HABROTHAMNUS. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plunts. 
Lor 
perature with a little shade and a sprink- 
ling overhead with the syringe each after- 
noon until the end of August, when let 
them be cooler, leave off syringing and 
give more air, with as much water to the 
roots as will keep the soil moderately 
moist through the winter, during which the 
temperatureshould beabout40°in thenight. 
By April give pots 3 or 4 inches larger than 
those they have occupied ; these will not 
be too large provided the plants have 
plenty of roots, as they are free growers, 
and like a good amount of pot-room. Use 
the soil in a little more lumpy state than 
would be required by things of a more 
delicate habit, as these Habrothamnus, 
when in free growth, need a good deal of 
water, which always has the effect of in- 
ducing a closer, less porous condition of 
the soil in after years than in the case of 
subjects that require to be kept drier. 
For the same reason plenty of drainage is 
requisite, especially as the plants get large 
and are put in the pots in which they are to 
remain forsome considerable length of time. 
Pot moderately firm and place in an 
ordinary greenhouse temperature. It will 
now be necessary to determine what shape 
they are to be grown in—bush, pyramid, or 
standard ; if the first, the strongest shoots 
should have their points pinched out and 
be tied in a horizontal position, training 
one of the weaker growths up for a leader, 
which should also have its point stopped 
to induce the formation of side shoots ; by 
thus bringing the strongest growths down 
there is a better chance of ensuring the 
base being furnished. As the sun gets 
powerful a little shade may be used ; 
keep the atmosphere somewhat moist, 
and syringe daily overhead. When the 
roots have entered the soil freely give 
water liberally, and maintain the shape of 
the plants by stopping, and training through 
the season as required. 
Few flowers will be produced so long as 
it is found necessary to pinch out the 
points of the shoots to secure the desired 
shape of the specimens, as, from the 
flowers being borne principally from the 
ends of the branches, they are thus re- 
moved. Towards the close of the summer 
discontinue both the use of the syringe 
and shading, and subject the plants to 
more air. Winter in a temperature of 40°, 
and again in the spring repot, giving as 
before a3 or 4 inch shift ; at the same time 
stop and train the shoots into their wonted 
position. Treat as in the preceding summer 
in every way, except that no further stop- 
ping for the season should be resorted to ; 
by this means the plants will flower freely 
towards the close of summer and during 
the autumn, when they will be found very 
useful forstandingin theconservatory. After 
they have ceased blooming they may be 
replaced in the greenhouse, and wintered 
in a temperature similar to the preceding 
season, giving no more water than is 
requisite to keep the soil sufficiently moist. 
Before growth commences, in the spring, 
they should be gone over, and have the 
shoots shortened considerably, so as to in- 
duce them to break back and keep bushy. 
When they have begun to grow they 
should again be moved into pots 3 inches 
larger, and treated in every way as recom- 
mended for the previous summer. If very 
large specimens are desired it is merely a 
question of pot-room by giving them more 
root-space ; or they may be kept for some 
years in a good flowering condition by the 
frequent use of manure-water during the 
growing season. 
Where Habrothamnuses are required to be 
grown as standards it is simply a matter of 
difference in the training ; instead of stop- 
ping and tying out the shoots the plants 
must be confined to a single stem, which 
should have all side growths removed until 
the desired height is attained, when the 
point should be pinched out and the head 
formed by keeping theshoots stopped till the 
requisite number exist, after which, each 
season, when the flowering is over, the 
growths should be shortened so as to 
maintain the required form. These plants 
are also very suitable for planting out to 
cover a back wall or clothe a pillar, in 
which way some of the kinds, such as H. 
elegans, will go on almost continuously 
blooming, simply requiring the knife to be 
used so as to keep them in bounds and in- 
duce the production of shoots to furnish 
the allotted space with flowering growth. 
In the case of these plants, as of most 
others of a similar nature, when planted 
out the room given to the roots should 
always be regulated by the extent of sur- 
face to be covered ; where too great root 
space is allowed proportionate to the re- 
quired sizeof the head toomuch cutting back 
becomes necessary, whereby the ability to 
produce bloom is curtailed. When the 
soil has become exhausted a little of the 
surface from the border should be re- 
moved each sping before growth com- 
mences and replaced by new, in addition 
to which manure-water may be given at 
times during the growing season. 
The following are good kinds :— 
H. carminata rubra. Flowers red. 
HH. coccinea. Scarlet. 
HH. elegans. Carmine. 
H. fasciculatus. Crimson. 
H. tomentosus. Purple. 
