212 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
HYDRANGEA, 
HOYA. 
(Greenhouse. ) 
The flesh-coloured Hoya, H. carnosa, 
from China, and the variegated varieties of 
this species, H. carnosa picta and H. 
carnosa variegata (which are similar in 
habit of growth, differing from the normal 
type in having variegated leaves), will 
thrive in agreenhouse. They are medium 
growers, and may be either used for drap- 
ing a pillar or rafter, or as trained speci- 
mens, in which case they are best grown 
on a wire trellis. Their propagation and 
after treatment is similar to that advised 
for the twining stove species, except that 
they require less heat, and, growing slower, 
are longer before they need putting in full- 
sized pots. 
HUMEA ELEGANS. 
This well-known greenhouse biennial is, 
when well grown, one of the most elegant 
objects that can be introduced to a con- 
servatory or cool plant-house. It is raised 
from seed, which should be sown during 
spring in pots filled with loam, to which 
has been added some sand and leaf-mould. 
Stand in a little warmth, if such is avail- 
able, until the seeds have vegetated ; if not, 
in a greenhouse. When the plants are 
large enough move them singly into 3-inch 
pots, and as soon as they get established 
place them near the glass. <A pit or frame 
will answer during the summer, where 
they can get plenty of light and air, being 
careful never to let them suffer for want of 
water. Directly the pots are full of roots 
move into others 4 inches larger, and 
syringe overhead daily ; about August it 
will be well to give them a shift into 9 or 
10 inch pots, as if cramped for root-room 
the lower leaves will be injured and the 
appearance of the plants spoilt. Winter in 
an ordinary greenhouse temperature in a 
light position, so as to keep the growth 
short and stocky. If large examples are 
required, they should be moved to pots 2 
or 3 inches larger in spring, and as soon as 
the soil is moderately full of roots give 
manure-water once or twice a week, treat- 
ing in other respects as in the previous 
summer. When in bloom they will keep 
for many weeks in good condition, their 
grass-like plumes of diminutive, distinct- 
coloured flowers having a beautiful appear- 
ance. As already said, the plant is a 
biennial, consequently to keep up the 
stock seed should be sown every spring. 
It has a strong aromatic perfume. Intro- 
duced from Australia. 
Insects.—Red spider and aphides are 
both partial to this Humea ; to keep down 
the former the leaves should be syringed 
daily through the growing season, getting 
the water well to the under side. On the 
first appearance of aphides fumigate, as if 
the insects are allowed to remain even for 
a short time the leaves will be spoilt. 
HYDRANGEA. 
The fact that many of those engaged in 
gardening pursuits are led in the selection 
of what they grow much more by a plant’s 
being new or rare than by its possessing 
the real merits of producing handsome 
long-enduring flowers freely, with a 
vigorous constitution that makes its cultiva- 
tion easy and success comparatively certain, 
is always forced upon us whenever we see 
a well-bloomed example of Hydrangea. 
The genus is found dispersed over a wide 
expanse of both the eastern and western 
hemispheres, in China, Japan, and the 
mountain ranges of Northern India, in both 
the Easternand Southern States of America, 
Chili, and Peru, but it is to the Japanese 
or Chinese greenhouse species that we are 
the most indebted for subjects best adapted 
to pot-culture. 
Those who live in distant parts of the 
country, on their first visit to Covent 
Garden Market, if such happens to be 
during the spring or early summer, see 
nothing that strikes them more forcibly 
than the numbers of Hydrangeas grown in 
small pots, not generally more than 6 or 7 
inches in diameter. The plants grown to a 
single stem, 6 or 8 inches high, are furnished 
with three or four pairs of healthy leaves, 
surmounted by a globular head 12 or 15 
inches through, generally of the freshest and 
clearest bright pink colour, although a few 
are met with possessing the blue shade that 
is so much prized by some, and for 
producing which there are several different 
recipes, in the shape of soil more or less 
impregnated with iron filings, charcoal, or 
alum, or pure peat. We have always 
found that if the plants were supplied with 
the large quantities of manure-water 
requisite to give size to the heads of flower, 
whatever the nature of the soil or in- 
gredients added to it, the blooms when fully 
matured were pink of some shade. Larger 
specimens are grown for the London market 
bearing several heads of flower each, but 
for general decorative purposes the small 
plants with single heads are much the 
most to be preferred. In addition to the 
pleasing colour, general attractive character, 
and long endurance of the flowers, the 
plants possess the advantage that during 
the time they are in bloom they can Le 
