292 
shoots well down—this will have the effect 
of balancing the growth, which in these, 
more than in many plants, has a disposition 
to run up in the centre, leaving the bottom 
bare. Attend after potting, as advised 
last season, to shade, moisture, and air, 
with the regular evening’s syringing ; and 
again, by the end of June, stop all the 
shoots, both strong and weak, back to 
within 6 inches from the place they were 
shortened to in the winter. This is neces- 
sary, for two reasons—to produce an even 
head of bloom and ensure that it should all 
come in at one time, which will not be the 
case unless the above conditions are com- 
plied with. As the end of July approaches 
give more air for a week or two prepara- 
tory to turning them out-of-doors. At the 
beginning of August place them in the full 
sun, and screen the sides of the pots from 
its direct action. Continue to syringe 
overhead well every dry afternoon. They 
may remain here until the middle of 
September, if there is an appearance of 
fine warm weather, after which it will not 
be safe to leave them outside. Place 
for the winter in a good light house near 
the glass ; this, with the hardening process 
they have gone through, will secure their 
flowering freely the coming spring, when 
they will make useful decorative plants for 
the conservatory, to prepare them for 
which let them be nicely tied through the 
winter, using no more sticks than necessary 
to keep them from having a straggling, 
untidy appearance. If the object is to get 
a portion of the plants up to large speci- 
men size as soon as possible, then the 
strongest should, as heretofore, be cut back 
in the winter, and not be allowed to flower 
in the spring; pot at the time before ad- 
vised, and in every way treat similarly 
through the season. Such as are allowed 
to flower must afterwards be cut back 
again, not leaving more than 6 inches 
from where stopped to the previous 
summer. Through all the stages of the 
existence of these plants it is necessary to 
stop or cut them back to something near 
this length, otherwise they get an unsightly 
naked appearance which destroys the effect 
of even a full sheet of bloom. Encourage 
them to break by slightly syringing and 
keeping a little closer, and when they have 
pushed a couple of inches of growth they 
should be moved into pots 3 inches larger 
—keeping the house a little warmer 
through the admission of less air for a 
short time. They should be, as in the 
previous season, placed for a few weeks in 
the open air to induce a disposition for 
flowering. As the plants will now be 
getting large enough even for exhibition 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
POLYGALA. 
purposes, a minimum temperature of 35° 
in the night through the winter months 
will be Sufficient ; by this means their 
flowering will be retarded in the spring, 
which in many. cases, where required for 
exhibition, will be an advantage. Where 
it is the intention to so use them the tying 
must be more particularly performed than 
for home decoration, for unless the plants 
have sufficient support when they come to 
be carried any distance, they have a loose, 
untidy appearance ; but instead of the use 
of a large number of sticks, three-fourths 
of the branches may be secured in their 
places by stout black thread. 
Polygalas are subjects that bear their 
blooming retarded much better than some, 
being stronger in constitution ; but where 
they are to be kept back for any particular 
time it is well to do it in the early stages 
of the flower’s development. Each season 
after flowering cut them back as near as 
already advised, which will cause them to 
last much longer in a stout, shapely con- 
dition. It is not advisable to move them 
on into pots larger than 18 or 20 inches, as 
these, with the assistance of weak manure- 
water during the season of growth, wille 
keep them in condition for several years ; 
but as soon as they get in any. way naked 
and leggy, it is better to consign them to 
the rubbish-heap, 2nd grow on others to 
take their places, for which purpose a few 
young ones should be started every second 
year. 
There are two varieties well worth 
cultivating. 
P. Dalmaisiana is the strongest grower, 
of the most robust constitution, and its 
flowers are proportionate in size, and pro- 
duced freely from the points of the shoots, as 
with the others. This is the best variety 
for exhibition, its colour (purple) har- 
monising or contrasting well with almost 
any other flower. 
P. oppositifolia is more of a reddish- 
purple in the colour of its blossoms, is very 
free in growth and flower ; it is somewhat 
weaker in habit, but is a desirable plant, 
requiring the same treatment as to soil, 
temperature, stopping, and general routine. 
It does not generally attain so large a size. 
InsEects.— There is one thing that 
renders these plants worthy of cultivation 
—it is their immunity from mildew, the 
worst pest that the grower has to contend 
with. Scale, both brown and white, will 
live upon them ; if they get infested with 
the latter the best thing is to destroy them, 
as any application that will kill the insect 
will also kill the leaves. Brown scale can 
be removed with the sponge and brush, 
but it is better to deal with after the 
