284 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
PLEROMA, 
the stove, but so treated it does nothing 
but grow, never getting enough rest to 
ripen its wood preparatory to flowering. 
The plant is easy of propagation, grow- 
ing freely from half-ripened cuttings, taken 
off at any time of the year when they can 
be obtained in such condition. If about 
the beginning of August they are put 
singly in small pots half filled with 
sand and loam, the remainder all sand, 
stood in an intermediate temperature, 
kept moderately close, moist and shaded 
they will root in a few weeks, when they 
should be exposed to the full air of the 
house. When they begin to grow away 
freely pinch out the points, and give them 
a light position through the autumn in a 
night temperature of 45° or 50° ; during 
the depth of winter the lower of the above 
temperatures will be enough. Give sufli- 
cient water to the soil to keep the roots 
moving ; about the middle of March move 
into 3-inch pots, and as soon as they start 
fairly into growth, again pinch out the 
points of the shoots. Directly the sun 
gets at all powerful shade in the daytime ; 
keep the atmosphere a little closer than 
that of a greenhouse, giving a moderate 
amount of air, as the days get longer 
syringe in the afternoons when the house 
is closed, and by the end of June move 
them into pots 3 inches larger, after which 
continue to treat as before until the end of 
August ; during the summer again stop 
the leading shoots. Dispense with shading 
and syringing, and give more air through 
the autumn, and winter in a temperature 
of about 40° in the night. It will grow 
well in either peat or loam, but we prefer 
the latter where it can be had of good 
quality, containing plenty of fibre; in 
such it grows stronger and shorter-jointed, 
and has a greater disposition to flower 
freely than in peat. There is one thing 
this Pleroma is subject to suffer from—too 
much exposure to strong sunlight ; in fact, 
we oftensee it grown well inan old-fashioned 
house glazed with small glass, and with 
the accumulation of dirt under the laps 
usually found in such structures. When 
it is grown in a very light house it must 
be shghtly shaded in bright weather, other- 
wise its leaves become so much disfigured 
as to seriously interfere with its appear- 
ance, even when well-flowered—we have 
seen this injury occur in bright March 
weather. Nor should the plant be in the 
winter time submitted to so low a tem- 
perature as the generality of greenhouse 
stock will bear; 40° in the night is low 
enough for it. 
Again towards the middle of March the 
roots will be sufficiently active to admit of 
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their being moved into pots 3 inches larger; 
add to the loam one-sixth clear, sharp sand, 
drain well, and pot firmly, placing the 
plants where they will be a little close, 
without exposure to the sun’s full rays. 
This Pleroma possesses what plant- 
growers call a good habit, not being too 
much inclined to run up with a few 
straggling branches; but, to ensure the 
requisite equality of strength among the 
shoots from the commencement, the lead- 
ing ones should be stopped sufficiently to 
cause an equal disposition of the sap in all 
the branches near the base ; the omission 
of this, in the first stages of the plant’s 
existence, destroys its after appearance, as 
if the shoots near the base are weak they 
soon die off to an extent not usual in most 
plants. Train all the strongest shoots to 
the outside of the pot—this will cause 
the weaker ones to gain strength; any that 
appear to take the lead must have their 
points pinched out all through the summer. 
As the weather gets warmer again use the 
syringe in the afternoons, damping the 
under as well as the upper surface of the 
leaves, as the plant is sometimes, although 
not often, affected with spider. By the 
middle of June, if they have made their 
wonted progress, they will again require 
potting, let them have another 3-inch shift, 
and use soil similar to the first ; grow them 
on as earlier in the season, giving them the 
necessary attention in respect to water, 
which they require in greater quantities 
than most hardwooded greenhouse plants, 
consequent upon their freer growth, and 
much greater evaporating leaf surface ; 
continue also to shade sufficiently to pre- 
serve a healthy condition of the leaves. 
The shading will have to be accommo- 
dated to the character of the house—that 
is, Whether it is very light or otherwise. 
Admit sufficient air every day to induce 
short stout growth, and by the end of 
August discontinue the use of the syringe, 
give more air and less shade. Keep through 
the winter, as before advised, in a night 
temperature as near 40° as may be. The 
plants must be tied into shape, which will 
be easily done, from their natural sym- 
métry. In the spring, at the same time as 
advised last year, repot, giving a 3-inch shift, 
and treat as in the preceding season in re- 
spect to stopping, shading, and watering ; 
close the house with a little sun upon it, 
and at the same time maintain a suffi- 
ciently humid condition of the atmo- 
sphere in the evenings by using enough 
water on the stages and paths. The plants 
will not require a second shift this season, 
and by the middle of July should receive 
a full complement of air day and night. 
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