Greeiihoicse and Stove Plant. ^. 



61 



intensely-coloured and profuse flowering 

 sorts grown ; ought to be in every 

 collection. 



A . Siyisin imdRucker. Lilac-rose, bordered 

 and netted witb white, bright crimson 

 blotch. 



A. sinensis. Orange-yellow; an in- 

 dispensable old sort, fine and distinct in 

 every way. 



A. Souvenir de Madame Rudolph Abel. 

 Salmon, white edge, and crimson blotch ; 

 semi-double. 



A. Stella. Bright orange-scarlet, with 

 violet centre ; a good strong grower, and a 

 profuse flowering variety. 



For forcing in the winter season the 

 white soits are the best ; nothing is better 

 than Fielder's White, next to which stands 

 the old White. The Chinese species, A. 

 vittata striata, is a most useful sort for pio- 

 ducing cut flowers in the autumn and 

 winter ; it comes in without any forcing, 

 lasts for months in succession, and produces 

 freely its beautiful white lilac-striped 

 flowers. 



Insects. — Thrips are the greatest enemy 

 of Azaleas, and red spider will much injure 

 them ; for the destruction of both dip in 

 and syringe with tobacco water, to which 

 is added some gishurst compound ; repeat 

 the operation as often as the insects make 

 their appearance. This is better than 

 fumigating, which often injures the leaves, 

 and, so far as red spider is concerned, has 

 no eftect. 



BABINGTONIA CAMPHOROSM-ffi. 



This is an evergreen greenhouse shrub 

 that bears pink flowers in autumn. It is 

 not equal to many plants that are from the 

 same country. Swan River. 



It is propagated from half-ripened 

 cuttings put in towards the middle of 

 summer, kept close, moist, and shaded in 

 warmth. "When rooted pot and treat 

 afterwards similarly to Croweas, which 

 see. 



Insects. — For aphides and thrips 

 fumigate or dip in tobacco water. Syringe 

 and sponge if the plants are aft'ected with 

 scale. 



BALANTIUM CULCITUM. 



(Syn. : Dicksonia culcita.) 



An evergreen greenhouse Fern, with a 

 stout distinct habit of growth. This plant 

 may be considered worth growing by those 

 who form collections of Ferns, but it is 

 not equal to many kinds. It comes from 

 Madeira. 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Ferns, general details of culture. 



BALSAM. 



(hnpatiens.) 



This is a somewhat numerous genus of 

 plants, the greater portion of which are 

 annuals that, with the exception of the 

 old-fashioned kind so much cultivated for 

 the summer decoration of greenhouses, 

 conservatories, rooms, &c., find little favour 

 with growers. The plant is too well-known 

 to require any remarks further than that 

 those who are commencing to grow it 

 should make sure that they secure a good 

 strain of seed ; the poor single-flowered 

 varieties, of which there are so many, re- 

 quire as much attention as the best double 

 blossomed strains, and are so far inferior as 

 not to be worth growing. 



The seeds should be sown about the end 

 of March in a shallow pan filled with fine 

 sifted loam, to which has been added some 

 leaf-mould and sand ; cover the seeds 

 lightly, and stand in a temperature of 55°, 

 they will come up in a few days, when 

 keep close to the glass. This is important 

 in all the stages of growth, as if the plants 

 get at all drawn they are of little use. 

 Shade slightly from the sun, and as soon 

 as the second pair of leaves appear move 

 singly into 3-in. pots, using soil similar to 

 that in which the seeds were sowti ; keep 

 a little close until the roots have begun to 

 take to the new soil, and give water as re- 

 quired. Afterwards admit air in the day 

 so as to keep them sturdy ; in a few weeks 

 they wall require moving into 6 or 7 inch 

 pots, and now use the soil in a more himpy 

 state, but well enriched with rotten manure 

 — a proportion of one-sixth, with some 

 leaf-mould as well, will not be too much. 

 Syringe overhead every afternoon, and 

 give more air as the season advances, still 

 shading just enough to keep the leaves 

 from being injured. \Vlien the soil is 

 moderately full of roots move them into 

 their flowering pots, the size of which 

 should be regulated by the size the plants 

 are intended to be grown to — a 10 or 11 

 inch pot will support a good-sized plant. 

 After repotting treat as before, and as soon 

 as the roots have had time to get well hold 

 of the soil give manure- water every other 

 time they require watei'ing, still syringing 

 overheaci daily in bright weather until the 

 flowers begin to open. Whilst in bloom 

 protect from the full force of the sun, or 

 the flowers will not last so long as they 

 should. It is necessary with these plants 

 to h& particularly careful that they never 

 sutt'er from want of water in all their stages 



