68 GLENN y's handbook 



CLEOME. [Capparidaceae.] This ^enus contains several 

 curious and rather pretty annuals They should be raised 

 from seeds in spring, in a frame, with slight warmth, potted 

 off singly, and hardened subsequently, so as to be planted out 

 in May, when they should be strong, vigorous plants. They 

 like a dry, warm situation. One or two species are stove 

 soft- wooded shrubs, and tliere are some stove annual species, 

 but they are not suitable for general cultivation. 



CLERODENDROX. [Verbenacege.] Stove shrubs, some 

 of which are veiy showy. Cuttings, which should be chosen 

 from the unblooming side-shoots, root freely in sandy soil, 

 with bottom heat. The soil for the established plants should 

 be loam, peat, and dung, equal parts. They must be shifted 

 from small to larger pots as they advance, until the plant fills 

 a pot twelve inches diameter, when it will bloom finely. 

 Afterwards the plants must be cut close down annually, 

 disrooted, started iu bottom heat, and shifted on as they 

 advance. They are noble-looking bushes, many of them 

 crowned, when in blossom, with a large pyramidal panicle of 

 brilliant scarlet flowers, which last for a long time in beauty, 

 if not then kept too hot and close. C. fragrans flore-pleno 

 is desirable on account of the rich fragrance of its blush- 

 coloured heads of blossoms. C. splendens and some others 

 are fine evergreen stove climbers : these latter must not be 

 cut down annually like the others. They all require plenty 

 of nourishment while growing. 



CLETHRA. [Ericaceae.] Hardy and greenhouse shrubs 

 and trees, of which the C. arhorea, a greenhouse species, with 

 bright rich-looking foliage, and spikes of blooms like the Lily 

 of the Valley, is the only important species. There is hardly 

 a prettier greenhouse tree than this, and it wants no more 

 than to be just kept from the frost The proper soil is peat 

 two-thirds, light loam one-third, with sand added. As soon 

 as it has attained a moderate size, and filled a six-inch pot, 

 it will begin to flower. It must, however, be recollected that, 

 if kept growing by constant shifting, it will not bloom abun- 

 dantly until it gets to a much larger size; but if the pot is 

 pretty full of root it will flower abundantly. Cuttings strike 

 freely in sandy soil, put in a little warmth, and when struck 

 merely require potting from one size to another till of a 



