LESCHENAULTIA. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
235 
continue to keep them a little close and in 
an intermediate temperature with a thin 
shade in the middle of the day, syringing 
overhead at shutting up time in the after- 
noons. By the beginning of August, the 
points of the shoots should again be pinched 
out; leave off shading as the autumn 
draws on, and give more air. Winter near 
the glass in a temperature of 45° by night, 
with 10° more in the daytime. In March 
move them into 6-inch pots, and in the 
course of a month or 6 weeks they should 
have the points of the shoots again pinched 
out. Never let the soil get too dry, and 
keep the pots stood on a moist bottom but 
with more air than through the preceding 
summer, and a little shade when the sun is 
very powerful; syringe in the afternoons 
as before up to the middle of August, after 
which discontinue it, and keep through the 
autumn and winter as previously. About 
Christmas nip out all the points of the 
shoots ; it is necessary not to defer this 
for the plant is a continuous grower, and 
if the stopping is deferred until spring 
time is lost. About the end of March 
remove into pots 3 or 4 inches larger, 
according to the quantity of roots they 
have. It is, unlike many hardwooded 
plants, a very free rooter ; it will grow in 
good fibrous loam, and it is better to give 
it that than indifferent peat, but where 
good peat full of fibre is obtainable, it is 
the best; use it in a lumpy state, not 
breaking so fine as for most things. If the 
peat naturally contains but little sand, add 
one-sixth, and mix well. Instead of turn- 
ing the plants out in the usual way, which 
would more or less injure the tender fleshy 
roots, the pots should be broken. Do not 
attempt to disturb a single root by removing 
the drainage, but transfer all together into 
the new pot ; make the soil firm. 
The plant is naturally an upright grower, 
and, as soon as potted, it should have all 
the strong shoots bent down toa horizontal 
position, bringing the more vigorous close 
to the rim of the pot. This will cause 
them to break back through their whole 
length. For two or three weeks they 
should be kept a little closer, and the stage 
under them sprinkled; but keep them 
well up to the glass. By the beginning of 
May they will have taken to the new soil, 
and be growing freely. Now, as the 
weather gets warmer, commence to syringe 
overhead in the afternoons, and close in sun- 
heat ; continue this, and keep the stage and 
floor damp until the end of August, after 
which cease the use of the syringe, and 
keep the house drier, giving more air. 
Treat through the autumn and winter as 
in the previous season, keeping the plants 
tiedintoshape. Do not now pinch out the 
points of the shoots until the end of 
February, as, if strong and stopped so 
early as in the preceding year, they would 
most likely set a second lot of flowers, 
which would seriously interfere with their 
growth. Pot about the middle of April, 
the additional root-room they receive must 
be in accordance with the progress the 
plants have made; if very strong they will 
want a 4-inch shift, as heretofore moving 
the whole mass, roots and crocks ; give a 
little shade in the middle of the day for a 
few weeks. Train and tie the young shoots 
well out, so as to keep them in the desired 
shape, which should be round and bushy, 
for if allowed to assume the pointed 
pyramidal form, the higher shoots will 
take the lead, and starve the branches near 
the base. 
About midsummer stop all the points of 
the shoots, treat afterwards as before, 
keeping the plants drier overhead towards 
autumn, with more air. Give them all 
the light possible through the winter, but 
the temperature must not be lower than 
previously. They will, if all goes well, set 
bloom freely about March, and must not 
have any cold current of air admitted 
upon them, or receive a check in any 
other way, for if subject to such the blooms 
will sometimes go blind. If the plants 
are intended for exhibition the shoots. 
must be properly secured by tying, so that 
they will not chafe in carriage, or they 
will be disfigured. If used for decorative 
purposes they must not be crowded among 
otherthings, forina very few daysthey would 
be injured thereby. After flowering shorten 
the shoots back half way between the 
points and the place where they were 
stopped back to in the previous summer. 
Place them in a house that is kept a little 
close for a short time until they have 
broken. When they have made half an 
inch of growth repot, giving a2 or 3 inch 
shift, moving them as before directed in 
every way, and subjecting them to 
autumn and winter treatment as in the 
previous year. 
This Leschenaultia is not a long-lived 
subject, consequently those who grow it 
should each year start a few young plants 
to supply the place of those that get worn 
out and refuse to grow freely. It is some- 
times attacked by greenfly, which must be 
sought for, as they do not thrive well upon 
it, and consequently are small, and being 
almost the colour of the leaves, are not 
easy of detection; notwithstanding, if 
allowed to remain unmolested even for a 
short time, they will by the dirt they 
deposit upon them injure the leaves, which 
