ROELLA. 
object to—its very small leaves are pro- 
duced in tufts upon the weak, thread-like 
shoots, and to each little bunch is one, a 
sort of guard-leaf, much longer than the 
rest, which while still young, and a full 
year or more before the others decay, turns 
brown, but is still retained upon the plant 
—giving it a rusty appearance ; and if the 
plant is ill-grown, or kept too cold through 
the winter, this rusty appearance is in- 
creased. When, however, a well-flowered 
example is met with, its remarkable white, 
bluish-purple-tipped blossoms, covering 
the surface almost so as to touch each 
other, effectually hide any brown appear- 
ance the foliage may have. 
The plant never attains a size that 
renders it unsuited for growing, even 
where the room at command is limited. 
To grow it well good fibrous peat with 
one-sixth of sand added is required. It is 
a free-rooting subject, much more so than 
its general appearance would lead one to 
suppose. > 
The method of propagation is by shoot 
cuttings. If put in towards the end of 
March, select such as are strong and about 
two inches in length, and put several to- 
gether in 6-inch pots in sand ; keep moist, 
with shade when the sun is on the glass, 
and moderately, but not too close in 
an intermediate temperature. They will 
soon root, when give more air, and as 
soon as they are sufficiently established 
move singly into pots about 2 inches in 
diameter, using fine peat with a good 
sprinkling of sand. Directly the little 
plants begin to move freely pinch out the 
points of the shoots; keep through the 
summer near the light, stood on a moist 
bottom, with shade from the sun, and a 
moderate amount of air in the daytime. 
Under such conditions they will progress, 
and may require towards the end of 
summer the points to be again pinched 
out. Winter at about 45° or 50°, and 
early in March move into 4-inch pots, 
using soil as before advised ; a little after 
this, when they begin to move faster, again 
pinch out the points of the strongest shoots. 
As the weather gets brighter give shade, 
and moisten the material on which the 
pots are stood at closing time daily, but 
admit more air in the day than required 
the preceding summer. By the beginning 
of July give 6-inch pots, and tie the 
strongest shoots out to small sticks ; con- 
tinue similar conditions of shade, air, and 
moisture until the middle of September, 
when give more air with a drier atmo- 
sphere. Now winter at about 45°, and again 
towards the beginning of March move 
them into pots 2 inches larger, giving 2 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
301 
inches of drainage, and pot firmly, placing 
to them at the same time sufficient sticks 
for their support, running the sticks as far 
as possible into the new soil so as not to 
injure the roots. 
The plant will flower in even the 
smallest state, but while young the flowers 
should be removed as soon as formed. 
This will be all that is now required in the 
shape of stopping, as it is a very even 
grower, not often making any over-strong 
shoots, but if such should appear they 
must be shortened back. Admit no side 
air for two or three weeks, shade a little 
when very bright, and keep the stage on 
which they stand damped during sunny 
weather, but do not syringe overhead. 
The plants, if all goes well, will quickly 
take to the new soil. Attend to them 
properly with water, but on no account 
give it before it is required, as this, in 
common with most hardwooded plants 
indigenous to the Cape, is impatient of too 
much moisture at the roots. Keep in a 
good airy house or pit near the glass, for it 
is especially a light-loving subject, that 
will not do well if crowded or shaded by 
other plants. Close the house early in the 
afternoon while the sun is on the glass, 
during the spring months; through the 
summer admit plenty of air in the day- 
time, and continue to damp the stages and 
sides of the pots when the house is closed, 
but do not wet the plants overhead, for 
they are in no way benefited thereby, and 
the effect of water on the young growth is. 
to render it more liable to mildew. 
By the beginning of July some of the 
strongest plants may probably have so far 
filled the pots with roots as to warrant a 
second potting; but in the case of any 
except the strongest it will not be required, 
and had better not be attempted, for if the 
roots do not exist in sufficient numbers, so 
as to enter this new soil in quantity before 
winter, it is apt to get sour, thereby in- 
ducing an unhealthy condition from which 
few plants will recover. Give the most 
vigorous a 2-inch shift, using, as before, 
good peat, with a similar proportion of 
sand, as advised for the early potting. By 
August they will most likely set flowers 
upon the points of all the shoots ; these, as. 
soon as formed, should be picked off. By 
the end of August discontinue early closing, 
and leave air on in the night during the 
succeeding month to ripen up the growth. 
Keep them moderately cool through the 
autumn, during which the house must be 
closed in the night, or the plants may get 
chilled. Most likely they will again show 
bloom, which must be picked off, or it. 
would come in at a time when of little use, 
