216 
Greenhouse and Stove Plunts. 
IMPATIENS. 
ture about them. It is best propagated in 
the spring about the beginning of March ; 
take for cuttings portions of the preceding 
season’s mature growths, as in the case of a 
healthy plant these branch out freely, attain- 
ing during the season a length of from 4 
inches to 10 inches. The smaller size severed 
at the base will be found most suitable. 
They should be inserted singly in, or two or 
three together round the sides of, small 
pots well drained and half filled with a 
mixture consisting of equal proportions of 
fine peat and sand, the upper portion all 
sand. The sand must not be made more 
than very slightly damp—in that condition 
best described as neither wet nor dry, a 
state in which it must be kept until the 
cuttings have formed roots. As before 
said, they must not be subjected to close 
confinement in a frame or under propa- 
gating glasses, or they are almost certain 
to become a rotten mass. They do best on 
a shelf near the roof or set close to the up- 
right front or end glass of the house or pit 
in a temperature of 60°. Thus treated, 
they will in a few weeks freely emit roots, 
the presence of which will be indicated by 
the points of the shoots beginning to grow. 
If the cultivator is anxious to get the 
plants on in size quickly, two or three of 
the newly-struck cuttings may be placed 
together in a 3-inch pot, or singly if 
deemed preferable. This Balsam succeeds 
best in material of a light, open nature, 
partaking more of the character of that in 
which Orchids are grown, than in any com- 
post more retentive. Two parts®ood fibrous 
peat added to one of chopped sphagnum, 
with which is mixed a liberal sprinkling 
of charcoal, broken to the size of horse 
beans, and some silver sand, will answer 
perfectly. The pots should be one-fourth 
filled with crocks or charcoal for drainage, 
and the material ought to be pressed mode- 
rately close round the roots. The tempera- | 
ture may be raised as solar heat increases, 
but the plant after rooting never requires 
so much warmth as many stove subjects ; 
the heat kept up in an intermediate house 
suits it best. It will also do with more air 
than is liked by the generality of stove 
plants. The nearer it is kept to the glass 
the better, and a very thin shade should 
be used in the middle of the day during 
bright weather. Through the season of 
growth it will bear watering at the root 
freely, and will also be benefited by syring- 
ing overhead once a day, but this should 
be done early enough in the afternoon to 
allow the moisture to get dried up before 
nightfall. By midsummer sufficient root 
progress will have been made to admit of 
the young stock being transferred to pots 
an inch or two larger; or, in the case 
where two or three were put together and 
are intended to be grown so, they will bear 
a little larger shift. It is naturally of a 
bushy habit, to still further assist which 
the points of the growths may be taken 
out, but every operation of this kind 
should be done with the knife, as a bruise 
resulting from pinching is not unlikely to 
cause the shoots to rot. The singular- 
shaped yellow and pink-tinged flowers are 
produced so freely that the plants will 
bloom the first summer or autumn. After 
the flowers are faded pick them off and 
dispense with shading as the sun begins to 
decline in power, at the same time reduc- 
ing the temperature of the house; they 
must also be kept drier at the root and not 
syringed at all. During the growing sea- 
son a shelf near the roof will be the most 
suitable position for them; winter in a 
house or pit where the night temperature 
is about 55°, giving very little water from 
the time they cease to grow. In fact, the 
soil through the whole season of rest should 
be kept, as to moisture, much in the same 
condition as that of the majority of Mexi- 
can Orchids during their dormant period. 
Towards the end of February give a little 
additional warmth with more moisture in 
the atmosphere, and as soon as growth 
commences more water to the soil. By the 
beginning of April the roots will commence 
to fairly extend, and pots 2 inches or 3 
inches larger may be given, using soil 
similar in character to that advised the 
preceding season. The plants will now 
begin to grow apace, and will require two 
or three neat sticks each to support them ; 
little further stopping will be needed, and 
the treatment in other respects as to shade, 
moisture, heat, and air, should be as during 
the first summer. If all goes well they 
will now grow freely, and by the end of 
July or beginning of August will have 
their shoots fully clothed with flowers. As 
soon as these show themselves cease syring- 
ing, or it will sometimes have the effect of 
causing the advancing bloom-buds to fall off. 
During the time of flowering they may 
be placed on the front stage of the stove or 
intermediate house, where, associated with 
other blooming or fine-leaved plants, they 
will form a very distinct feature. When 
the flowering is over it will be well to 
move them to their original quarters on a 
shelf near the glass, treating them during 
autumn and winter as before ; the ensuing 
spring they will bear pots 2 inches or 3 
inches larger, but in this it is well to be 
euided by the quantity and condition of 
the roots, as they are impatient of too much 
pot-room. When the potting is carried 
