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ALLAMANDA. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
33 
being a little more lumpy. Use the 
potting-lath freely, so as to ram it quite 
hard. These plants require the soil to be 
made as close as possible, more so than 
most others grown in pots. The best 
method of training Allamandas and other 
subjects of similar habit, when grown as 
pot specimens, is on a stout iron wire 
trellis, secured to three strong stakes in- 
serted in the soil placed just within the 
rim of the pot. Such a trellis, 4 ft. high 
by 3 ft. in diameter, will be big enough 
for a large plant. As soon as the plants 
are potted, fasten the trellises in their 
places, and at once train the shoots to 
them, dispersing them evenly over about 
two-thirds of the lower part; if they are 
tied over the top they naturally push the 
young growths from that point, and after- 
wards, when being bent down to cover the 
trellis, they are very liable to break out. 
The reason why Allamandas should be 
so far differently treated from most things, 
in being cut back and potted before 
they have made -any growth, is that the 
young shoots are so brittle that in train- 
ing them on the trellis they are likely to 
be broken off, and the plants are naturally 
such free growers that potting previous to 
growth being made does not interfere with 
their after progress. When the potting is 
completed, they should, instead of being 
plunged in a bed of tan or other ferment- 
ing material, at a considerable distance 
from the light, be elevated on inverted 
pots as near the glass as the trellis will 
admit of. So placed, the shoots will grow 
short-jointed and stout, the reverse of what 
they will be if stood further from the roof. 
Syringe overhead every afternoon. They 
will break into growth in about a fort- 
night, and as the young shoots advance 
keep them tied to the trellis in an 
upright position, as, if bent down before 
the bloom is well set, they may break 
back, the points generally ceasing to push 
much further; this causes delay in the 
time of their flowering. As the advanc- 
ing shoots require more head room, the 
plants must be regularly lowered, so as 
just to keep the points from touching the 
glass. At the beginning of March raise 
the temperature 5° in the night, allowing 
it to run up considerably with sun-heat in 
the day. By the middle of the month, 
when the weather is very bright, it may 
be necessary to give for a short time in 
the middle of the day a little air by open- 
ing the ventilators about an inch or so ; 
this will be enough, as if too much is 
admitted it will seriously affect the young 
tender growth. 
It is at this season that careful attention 
is most essential, to anticipate the rise in 
temperature through the sun’s influence in 
the fine weather by timely stopping the 
fires. It is an indication of the worst 
possible management in the cultivation 
of stove plants to be under the necessity, 
through the inconsiderate use of fire- 
heat, of admitting large volumes of cold 
external air in the spring to keep down 
the temperature sufficiently. If a little 
air is given, as above advised, when the 
thermometer rises to 80° in bright weather, 
no harm will be done by its going up 6° or 
8° higher, if the atmosphere is kept moist, 
but the house must be closed sutticiently 
early and the fires set going, so as not to 
allow the heat to fall too low. As the soil 
becomes filled with roots the plants will 
require a copious supply of water and a 
free use of the syringe overhead. During 
April, if all has gone well, every shoot 
will have its point set with flowers ; it is 
better to defer training until the bloom 
begins to open, after which the shoots 
ought to be carefully wound round the 
trellis, so as to distribute the flowering 
points evenly over it. They will now 
need water almost every day, and liquid 
manure two or three times a week ; con- 
tinue the use of the syringe, which will in 
no way injure the flowers. The night 
temperature may be kept at about 70°, 
with a rise of 10° or 15° in the day. They 
will quickly push up another lot of shoots, 
which, when commencing to bloom, should 
be trained as were the preceding; they 
will thus keep on through the season. 
Give more air and less fire-heat as the 
summer advances. By July. the plants 
may, if required, be removed to a warm 
conservatory and placed where they will 
not be under the influence of a draught 
of external air; here they will form con- 
spicuous objects until the middle of August, 
when they should be returned to the stove, 
where they will, if wanted, continue to 
‘flower for some time. Afterwards they 
should be gradually ripened up, partially 
dried off as in the preceding autumn, and 
rested similarly. In January, as before, 
cut them back, and shake about half the 
soil from the ball, reducing a portion of 
the roots. Repot with new soil, and treat 
in every way through the season as advised 
previously. So managed the plants will 
last for many years. 
Allamandas are amongst the best of 
stove-climbers, for which purpose they 
require to be treated as for trained plants, 
except that the trellis is dispensed with and 
the shoots are not stopped further than to 
induce their breaking, so as to furnish the 
allotted space ; they should be freely cut 
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