330 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
THAMNOPTERIS. 
will induce them to break back. This 
stopping must not be delayed until later 
in the season, or it necessitates more of the 
growth being removed, which is so much 
loss, and does not allow time for that which 
is made afterwards to get fully matured. 
Continue to keep the centre of the plants 
well open by training the shoots out, as 
advised after potting ; if this is not attended 
to, their dense habit does notadmitof enough 
light and air getting through them. About 
the end of August discontinue the use of 
both shade and the syringe, giving plenty 
of air day and night. This and the drier 
state of the atmosphere will discourage 
further growth, and allow of the ripening 
process being better completed before 
winter ; during that season keep them as 
recommended for the preceding winters, 
where they will have all the light possible, 
but a night temperature of about 40° will 
answer now. ‘Tie them out, using nicely 
made thin sticks ; with weak-wooded things 
of this description nothing looks worse 
than thick clumsy sticks out of proportion 
to the plant they are intended to support. 
The natural free-flowering disposition will 
be seen by their showing bloom at the base 
of every leaf, for probably one-fourth the 
length of the preceding summer’s shoots, 
from the points downwards. But it is not 
advisable to allow them to flower this year, 
as it would considerably interfere with 
their growth. About the same time as 
advised the preceding season cut the shoots 
back just at the poimt below where the 
flowers are showing; they will then break 
into fresh growth, and must be potted in 
April. This time they will bear a 4-inch 
shift, using the soil in a more lumpy state ; 
treat as before in respect to air-giving, 
moisture, and shading, and about the same 
time as last year pinch out the points of 
the shoots, still keeping the centre of the 
plants well open. As autumn approaches 
again give more air, dispense with the use 
of the syringe, and allow them the benefit 
of the full sun. By this time, if all has 
gone well, they will be good bushy plants, 
and should be neatly trained, not using 
more sticks than needed for their support. 
The following spring they will flower 
freely, and can, if required, be used for 
conservatory decoration. As soon as they 
have bloomed cut them back just below 
the point where they have flowered, and 
when they have broken into growth move 
them into pots 3 or 4 inches larger ; treat 
in every way as advised for the preceding 
seasons, except that this summer they 
should not have their shoots stopped, but 
be allowed to grow on until the approach 
of autumn. Py this means they will have 
more length, and produce a correspondingly 
greater quantity of flowers the ensuing 
spring, by which time they will have 
grown into nice young specimens fit for 
exhibition if required. If intended for 
this purpose they must be kept cool all 
through the autumn and winter, having 
only enough warmth to prevent them from 
being frozen ; if not so treated they will 
come into flower earlier than wanted. 
After blooming shorten back the shoots as 
in the preceding spring. They will not 
require potting this season, nor most likely 
for a couple of years, during which treat 
generally as heretofore. When again 
moved, a 3-inch shift should keep them 
going for several years, during which they 
will be benefited by an application of clear 
manure-water once a week in the growing 
season. 
T. ericefolia. Is dense in habit, making 
a quantity of slender shoots, which grow to 
a considerable length in the course of a 
season. Although under cultivation not 
usually so long-lived as some plants, it will 
often last for a number of years in a healthy 
condition until it gets as much as 5 feet in 
diameter. There is, as has already been 
alluded to, another form of the plant with 
hirsute foliage, differing little in other 
respects. From New Holland. 
T. verticillata. This plant is different in 
habit and appearance from the above. It 
is of remarkably elegant, slender growth, 
the flowers, violet and red, are produced 
from the young growth freely and almost 
continuously during the spring and summer 
months ; and combine well with its linear 
leaves, borne in whorls ; even when out of 
flower it has a very nice fresh look. It is 
a much smaller grower, requiring propor- 
tionately less root-room than T. ericeefolia. 
Swan River. 
InsEcts.—T. ericeefolia sometimes suffers: 
from mildew ; as soon as this parasite is 
discovered the affected plants must be 
dusted with sulphur, which should be 
allowed to remain on for a few days and 
then be washed off with the syringe. Red 
spider sometimes makes its appearance 
upon them. When this pest is found it 
should be exterminated at once by a tho- 
rough syringing with weak insecticide, 
laying the plants down so as to wet every 
part. 
THAMNOPTERIS. 
A small genus of handsome greenhouse 
Ferns, some of which have a noble appear- 
ance. T. Nidus, the Bird’s Nest Fern, is 
one of the best and most distinct Ferns im 
cultivation. 
