242 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
MACKAYA BELLA, 
can be removed to a conservatory kept at 
a temperature in accordance with their re- 
quirements. When the flowering is over 
they may be moderately shortened back 
and kept on through the winter as before, 
giving them a liberal shift in the spring, 
and, to still further promote growth, 
supply them with manure-water during 
the summer. They will this season make 
fine decorative objects when in bloom, 
after which treat as previously, giving 
more root-room as required. Where in- 
tended for planting out, a moderate extent 
of border must be prepared, sufficiently 
drained by means of a layer of 2 or 3 inches 
of broken bricks, pebbles, or anything of 
a similar character. The plants should be 
turned out in the spring just before growth 
commences; if delayed until later on, some 
check to the young shoots will follow the 
necessary disturbance of the roots, which, 
if coiled to any extent round the ball, 
should be loosened so as to be directed 
into the new soil; make this moderately 
firm, otherwise the water will pass through 
and leave the ball dry, a condition essenti- 
ally opposed to free growth. When pre- 
paring the soil, if, in addition to sand, a 
sprinkling of broken sandstone or pot- 
sherds is added to it, it will benefit the 
plants, as we have always noticed that the 
material in inside borders is more disposed 
to get into a sour, unhealthy state than when 
it is fully exposed to the open air. The 
plants should be spread out to cover the 
wall or end of the house, as the case may 
be, so as to furnish the whole properly 
from the first, as where attention is not 
paid to this matter the growth is naturally 
directed upwards, leaving the lower space 
deficient, a condition which it is after- 
wards difficult to remedy. Where a pillar 
has to be clothed it will be well, instead 
of stopping the plants, so as to induce their 
branching out more than requisite, to allow 
one or two of the strongest shoots to take 
the lead so as to attain the required height, 
merely pinching the points at intervals that 
will cause them to sufficiently furnish the 
space as they progress. 
L. Pinceana. A native of Nepaul, has 
white flowers, sometimes slightly tinged 
with pink. It requires treatment such as 
advised for L. gratissima. 
Insects.—The less injurious kinds of 
insects will in a great measure be kept 
down by the syringing advised. If affected 
with scale or bugs, syringe and sponge 
with insecticide. 
LYGODIUM. 
A genus of climbing or twining Ferns, 
comprising stove and greenhouse species ; 
among them are some alike remarkable for 
their elegant and distinct habit. Varying 
as they do so much from other Ferns they 
are worthy of being much more grown 
than they are at present. The slender 
thread-like shoots of L. scandens are very 
effective when used in arrangements of cut 
flowers. 
For propagation and cultivation, see 
Ferns, general details of culture. 
STOVE SPECIES. 
L. lanceolatum. 
L.. polystachywm. Malay Archipelago. 
GREENHOUSE SPECIES. 
L. articulatum. New Zealand. 
L. japonicum. Japan. 
L. scandens. East Indies. 
MACKAYA BELLA. 
There are few plants which have been 
introduced to this country in recent years 
that produce such lovely flowers as this 
Acanthad. It is a native of South Africa, 
and has so far been found a somewhat sh 
bloomer, but this most likely is owing to 
its requirements as totemperature not being 
sufficiently understood, as it evidently is 
one of a number of beautiful flowering 
species we possess that will only bloom 
meagrely or not at all if grown in a hot 
stove temperature, and yet do not suc- 
ceed well with the warmth of a green- 
house. It is propagated by cuttings of the 
young shoots produced after flowering. 
These can be obtained about midsummer. 
They should be put singly in small pots 
in sand under a bell-glass in a temperature 
of 70°, kept moist, close, and shaded. They 
will soon root, and then should be gradu- 
ally allowed more air; keep them close 
to the light, and directly they are well 
furnished with roots, move them into 
6-inch pots in turfy loam, with some 
sand; pinch the points out to induce 
bushy growth. The heat of a cool stove 
or intermediate house is what is required, 
with more air than stove plants generally 
like, and no more shade than is found 
needful to keep the leaves from scorching ; 
syringe daily until autumn; then keep the 
atmosphere drier and allow the soil to get 
a little drier also. A night temperature 
of 45° to 50° will suit the plants through 
the winter, with a rise in the daytime, 
more or less, as the weather varies ; from 
55° to 58° will be right. 
In March increase the warmth 5° in the 
night, and to 60° or 65° by day, moving 
them into 10-inch pots; raise the tempera- 
