298 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
RHODODENDRON, 
inch pots, in good loam, with a little 
manure and sand added. Stand in a 
frame, and when the plants are up thin 
them out to one; if to be grown tree 
fashion these must have all the side shoots 
pinched off as they appear, and a stick 
should be put in the soil to support each. 
When the pots are fairly full of roots move 
into others 7 or 8 inches in diameter, keep- 
ing the side growths removed until the 
leader is 18 or 20 inches high, when pinch 
out the point so as to cause shoots to break 
that will form a head. During this time 
ordinary greenhouse treatment is all that 
is needful, give plenty of light and air, 
with water to the roots as required, and 
syringe overhead in the evenings. Stop 
the shoots two or three times through the 
summer, keep the flowers picked off, and 
put a stick to the stem sufficient for sup- 
‘port. If the plants are required large they 
should be moved into 10 or 12 inch pots 
when those they occupy are full of roots, 
but much may be done to produce large 
plants with comparatively little root-room 
if manure-water is given freely when the 
soil is filled with roots. If bush-shaped 
plants are preferred stop the leading shoot 
when about 4 inches high, and again, later 
on, giving the requisite supports to keep 
the shoots well opened out so as to admit 
light to the centre of the plants and secure 
the desired shape. To flower in winter in 
small pots, which in most cases will be 
found the most convenient way, the seeds 
should be sown early in August; stand 
the pots in a frame, directly the little 
plants appear give plenty of air by draw- 
ing the lights off when there is no likeli- 
hood of excessive rains, giving water when 
the soil seems to require it. Four or five 
plants are enough to grow in a 6-inch pot, 
and a small stick should be put to each so 
as to keep them erect. Before there is 
danger of frost move the plants to a pit, or 
the shelf of a greenhouse, where they will 
be close to the glass, and admit air freely, 
with an ordinary greenhouse tempera- 
ture. Another sowing should be made in 
September to flower in spring, manage 
them as advised for the earliest set of 
plants ; winter near the glass, with plenty 
of air to prevent them from being drawn. 
Insrcts.—A phides are often troublesome 
on Mignonette, and if allowed to remain 
long undisturbed will spoil the plants. As 
soon as present they should be destroyed 
by fumigation. 
RHAPIS. 
This genus of greenhouse Palms consists 
of few species, one at least of which, R. 
flabelliformis, is second to none for its 
usefulness where slender-growing elegant 
plants are required. 
Propagation and cultivation given under 
Palms, general details of culture. 
R. flabelliformis. A pretty, thin-stemmed 
species, with small fan-shaped leaves deeply 
divided. Like many other Palms, in the 
early stages of the plant’s existence the 
leaves do not show their true character, 
but it is always effective, and the foliage is 
so stout in texture and naturally so endur- 
ing that it bears much hard usage. From 
China. 
R. flabelliformis variegata. A prettily 
variegated form of the preceding, deservedly 
much prized by lovers of variegated foliaged 
plants. 
RHODODENDRON. 
The kinds of Rhododendron that will 
thrive under greenhouse treatment are now 
numerous ; among them are several species, 
such as the magnificent R. Nuttallii from 
Bootan, which attains a height of 20 or 
30 feet, R. Gibsonii, a compact bushy 
habited sort from Khoseea, R.:arboreum, 
from Nepal, R. Dalhousianum, from the 
Himalaya, R. jasminiflorum, from Malacca, 
and R. javanicum, a Java species, from 
which have sprung the large number of 
beautiful hybrids, now coming so largely 
into use for conservatory decoration. The 
free-growing habit of these hybrids, and 
their equally free disposition to flower— 
often two or three times in the year—com- 
bined with the beauty of their flowers go 
to rank them with the most desirable 
plants for the decoration of cool houses. 
The hybrid varieties possess a much better 
habit than R. javanicum, which is a de- 
termined spare erect grower, not disposed 
to branch out. 
The mode of propagation best suited to 
the hybrid sorts is grafting on such of the 
seedling varieties as possess a free vigorous 
constitution. The stocks require to be 
raised from shoot cuttings in the ordinary 
way, and grown on in 6 or 8 inch pots. 
until large enough for grafting, when they 
must be headed down to within 5 or 6 
inches of the pots, and the grafts, which 
should consist of pieces of the preceding 
year’s shoots, inserted. The work ought 
to be done in the winter, and after grafting 
the plants should be placed in sufficient 
warmth to start them into growth; when 
some progress has been made the points of 
the shoots must be pinched out to induce 
the lower eyes to break so as to furnish the 
plants with side branches. After this the 
treatment is simple, merely giving pot-room 
as required. 
