122 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
CONVALLARIA, 
will show flower, which will open some 
weeks later on. It will not be advisable 
to remove them from the stove to cooler 
quarters this season, as it would check 
their progress, and the object will be to 
increase their size and ability to bloom the 
ensuing summer. As the autumn advances, 
again give more air and less moisture, 
treating them as before through the winter. 
Before growth commences the ensuing 
spring, if any over-long shoots exist they 
may be shortened back, but the knife must 
on no account be used too freely, or it will 
limit their power to flower. About the 
same time as previously they should be 
turned out of their pots, and any loose soil 
at the tops of the balls that the roots have 
not taken hold of ought to be removed. 
Give them a 2-inch or 3-inch shift, and 
treat subsequently through the season as 
previously. When in flower they may be 
moved, as already mentioned, to a some- 
what lower temperature during the warmest 
part of the summer. Each spring they 
ought to be turned out of the pots, and as 
much of the soii removed as can be got 
away without much disturbing the roots, 
replacing it with new material ; but the 
pots already recommended will be large 
enough for ordinary purposes, the plants 
being assisted during the growing season 
with manure-water once or twice a week. 
When grown on the roof or similar posi- 
tion, all that is required is to keep them 
regularly trained, not tying the shoots in 
too closely ; in most cases it will be found 
better to confine the plant to a pot than to 
turn it out—not the least advantage of 
this plan is that so grown it can be at any 
time moved to another place, and it will 
last for years in a pot when fairly treated. 
Insects. — Aphides, thrips, and red 
spider can easily be kept down by the use 
of the syringe. If affected with scale or 
mealy bug, dip in or syringe with insecti- 
cide. 
CONOCLINIUM. 
Pretty flowering plants that thrive in an 
intermediate temperature. 
They can be raised from seeds sown in 
spring in moderate heat in a mixture of 
loam and sand ; after the plants are large 
enough to handle move them singly into 
3-inch pots filled with material similar to 
that in which the seed was sown. Stand 
them near the glass, in a temperature of 
55° or 60° in the night, with air and shade 
by day, keeping the atmosphere moderately 
humid, and syringing overhead in the after- 
noons. By the end of June give pots a 
size larger, treat afterwards until autumn 
as in the early part of summer, and winter 
at about 50°. More pot-room will be 
required in spring, but they do not need so 
much root-space as many things. 
The undermentioned are the most de- 
serving of a place :— 
C. atrorubens. Is sufficiently distinct to. 
be worth growing. 
C. ianthinum. <A distinct kind that 
bears interesting flowers. 
Insects.—Aphides are troublesome on 
these plants during the summer ; for their 
destruction syringe freely with clean water 
and fumigate with tobacco. 
CONVALLARIA MAJALIS. 
(Lily of the Valley.) 
This deservedly popular plant is one of 
the best for winter forcing. To have it 
early, say by Christimas, it is necessary to 
have strong well-developed crowns that 
have completed their growth early, such 
as the roots grown in Germany or other 
parts of Europe, where the climate permits 
of earlier maturity than is possible in ours. 
They are now imported in quantities for 
early forcing. This Convallaria will bear, 
in the matter of heat, treatment different 
from that of most plants, and to get it in 
early it is necessary to subject it to a high 
temperature. Unlike other plants that re- 
quire to have time after potting for root- 
action to precede their forcing, it will 
submit to a high temperature as soon as 
potted. Select the largest and strongest 
crowns, and put them nine or ten together 
in 5 or 6 inch pots, using ordinary loam 
with a little sand. In potting leave the 
tops of the buds above the soil, which press 
moderately firm about the roots; then 
immediately plunge the pots in a bottom_ 
heat of 85°, putting some light material such 
as leaf-mould or cocoa nut fibre over the 
whole to the depth of an inch or two. In 
the course of a fortnight the crowns will 
have so far started into growth that the 
flower stems will be visible ; then lift the 
pots out of the plunging material and put 
them in a shallow frame with a light to fit 
it, which frame the house the plants are in 
should be provided with ; tilt the light an 
inch or two, shade the glass heavily so that 
little light will reach the tender blanched 
srowth. If exposed to much light at first 
while in this condition failure will follow, 
as the flowers will not move further. As 
the white shoots get harder gradually 
remove the shading, tilt the lights more 
and give water as required. The plants 
will soon bear the full light of the house 
so as to be stood well up to the glass ; 
during the time that elapses after removal 
