114 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
CLETHRA, 
will prevent damping. They will root in 
a very short time, after which place them 
where they will receive a fair amount of 
light for a few weeks; then move them 
into 6 or 7 inch pots. The soil should 
consist of four parts good turfy loam to 
one of rotten manure and sand in equal 
quantities ; press it firmly in the pots, and 
pinch out the points of the shoots to induce 
a branching habit ; let them have plenty 
of light, and water freely. When the roots 
have begun to move well they will bear a 
temperature of 70° at night and 10° higher 
with sun heat, syringing overhead at the 
time the house is closed. When the shoots 
have grown three or four joints past the 
point at which they were first stopped, 
they should be again stopped. By the 
end of July they will want moving into 
10 or 11 inch pots, but this time do not 
break the soil fine ; each pot should now 
have four or five sticks, a yard high, placed 
just inside the rim round which to train 
the shoots; very little shade is required, 
full exposure to the light being necessary 
to induce their flowering profusely. Give 
a moderate amount of air all through the 
summer, and increase it in September, at 
the same time discontinue the use of the 
syringe. About the close of the month 
water should be withheld from the soil 
until the leaves flag considerably, after 
which give a little to freshen them up, 
again allowing the soil to become dry, so as 
to cause the foliage to droop before water 
is applied. Keep on repeating this process, 
which will stop further extension of the 
shoots, harden up the wood, and ultimately 
cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off ; 
after that reduce the temperature to 55° 
during the winter, giving no more water 
than will just keep the soil slightly moist. 
When starting them into growth, which 
may be at any time from the end of Feb- 
ruary to May, they must have the ball of 
earth well moistened at the time when they 
are subjectel to a higher temperature. 
This will be best managed by soaking them 
in a pail of tepid water, letting them 
stand, pot and all, in it for twelve hours. 
After this raise the heat 5°, at the same 
time training the shoots neatly round the 
sticks. When-they have made a few inches 
of growth the temperature may be raised to 
65° at night, giving 8° or 10° more during 
the day. Syringe regularly overhead in the 
afternoon. In a few weeks they will 
show flower, which will grow rapidly, 
and as a rule begin to open in eight 
weeks from the time when the plants were 
first started. If bloomed early it will 
be necessary to keep them in a tempera- 
ture similar to that in which they have 
been brought on, but if not flowered until 
later they may be moved when in bloom 
to a conservatory, where they will last in 
good condition for several weeks. After 
this they can be at once shifted into 16 or 
18 inch pots. The shoots should then be 
untied from the sticks, eut back to 4 or 5 
feet in length, and each plant trained near 
the roof in a house or pit where they will 
receive plenty of light, with a temperature 
during summer such as that of the preced- 
ing season, treating them in other respects 
sunilarly, and drying them off in autumn 
as before. After this a strong wire trellis 
should be fixed on each pot, over which 
the shoots may be evenly tied. Winter in 
a similar temperature, and again bring 
them into flower when required. After 
blooming this season they should be well 
eut back, turned out of their pots, and one- 
third of the ball of earth removed, re- 
placing them in the same pots in new soil, 
and growing them through the season, as 
recommended for the last. They will now 
be benefited by manure-water when grow- 
ing; managed in this way, they will last 
for several years. If required for planting 
out, they should have a well-drained border 
in which there is not too much room for 
the roots, or over-luxuriant growth may be 
the result. The soil ought to be similar to 
that which has been advised for pot-culture, 
drying the plants off similarly in autumn. 
After the first season a little of the surface 
soil should be removed each year, replacing 
it with fresh material and giving manure- 
water liberally ; prune well in each season 
after flowering. C. Thomsone and C. 
Rollissonii will succeed under the same 
treatment. 
Insects.—As regards insects, deciduous 
Clerodendrons are not much subject to 
them. Red spider will sometimes make 
its appearance, and if not removed soon 
injures the leaves. For this the best pre- 
ventive is a free use of the syringe. ‘The 
shrubby species are often attacked by both 
brown scale and mealy bug, but diligent 
use of the syringe and sponging will keep 
them in check. When they are headed 
down affected plants should be well washed 
with insecticide. The large-leaved kinds 
are sometimes infested with red spider if 
the undersides of the leaves are not kept 
well syringed. C. splendens and C. 
speciosum should be treated in a lke 
manner if troubled with insects. 
CLETHRA. 
Handsome evergreen shrubs that grow 
to a considerable size ; very effective either 
