20 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
ACHIMENES. 
end, if this will afford them a night tem- 
perature of 60°; do not give any water 
until the roots have commenced to grow 
(unless the soil has obviously got too 
dry) or they may rot. As soon as the 
shoots make their appearance above 
ground, stand the pans as near the light 
as possible. If there is a shelf overhead 
close to the roof glass, this will just suit 
them. If kept in a dark place they will 
directly become drawn and weak, a con- 
dition that spoils them. When the young 
shoots are about three inches in length they 
should be moved into their flowering pots, 
and now it must be determined what 
sized plants are required. They may 
be placed in 7 in. or 8 in. pots, or in 
such as are up to 12 in. or 14 in. in 
diameter, according to the purpose for 
which they are wanted. A medium size in 
most cases will be the most useful. Drain 
the pots well, add to the peat or loam, 
whichever they are to be grown in, a 
moderate quantity of rotten dung and leaf 
mould and a sprinkling of sand ; press it 
moderately firm, and fill the pots up to 
within 2 inches of the rim. Then put in 
the plants about 2 inches apart, and place 
an inch of soil over the roots, pressing it 
slightly down, and replace as before in a 
light situation. As the days get longer the 
temperature may be increased 5° in the 
night, and be made proportionately higher 
in the day; give a slight shade in very 
bright weather, and air in the middle of 
the day. As growth advances, a neat stick, 
proportionate in length with the strength 
of the variety, should be put to each shoot, 
which should be tied so as to have the whole 
shapely. As the soil becomes filled with 
roots a plentiful supply of water should be 
given, and the plants freely syringed over- 
head every afternoon. When the flowers 
are fully formed, and before they begin to 
open, if it is intended that the plants 
should be moved to a cooler house when 
in bloom, they ought to be gradually in- 
ured to the change by placing them where 
they will get more air, with, if possible, a 
little lower temperature. They should 
not be submitted to too great a change 
all at once, as, if checked, they sometimes 
do not open their flowers freely. When 
in bloom do not let them suffer for water, 
or the flowering will be soon over. When 
they have done blooming, set them in the 
corner of a house where they will be 
kept moderately warm, and supply them 
regularly with water, as, if neglected, 
either by a deficiency of this or by being 
stood where they are too cold, they form 
very poor roots for the ensuing year. At- 
tend to them in this way until the tops 
gradually die down, when the roots can be 
either allowed to remain in the ball of dry 
earth by setting the pots in a place with a 
suitable temperature, as advised already, 
or they may be shaken out and put in 
paper bags in a little dry sand, so as to 
keep the air from them. Achimenes 
make excellent basket plants for suspend- 
ing in conservatories or similar places. 
When wanted for use in this way the 
baskets should be made of galvanised 
iron wire, proportionate in size to the 
place they are intended to occupy. They 
should be first lined with a couple of 
inches of clean moss, upon which put the 
same depth of crocks or broken charcoal 
—the latter is much the lightest—fill up 
with soil as in the case of pots, and plant 
similarly. When required the outside 
shoots may be tied to sticks in a hori- 
zontal position over the sides of the 
baskets, the inner ones being tied so as 
to furnish the upper surface, to make the 
whole shapely. So managed they are 
very effective. Plants for successional 
flowering require treating similarly in 
every way, except starting into growth, 
as already said, somewhat later. Any 
variety that happens to be scarce can be 
increased readily from cuttings made from 
the young shoots, in lengths of two or 
three joints, cutting them at a joint to 
form the base; insert in pots or pans 
filled with half peat and sand, place in 
heat, keep moist, and cover with a pro- 
pagating glass. 
New varieties are being continually 
raised from seed, but the undermentioned 
are all good kinds and deserving of a 
place :— 
A. Admiration. 
centre. 
A. Ambroise Verschaffelt. A fine white 
sort, with the centre marked with dark 
Rose colour with light 
rays. 
A. Aurora. Scarlet, with yellow eye ; 
very large flowers. 
A. Firefly. Deep carmine, spotted with 
crimson, yellow eye. 
A. Ghiesbreghtii. A Mexican species, with 
scarlet and purple flowers. 
A.glovinieflora. Alsoa Mexican species ; 
the flowers are white. A distinct and de- 
sirable plant. 
A. grandiflora. Another Mexican 
species, a tall grower, the flowers of which 
are reddish crimson. 
A. longiflora alba. Large flowers, white, 
slightly marked in the centre. 
A. longiflora major. A very fine blue 
sort. 
A. Masterpiece. A stout-growing variety, 
with violet-rose coloured flowers. 
os 
