ALLAIIANDA. 



Greenhouse and Stove PUmts. 



33 



being a little more lumpy. Use the 

 pnttiug-lath freely, so as to ram it quite 

 hard. "^ These plants require the soil to be 

 made as close as possible, more so than 

 most others grown in pots. The best 

 method of training Allamandas and other 

 .'iubjects of similar habit, Avhen grown as 

 pot specimens, is on a stout iron wire 

 trellis, secured to three strong stakes in- 

 serted in the soil placed just within the 

 rim of the pot. Such a trellis, 4 ft. high 

 l)y 3 it. in d iameter, will be big enougli 

 for a large plant. As soon as the plants 

 are potted, fasten the trellises in their 

 places, and at once train the shoots to 

 them, dispersing them evenly over about 

 two-thirds of the lower part ; if they are 

 tied over the top they natuiully jjush the 

 young growths fi'om that point, and after- 

 wards, when being bent down to cover the 

 trellis, they are very liable to break out. 



The reason why Allamandas should be 

 so far differently treated from most things, 

 in being cut back and potted before 

 they have made any growth, is that the 

 young shoots are so brittle that in train- 

 ing tliem on the trellis they are likely to 

 be broken oft, and the plants are naturally 

 such free growers that potting jirevious to 

 growth being made does not intei^ere with 

 their after progress. When the potting is 

 completed, they should, instead of being 

 jslunged in a bed of tan or other ferment- 

 ing material, at a considerable distance 

 from the light, be elevated on inverted 

 pots as near the glass as the trellis will 

 admit of. So placed, the shoots will grow 

 shoit-jointed and stoiit, the reverse of what 

 they will be if stood further from the roof. 

 Syringe overhead every afternoon. They 

 will break into growth in about a fort- 

 night, and as the young shoots advance 

 keep them tied to the trellis in an 

 upright position, as, if bent clown before 

 the bloom i^. well set, they may break 

 back, the -points generally ceasing to push 

 much further ; this causes delay in the 

 time of their flowering. As the advanc- 

 ing shoots require more head room, the 

 plants must be regularly lowered, so as 

 just to keep the points from touching the 

 glass. At the beginning of March raise 

 the temperature 5° in the night, allowing 

 it to run up considerably with sun-heat in 

 the day. By the middle of the month, 

 when the weather is very bright, it may 

 be necessary to give for a short time in 

 the middle of the day a little air by open- 

 ing the ventilators about an inch or so ; 

 this will be enough, as if too much is 

 admitted it will seriously aff'ect the young 

 tender growth. 



It is at this season that careful attentioTi 



is most essential, to anticipate the rise in 

 temperature through the sun's influence in 

 the flne weather by timely stopping the 

 fires. It is an indication of the worst 

 possible management in the cultivation 

 of stove plants to be under the necessity, 

 through the inconsiderate use of fire- 

 heat, of admitting large volumes of cold 

 external air in the spring to keep down 

 the temperature sufficiency. If a little 

 air is given, as above advised, when the 

 thermometer rises to 80° in bright weather, 

 no harm will be done by its going up 6° or 

 8° higher, if the atmosphere is kept moist, 

 but the house must be closed sutficiently 

 early and the fires set going, so as not to 

 allow the heat to fiill too low. As the soil 

 becomes filled with roots the plants will 

 require a copious sujjply of water and a 

 free use of the syringe overhead. During 

 April, if all has gone Avell, every shoot 

 will have its point set with flowers ; it is 

 better to defer training until the bloom 

 begins to open, after "which the shoots 

 ought to be carefully wound round the 

 trellis, so as to distribute the flowering 

 points evenly over it. They will now 

 need water almost every day, and liquid 

 manure two or three times a week ; con- 

 tinue the use of the syringe, which will in 

 no way injure the flowers. The night 

 tempeiuture may be kept at about 70°, 

 with a rise of 10° or 15° in the day. They 

 will quickly push up another lot of shoots, 

 which, when commencing to bloom, should 

 be trained as were the preceding ; they 

 will thus keep on through the" season. 

 Give more air and less iire-heat as the 

 summer advances. By July the plants 

 may, if required, be removed to a warm 

 conservatory and placed where they will 

 not be under the influence of a draught 

 of external air ; here they will form con- 

 spicuous objects until the middle of August, 

 when they should be returned to the stove, 

 where they will, if wanted, continue to 

 flower for some time. Afterwards they 

 should be gradually ripened up, partially 

 dried off as in the preceding autumn, and 

 rested similarly. In January, as before, 

 cut them back, and shake about half the 

 soil from the ball, reducing a portion of 

 the roots. Kepot with new soil, and treat 

 in eveiy way through the season as advised 

 previously. " So managed the plants will 

 last for many years. 



Allamandas are amongst the best of 

 stove-climbers, for which purpose they 

 require to be treated as for trained plants, 

 except that the trellis is dispensed with and 

 the shoots ai-e not stopped further than to 

 induce their breaking, so as to furnish the 

 allotted space ; they should be freely cut 



