202 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
HEDAROMA., 
the plants have a strong leader, with a de- 
cided disposition to the pyramidal form 
they are somewhat inclined to, the leading 
shoot should be taken out, or they soon 
get too high, and the base of the plant 
becomes naked ; they are also sometimes 
disposed to throw up a quantity of strong 
shoots from the collar. These must be 
removed while they are young, or they 
quickly rob all the rest of the plant, and 
also render it too crowded. During the 
growing season keep the material on which 
the pots are stood damped with the syringe 
every afternoon, but never syringe these 
plants overhead at all. The summer man- 
agement should be similar to the last until 
the middle of August, when they should be 
turned out-of-doors—not in the full sun, 
which is too trying for them, often render- 
ing them hard, and inducing a stunted 
condition from which they rarely recover. 
The north side of a good hedge, or a low 
tree that will somewhat break the mid- 
day’s sun, but where they will receive it 
morning and evening, will answer best. A 
month’s exposure this way in the open air 
will be found sufficient. The object of this 
turning out is to harden the season’s 
growth so as to render it less subject to 
mildew. A temperature of 40° by night 
will now be sufficient during the winter. 
Tf all goes well the soil will by March be 
full of roots, and they should be moved 
into 15 or 16 inch pots; the peat should 
be used in a lumpy condition, if it con- 
tains plenty of fibre it may with advantage 
be used in pieces as large as hen’s eggs. 
Add now a little more sand than at the 
first potting. Keep the plants well tied 
out. If fresh sticks are added each time 
the plants are potted the greater portion 
necessary for the support of the plants can 
be stuck in the new soil before the roots 
enter it, by which means injury to the 
roots will be avoided. Any branches that 
are disposed to outgrow the others must 
be cut back to induce an equality of 
growth. Treat as before in the summer ; 
by August a full crop of flowers will be 
set on all the strongest shoots, after which 
again turn the plants out-of-doors for a 
month as in the preceding season. 
Although, as already said, the plants 
when they have got beyond their early 
stages of growth should be stood out-doors 
for a time at the latter end of summer, 
when they have reached a blooming size 
they must never be turned out until after 
the flowers are set, otherwise it is doubtful 
if they will bioom. With us H. tulipiferum 
never set any flowers after being moved to 
the open air. The flowers already set 
assume a deeper red colour in the open air 
than when kept indoors. Even if no trace 
of mildew can be discovered it will bea 
good practice in October to slightly dust 
the plants over with sulphur by way of a 
preventive. Let it remain on for a week 
or so, and then wash off with the syringe. 
Winter as before. During the coming 
season they should make nice specimens, 
and will bloom freely. As soon as the 
flowers begin to get shabby they should all 
be picked off, and the plants placed in the 
hardwooded house, where the lights are 
closed with a little sun-heat on the house, 
and water applied to the paths and stages 
in the afternoons. This will quickly bring 
them into free growth. When the usual 
time in August arrives, turn them out as 
before for a month to harden, in September 
give them a shift—3 inches will afford 
room sufficient for several years. In the 
ensuing spring they should make fine 
specimens, with a profusion of flowers. 
If they have grown and their wood has 
been ripened properly, the points of their 
strongest shoots will be furnished with 
three or four blooms each. Through the 
whole course of their existence the plants 
must be kept in the desired shape by 
stopping and training, as they will not bear 
cutting back. 
There are three species now met with in 
cultivation, all requiring similar treatment 
as to soil, water, air, light, temperature, and 
general management. 
H. fimbriatum. This isa more recent 
introduction, not so well known, and 
is a nice addition to the family, con- 
trasting well with the others. Australia. 
H. Hookerii. A weaker grower than H. 
tulipiferum, with smaller flowers, pale red 
in colour, generally produced singly at the 
points of the shoots. This species usually 
opens its flowers earlier than H. tulipi- 
ferum, but lasts even longer in good con- 
dition than that species. Australia. 
H. tulipiferum. By far the best of the 
genus ; its creamy - white bell-shaped 
flowers, or floral leaves, when well 
coloured, profusely streaked, and dashed 
with red, have a striking appearance, con- 
trasting well with any other plant. Swan 
River. 
Insects.—The disposition of these plants 
to go off suddenly is somewhat favourably 
counterbalanced by their almost complete 
immunity from insects. We have grown 
plants for a dozen years and never seen a 
single insect of any description upon them. 
They appear to be thrip and red spider 
proof. Brown scale, if it gets communi- 
cated from some neighbouring plant, will 
live upon them, but can be destroyed by 
two or three washings with insecticide. 
