LAGERSTRG@MIA. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
227 
well adapted for pot culture. Some bear 
forcing well, or may be allowed to come on 
into flower without heat; treat like the 
ordinary occupants of the greenhouse. 
They can be increased either by seeds or 
offsets ; the latter method will in most 
cases be best. All that is necessary is be- 
fore they start into growth to separate the 
offsets, which are produced freely, and put 
them six or eight together in 6 or 7 inch 
pots in free loam, to which a moderate 
amount of sand has been added. Stand, 
where worms will not have access to the 
pots, plunged in ashes, within a frame, the 
lights of which can be taken off in mild 
weather, putting them on when there is 
danger of frost, and covering well up so as 
to prevent the soil being frozen; or, if 
there is room, they may have a place in 
the greenhouse. In all cases see that they 
get enough water during the season of 
growth ; when they show signs of going to 
rest, by the leaves beginning to die off, 
give no more than will just keep the 
soil from getting dust dry. When they 
begin to move again water freely ; if the 
offsets were strong when taken off, some of 
them will flower the following year, during 
“which treat as before, giving larger pots 
if such appear necessary. 
When to be forced secure the strongest 
bulbs—keeping the weaker ones by them- 
selves—and attend to them as advised for 
the young stock until they have made 
plenty of roots and some top growth ; they 
may then be put in a temperature of 50° 
or a little more, which will soon bring 
them into flower. When the flowers are 
open move the plants to a cooler place, 
such as a greenhouse or conservatory, 
where they will last for some time in good 
condition. After the blooming is over con- 
tinue to supply them with water until the 
leaves again die down, after which keep 
dry as before. So treated, they will go on 
for an indefinite time, yearly increasing by 
the offsets they make. 
The following are pretty kinds :— 
L. fragrans. Flowers red and white. 
L. pendula. <A tall-growing sort, with 
red, yellow, and green flowers. 
L. quadriolor. Orange, red, and yellow. 
L. Nelson. Yellow. 
L. tigrina. White. 
L. tricolor. Yellow, red, and green. 
L. quadricolor and L. tricolor are both 
good forcers ; the others do better let to 
come on without forcing, giving them 
greenhouse treatment through the winter. 
Insects.—These plants are not much 
troubled with insects except greenfly, for 
which fumigate. 
LAGERSTREMIA. 
In these we have a small genus of plants, 
the most suitable for greenhouse cultiva- 
tion of which is the East Indian L. indica. 
This species is often spoilt by being kept 
too warm, in which case it grows too weak 
and straggling to bloom freely. A well 
flowered example of this Lagerstrcemia is a 
beautiful object ; quite different in ap- 
pearance from any other plant with which 
we are acquainted. 
It is increased by cuttings made of the 
young shoots, taken off early in spring and 
put several together in 5 or 6 inch pots in 
sand ; stood in a temperature of 65°, kept 
moist and moderately close, they will root in 
the course of amonth, after which remove the 
glasses and put singly in 3-inch pots. Good 
turfy peat answers for it, with some sand 
added; keep the little plants close for a week 
until the roots begin to move, after which 
standinalight position, shading from thesun, 
and giving air in the daytime. Now keep 
the temperature about 60° in the night, 
and syringe freely when the house is 
closed in the afternoons; as soon as 
growth has fairly begun pinch out the 
points of the leading shoots. They will 
soon require more room, and will bear a 
liberal shift—7 or 8 inch pots will not be 
too large; some rotten manure should now 
be put in the soil, and the potting should ¢ 
be moderately firm. Put a stick to each 
leading shoot ; when the plants have 
begun to move in the new soil they will 
do through the remainder of the summer, 
in a greenhouse temperature ; continue to 
shade when necessary, and syringe daily 
when the weather is sunny, giving plenty 
of water to the soil. In autumn keep 
driev and leave off shading and syringing, 
Keep through the winter in a temperature 
of about 45° by night, with the soil somewhat 
dry. Early in March cut the shoots well 
in, after which the atmosphere should be 
kept a little close, and they should be 
syringed overhead daily ; the night tem- 
perature may now be raised three or four 
degrees. When the plants have broken 
into growth move them into pots 3 or 4 
inches larger, using soil similar to that 
which they have hitherto had, removing a 
little of the old material, but not so as to 
disturb the roots much. Keep a little 
closer for a week or so, after which admit 
more air, and again give a little shade in 
bright weather. If all goes well they will 
now grow fast, and require a stick to sup- 
port the leading shoots. By the middle of 
June they will begin to show flower, and 
will be benefited by some weak manure- 
water once or twice a week; about the 
