Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
COSMELIA RUBRA. 
An evergreen New Holland shrub, the 
only representative of the genus in cultiva- 
tion ; itis not equal to many things that 
require greenhouse protection. 
It can be increased by cuttings, and 
grown on afterwards similarly to Epacris, 
which see. 
Flowers red and produced in spring. 
COSSIGNIA BORBONICA. 
This is a handsome evergreen hard- 
wooded shrub from the Mauritius; con- 
sequently it requires a brisk heat in which 
to grow it well. Its beauty principally 
consists in the leaves, which are pale olive- 
green, with a handsomely coloured midrib. 
This plant has been much prized by culti- 
vators of ornamental-foliaged subjects, 
from the fact of its being a slower grower 
than the generality of fine-leaved plants, 
and on this account not so liable to out- 
grow the limits of the space allotted to it. 
When it has attained sufficient strength, it 
usually branches out freely, forming a good- 
sized bush, like a large Croton. 
It is a somewhat difficult plant to pro- 
pagate, the cuttings being harder to strike 
than those of many things, but they may 
be rooted if the young shoots are taken off 
with three joints or so when in a three- 
parts matured condition. Put them singly 
in small pots in sand, covered with a bell- 
glass, and set them in an ordinary stove 
until they have got callused, which will 
sometimes take several months to effect. 
They should then be placed in a bottom- 
heat of 75°, still kept moderately close and 
shaded ; the sand all along must be main- 
tained in a fairly moist condition, but not 
too wet. A still more certain way is when 
there is a strong plant to cut some or all of 
the branches back to where the wood 
is quite hard in early spring _ before 
growth commences, and then to subject 
it to more warmth, which will cause the 
back buds to break. These should be 
grown on gradually under the influence 
of plenty of light, so as to keep them from 
being weakly. When the shoots have 
reached a length of about 5 or 6 inches 
they should be taken off with a heel of the 
old wood, and put separately in small pots 
half filled with sandy peat, the surface all 
sand, kept close enough to prevent flag- 
ging, in a bottom-heat of 80° and shaded 
from the sun, which would injure them. 
So treated, a good percentage of cuttings 
may be induced to root, after which they 
must be gradually inured to bear the air 
of the house. When the pots are fairly 
CRASSULA. 
filled with roots move into others 5 inches 
in diameter, giving them good fibrous peat 
and sand enough to make it porous. The 
plants, as soon as pretty well established, 
should be stood near the glass, so that they 
may not be disposed to get drawn up 
weakly. This Cossignia in its first stages 
is inclined to be of an erect habit, and it is 
useless attempting to stop it before it has 
got sufficient strength to enable it to sup- 
port side branches, which will hardly take 
place before the second year. A second 
shift may be required during the summer, 
but not a large one; one or two sizes 
bigger pots than those into which the 
plants were moved from the cutting pots 
will be large enough. Air must be given 
through the growing season in the middle 
of the day, and shade from the sun when 
full on the glass will be required ; syringe 
daily to keep down insects. A day tem- 
perature in the growing season of 75° to 
85° should be given, and not lower than 
60° in the winter in the night time. In 
the spring the leading shoot ought to be 
reduced two or three joints, as now the 
plants may be supposed to have strength 
enough to break and maintain a couple of 
shoots, which by being tied down when 
they have grown to the length of 10 or 
12 inches will again break. Larger pots 
should be given as required. Managed in 
this way the plants keep on growing and 
attaining a more bushy condition for years; 
and if in the course of time they get at all 
bare of leaves about the bottom, the head 
and side branches may be cut well back in 
the spring and treated so as to cause them 
to break out afresh, when they usually - 
make finer, better furnished specimens than 
when younger. 
Insects.—As to insects, the daily use of 
the syringe will generally be sufficient to 
keep down the least troublesome, such as 
aphides, thrips, and red slaps and the 
smooth leathery nature of the leaves is 
such that they are easily freed from bugs 
or scale by sponging, should these latter 
affect them. 
CRASSULA. 
This name was formerly applied to a 
handsome and well-known plant now in- 
cluded in Kalosanthes. There are one or 
two species of Crassula, sometimes used as 
greenhouse climbers, though not equal for 
this purpose to many others. The method 
of propagation and after treatment ad- 
vised for Kalosanthes will answer for these 
Crassulas. 
The undermentioned are suitable for 
using as climbers :— 
