46 
unless very large specimens are required, 
will be found big enough to grow the plants 
in for a number of years, provided that a 
portion of the old soil is replaced by new 
as hitherto in the spring, and in addition 
a liberal supply of manure-water is given 
through the growing season ; so managed, 
‘they will last for a dozen or more years. 
In addition to A. cristata the under- 
mentioned kinds are all deserving a place ; 
they vary considerably in size, but all 
‘succeed with similar treatment, except 
that the smaller growers must not have so 
much pot-room. 
A. aurantiaca. A handsome medium- 
sized plant from South America, with 
bright orange-coloured flowers, produced 
freely. 
A. aurantiaca Roezlii, A beautiful 
species that produces splendid large flowers 
on small plants, deserving of a place in the 
most select collections of stove plants. 
A. Fascinator. A remarkably fine species 
from New Grenada, with handsome varie- 
gated leaves, producing very large spikes 
of bright vermilion flowers. 
A. Leopoldit. A robust growing plant, 
with broad shining foliage, and handsome 
bright yellow flowers produced in summer. 
A native of Brazil. 
A. Leopoldii variegata. A form of the 
above that, in addition to its yellow flowers, 
has the leaves conspicuously variegated 
with creamy white ; it blooms in summer. 
A. nitens. A New Grenada species, with 
bright vermilion scarlet flowers springing 
from shoots bearing highly polished, deep 
green leaves. 
A. Porteana. This grows to a medium 
‘size ; it has orange-coloured flowers, pro- 
duced freely towards the end of summer. 
From Brazil. 
Insects.—Red spider and thrips will 
live on all the species, but are not very 
troublesome, being easily kept under by 
the daily use of the syringe in the growing 
-season ; all that is necessary is to see that 
the water gets well to the under side of 
the leaves. Mealy bug and brown scale 
will also infest them, but, from the com- 
paratively few leaves which they make 
each season, these are easily kept down by 
a timely use of the sponge. 
APHELEXIS. 
The several species of Aphelexis are 
natives of the Cape of Good Hope, and 
are fine greenhouse plants, either for 
exhibition or decorative purposes ; while 
their flowers, if cut when fresh and nicely 
dried, will last for many months. They 
are subject to brown scale, and from the 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
APHELEXIS, 
peculiar form and arrangement of their 
leaves, it is not easy to thoroughly eradi- 
cate the pest, even while the plants are 
small ; the difficulty becomes much greater 
as they get larger; and although it does 
not increase so fast as on plants that are 
grown in strong heat, such as are affected 
with it never thrive or look as they ought to. 
Cuttings, such as are usually obtained from 
about the base of established plants, or 
from the points of the principal branches 
after flowering, will be in right condition 
about August. 
Put them an inch apart in 
5 or 6 inch pots in sand, keep close, mode- 
rately moist, ana in a little warmth through 
the autumn and winter; by spring they 
will have got well-rooted, and should be 
moved singly into 3-inch pots in good 
fibrous peat, mixed with enough sand. 
Pinch out the points of the shoots to cause 
them to break, and keep through the 
summer in a light house or pit, standing on 
a moist bottom. They will be nice little 
plants by autumn, furnished with several 
shoots. Through the winter let them have 
a temperature of about 45°; in spring as 
soon as signs of growth are discernible, 
move them into pots an inch or two larger, 
using good peat, with enough sand mixed 
with it, again pinching out the points. The 
usual greenhouse treatment, without shade, 
is all they will require during the summer ; 
winter as before. In spring give them pots 
2 or 3 inches larger, according to the state 
of the roots ; use nothing but good fibrous 
peat, broken to about the size of walnuts, 
and sufficient silver-sand to ensure porosity 
say, one part sand to six or seven of peat. 
Pot firm and drain well, for these plants, 
in common with all others of a hard- 
wooded character from the same country, 
cannot endure stagnant water near their 
roots. After potting keep them shaded 
from strong sun, and as far from where the 
air is admitted as convenient. Keep the 
stage on which they stand syringed two or 
three times a day, as well as the outside 
of the pots ; this will make it unnecessary 
to apply water to the roots for a long 
time after potting, and this is of the 
first importance in all tender-rooted plants, 
as it gives them time to commence pushing 
their roots into the new soil, after which 
they are much more likely to grow freely. 
In the course of a month they will stand 
exposure to the full sun and air. Through 
the earlier part of the growing season close 
the house by 5 o’clock, so as to shut in sun- 
heat, and syringe the plants at the same 
time, which will greatly assist the growth 
of these and all things of a similar character. 
By midsummer, if allgoes on right, they 
ought to have made considerable progress 
