344 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
WITSENIA, 
have ; they cannot bear much water in the 
soil until far in the spring when they 
begin to root freely. A night tempera- 
ture of 60° in the winter with some degrees 
higher in the day will suffice. About 
February cut the plants back to within a 
few inches of where they broke at the 
second stopping, tying the branches out 
horizontally ; this will cause them to push 
their whole length. After they have made 
a couple of leaves to each break they 
should be turned out, and most of the soil 
shaken away, putting them in 11-inch or 
12-inch pots, keeping the soil somewhat 
dry until the roots have again begun to 
work freely. Should the shoots appear 
deficient in number, the points may be 
pinched out as soon as they have grown 
4 inches or 5 inches. Keep the plants 
well up to the light, and treat as to air, 
heat, and moisture as advised the preceding 
summer. Al] they will require is to support 
the branches with a few sticks and ties, 
and to give manure-water once a week 
when the rootshave got full hold of the 
soil. These Vincas can be grown to almost 
any size the second year by giving larger 
pots and stopping the shoots a second or 
third time, which will have the effect of 
increasing the number of branches, but 
will also retard the flowering ; or after 
they have bloomed for a time the shoots 
may be shortened, and when growth has 
again commenced they can be moved to 
larger pots, which will induce them to 
produce a full head of flowers. The plants 
may be kept on for blooming another 
season if required, treated through the 
winter and spring as in the previous year, 
or young ones can be brought on to take 
their place ; these are preferable for general 
use, except where very large examples are 
wanted. 
There are three varieties in cultivation : 
V. alba. Flowers pure white. 
V.albo-oculata. Flowers white with a 
red eye. 
V. rosea. Flowers wholly rose coloured. 
The two last are the handsomest. All 
three are natives of Eastern India. 
Insrcrs.—Greenfly and red spider will 
sometimes attack them, but the syringing 
and other precautionary measures regularly 
taken will usually be sufficient to keep 
these in check ; if, notwithstanding, these 
insects make their appearance, fumigate to 
destroy the aphides, and syringe freely to 
banish red spider. Mealy bug will also 
live upon Vincas, and where present the 
plants should be laid on their sides and 
syringed freely with tepid water, and when 
cut back in the spring dressed well with 
insecticide. 
WITSENIA CORYMBOSA. 
This singular and distinct evergreen 
greenhouse plant is indigenous to the Cape 
of Good Hope, whence it was introduced 
about the commencement of the present 
century. It is of a branching upright 
habit of growth, with miniature sword- 
shaped leaves, from among which spring 
numerous corymbs of lovely pale-blue 
flowers produced over a long season in the 
advanced summer and autumn. The 
plant is sometimes seen in the autumn 
shows on the exhibition stage, where its 
fine colour has a pleasing effect, but from 
its habit of opening its blooms in succes- 
sion it is better adapted for general de- 
corative purposes. It is a slow grower, 
rarely attaining a size of more than two 
and a half feet in height by as much in 
diameter, consequently it does not require 
a great deal of pot-room. This Witsenia is 
a moderately free rooter, and succeeds best 
in good fibrous peat with a fair quantity 
of sand mixed with it. 
The plant strikes from shoot cuttings 
made of the small branchlets which it pro- 
duces in quantity, clothing the principal 
shoots with them ; these should be taken 
off about August, cutting the base of each 
clean so as to divest them of jagged bark. 
Put them 2 inches apart in 6-inch pots 
filled with sand, keep close, moderately 
moist, and shaded from the sun, as long as 
requisite, in a warm greenhouse tempera- 
ture of 50° in the night. During the 
autumn the base of the cuttings will be- 
come callused over, when place in a little 
more warmth, and they will root through 
the winter and spring; about May move 
singly into small pots, using fine peat with 
a moderate amount of sand added. Keep 
through the summer a little closer than is 
needful for large greenhouse stock. Give 
shade from the sun’s rays when the weather 
is bright, but keep them near the glass, and 
be attentive in seeing that the soil never 
gets too dry ; close and damp the house in 
the afternoons, and at the same time 
moisten them overhead. Give more air in 
autumn, and winter in a night tempera- 
ture of 45°. About April move into 3-inch 
pots, using similar soil to that employed 
for the first potting. The plant is a slow 
grower, but as soon as the leading growth 
appears to be moving ahead take out the 
point ; this will cause the shoots that will 
have formed about the base to move. Con- 
tinue through the summer and autumn to 
treat as in the preceding, and winter ina 
like temperature. Again towards April 
give them a shift, this time into 6-inch 
pots ; afterwards if any shoot takes the 
