lO 



Grt'oihuuse and Stoce Flant.-i. 



kind from Mexico, producing purple and 

 red floweis. 



B. magnifica. A new species of mode- 

 rate growth ; crimson tiowers with a purple 

 shade. It comes from the United States of 

 Colombia. 



B. ornata. A desirable variety, mode- 

 rate in giTjwth. 



B. i^urpurea. A stout-growing, very 

 handsome kind, bearing large mauve- 

 coloured flowers, with white centre. 

 Country not kno'mi. 



B. venusta. An autumn-flowering, 

 orange-coloured kind from South America. 



Insect-s. — Bignonias are not much sub- 

 ject to insects. Aphides will sometimes 

 make their appearance on the young 

 growth, but can be destroyed by fumiga- 

 tion. Where the syringe is freely used 

 during the growing season red spider w411 

 be kept down. If the plants become 

 aftected with scale, it must be removed by 

 sponging, by which means and a free use 

 of the syringe they can be cleansed from 

 mealy bug should this pest aff"ect them. 



BIGNONIA. 



(Greenliousc.) 



The different species here treated of 

 are climbing or twining plants, and are 

 suitable for greenhouse or conseivatory 

 decoration, ^or roof-climbing, for cover- 

 ing back waUs, or growing round pillars. 

 So managed their natural habit is seen 

 to advantage, as a portion of their shoots 

 can be alloAved to hang in graceful fes- 

 toons ; and grown in this way they are 

 very efi'ective even when not in flower. 

 They can be arranged to drape the wood or 

 ironwork of the building so as to take oft" 

 the objectionable straight lines without 

 shutting out too much light from the 

 general occupants of the house. This is a 

 matter that cannot l^e too forcibly impressed 

 upon those who have the charge of plant 

 structures of this description— that where 

 roof-climbers are allowed to form a com- 

 idete thicket i;p to the glass, they exclude 

 the light from the plants that occupv the 

 lower stages, so that the latter can 'only 

 drag out a miserable existence. 



Eoof-climbers have an elegance that 

 cannot be imparted to ordinary trained pot 

 specimens ; but to allow the comparatively 

 few plants that can be accommodated on 

 a rocf to monopolise the whole house, .so as 

 to render the cultivation of everything else 

 attempted to be groA\Ti an impossibility, is 

 as great a mistake as can well be committed. 

 In this as in most other things a medium 

 course is the best ; the roof of a con- 

 servatory can be sufficiently draped with 



climbers to answer the purposes required, 

 witliout making the body of the house a 

 mere living sepulchre for the unfortunate 

 plants placed therein. Subjects for fur- 

 nishing the roofs in this way can either 

 have their roots kept confined in pots pro- 

 portionately large to the size of the plant, 

 or, as is more usual, be planted out ; the 

 latter system has many advantages, not the 

 least of w'hich is that the plants will last 

 much longer so treated, but the space thus 

 aj^portioned to the roots should always be 

 sufficiently confined to prevent the plants 

 getting too rampant. Nor should plants 

 intended for growing in this way ever 

 be turned out in beds whilst they are 

 very small ; in many cases, unless naturally 

 strong growers, they do not do well, as 

 when the roots are few in quantity they 

 cannot lay hold of the soil before it gets 

 sour, and rarely afterwards do satisfactorily, 

 Thei'efore if the plants are small it is 

 generally Ijetter to grow them on in pots 

 until stronger, and afterwanls to j)ut them 

 out. 



Climbers are often grown for sale and 

 kept with their roots confined in small pots 

 until they get so stunted as to prevent 

 their growing freely ; it is much better to 

 start wdth such as are young and free in 

 growth than with those that may be larger 

 yet not in so good a condition. 



Greenhouse Bignonias can be increased by 

 root cuttings, or layers of the shoots ; the 

 former should be made of bits of medium 

 strength, cut into lengths of aljout an inch, 

 and treated generally as for shoot cuttings. 

 Layering, however, will usually be found 

 the safest way of propagation in private 

 gardens, and it may be carried out at dif- 

 ferent seasons. If clone towards the end of 

 summer, some 6-inch pots should be filled 

 with a mixture of ]ieat, loam, and sand, 

 and such of the current season's shoots as 

 spring sufficiently near the base of the 

 plant to be convenient for operating upon 

 should be layered singly ; the joint that is 

 to be inserted in the pot should be notched 

 and secured with a small hooked stick, and 

 covered with soil. Press the soil firmly, 

 and keep it moist ; in this way the shools 

 must remain '.mtil well-rooted, which will 

 be during the ensuing summer. Then 

 sever them from the parent plant and keep 

 through the winter in an ordinary green- 

 house temperature. They should be potted 

 on in April, and be given a 3-inch shift. All 

 the kinds here treated of will succeed in a 

 mixture of turfy loam and fibr( is peat in. 

 equal proportions, to which should be added 

 I enough sand to keep the wliole porous ; do 

 ! not make the soil too fine, and pot moderately 

 ! firm. In most cases it will be better t*.-"- 



