COMBRETUM. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
121 
very handsome, are borne in large, spread- 
ing, fan-shaped sprays a foot in length and 
nearly as much in width ; the colour, red- 
dish crimson, is rich and deep ; the flowers 
are individually small, but they are pro- 
duced in large numbers, standing close and 
erect on the upper surface of the spike, 
which assumes a horizontal position. The 
plant is suitable for twining round a pillar, 
clothing a rafter, or training as a specimen 
on a trellis. In the latter case it can be 
used when in bloom for decorative pur- 
poses in a warm conservatory or heated 
Fern house ; yet it must not be subjected 
to draughts in a cool house, as it is essen- 
tially a warm stove plant, coming from the 
hot, moist regions of Madagascar, and 
therefore cannot bear for any length of 
time either a low temperature or a dry 
atmosphere. 
It is increased by cuttings, which by 
many are found rather difficult to strike. 
The strong young shoots are somewhat 
pithy, long-jointed, and liable to damp off. 
If cuttings made from growth of medium 
strength that has got two-thirds ripened 
are in the summer put singly in small 
pots, filled with clean sand, placed in a 
brisk heat moderately moist and kept 
close, they will callus in a few weeks and 
ultimately emit roots. As soon as these 
exist in sufficient quantities to support the 
cuttings, they should be gradually inured 
to air by tilting the propagating glasses by 
degrees until they can be dispensed with 
altogether. The young plants should be 
kept at the warmest end of the stove, and 
when they have got enough roots to bear 
moving, ought to be put in 4-inch or 5-inch 
pots. The soil should consist of good 
fibrous peat, without anything added, 
except sufficient sand to ensure its keeping 
for years quite porous. This latter is 
essential, as the plant, from its evergreen 
character, cannot bear shaking out like 
some things. The soil must be kept 
moist, but not too wet. Syringe daily 
overhead, and slightly shade from the sun 
until the middle of September, when both 
may be dispensed with till the spring. As 
the days get shorter reduce the tempera- 
ture, which may be kept during the season 
of rest at 60° to 65° in the night, with 5° 
higher by day. Less water should be 
given through the winter. About the 
middle of February let them have a little 
more heat day and night, but do not pot 
them until the roots have begun to move 
freely, as they do not require nearly so 
much root-room as some plants. At the 
beginning of April they may be moved 
into pots 3 inches larger, giving them soil 
similar to that in which they were potted 
before. They should now have a few neat 
sticks inserted in the soil, round which to 
be trained. They ought to have their 
points pinched out, so as to induce them 
to make several shoots. The night tempe- 
rature further on may be raised a few 
degrees, and in the daytime be allowed to 
run up to 80°, after which give air, closing 
with sun-heat and syringing each after- 
noon. A thin shade will now be required 
in bright weather. Do not over-water, as 
this Combretum is comparatively a slow- 
rooting plant, and until the roots have 
begun to enter the new soil it is better to 
keep it a little dry. Continue to syringe 
overhead when the house is shut up in the 
afternoon, with a moist atmosphere day 
and night. As growth is made keep the 
shoots trained regularly round the sticks, 
for if allowed to become entwined in each 
other, they are liable to get injured when 
being undone. 
Nothing further will be required, except 
a continuance of this treatment until the 
middle of July, when, if the plants have 
made sufficient progress to bear a second 
shift, again give them pots 3 inches larger, 
using the peat in pieces a little larger than 
previously. It is safer practice with sub- 
jects of this description, which do not make 
rapid growth, to give two moderate shifts 
in the season than one large one, as, if the 
work is carefully done, they will not 
receive any check. They will now need 
larger and stronger sticks to support them, 
and through the remainder of the summer 
will simply want attending to as before. 
In September cease to syringe or shade, 
giving more air and less moisture in the 
atmosphere, as well as at the roots, so as 
to discourage their making much growth, 
and to ripen up the shoots. Reduce the 
temperature 5° both day and night through 
the autumn, ultimately lowering it to the 
point recommended for the preceding 
winter. During the winter keep them in 
a light situation well up to the glass, for 
upon the wood being well-matured will 
depend their flowering freely the ensuing 
summer. As the days lengthen, again 
raise the temperature gradually as before, 
and in April move them into pots 2 inches 
or 3 inches larger, according to the quantity 
of roots they are found to have ; in these 
they must remain through the summer. 
They should now be taken off the’ sticks, 
and have stout wire trellises placed to the 
pots, round which the shoots should be 
trained so that the bottom of the trellises 
shall be well covered. Their treatment 
through the growing season will require to 
be similar to that which was recommended 
for the preceding. By midsummer they 
