion or where it can receive an abundance of moisture, 

 which is essential to its full dvelopmeut, its bold foliage is 

 unique and strikingly effective. It is quite as hardy as the 

 Cauna, and can be preserved in the same way. It being easy 

 of propagation, that a few words will suffice. I increase my 

 stock by cutting the tuber up in small pieces, each piece having 

 an eye; I then insert them in any light soil, such as leaf 

 mould or cocoa-nut fibre, giving them a bottom heat of 75', 

 and by doing this in the spring I obtain my plants for the 

 Bummer decoration. 



2. Gymnothrix latifolia. — This is one of the most ornamental 

 Grasses yet introduced into this country. It rivals the Pampas 

 Grass in gracefulness and in the pleasing light green colour 

 of its foliage. It was introduced by M. Lasseanx from Monte- 

 video, and has proved quite hardy in this country. It produces 

 tufts 1 to G feet in height, composed of stout flowering stems, 

 which throws out leaves almost up to the panicles. The foliage 

 droops from these to the ground and forms one of the most 



