BOUGAINViLLEA. 



GrHtuhua.se and iSioce Flcmts 



11 



B. pinnata. This is the best of the 

 Boronias, as well as one of the most de- 

 sirable plants in cultivation. It is a good 

 grower, flowers freely, and with good treat- 

 ment will last for many years. We have 

 seen a plant of this variety in a 15-inch 

 pot for seven years, flowering every season 

 regularly, and in as good and healthy a 

 condition at the end of that time as it was 

 at the commencement. 



B. serrulata. This is a smaller-grow- 

 ing ditterent-habited plant, flowering 

 altogether from the points of the shoots. 

 It has bright - coloured flowers, highly 

 fragrant, a small plant being sufficient to 

 perfume a plant-house or large exhibition 

 tent. It flowers usually in April, May, 

 and June, lasting eight weeks in bloom. 



Insects. — They are all subject to brown 

 scale and aphides, their small leaves render- 

 ing it difficult to remove the former insect. 

 The best remedy is to wash them all o ver with 

 insecticide, laying the plants down on their 

 sides during the operation, which should 

 be done as soon as they show signs of com- 

 pleting their growth, before the flowers 

 show prominently, otherwise the washing 

 may cause them to drop ott". For aphides 

 fumigation is the best course to follow, 

 smoking them two or three times at in- 

 tervals of ten days. They are more or less 

 subject to mildew at all times of the year, 

 but especially during the winter and 

 spring, particularly if kept in too low a 

 temperature. They must be looked over 

 often, and sulphur carefully a])plied as 

 soon as the least trace of the paiusite is 

 discovered, for, if neglected, they will 

 quickly lose quantities of their leaves, and 

 this has a serious effect upon the roots. 

 Allow the sulphur to remain on three or 

 four days, then syringe clean oft", Ijeing 

 careful that none gets into the soil, or it 

 will endanger the health of the plants. 



BOUGAINVILLEA. 



Tliese are amongst the very finest stove 

 plants in cultivation, especially for cover- 

 ing a back wall or training on a roof, 

 where, if the long drooping branches are 

 allowed sufficient freedom, they have a 

 charming efl'ect ; when well managed they 

 are scarcely surpassed by any })lants in 

 cultivation. B. glabra is the freest-flower- 

 ing of all the species, blooming well 

 even in a small state, and when it has 

 room enough to attain a considerable size 

 it will keep on for tnost of the summer. It 

 is the best of the family for pot culture, to 

 which purpose it is particularly adapted, 

 either for the decoration of the stove or for 

 the exhibition stage. A description of the 



growth and flowers of this species (which, 

 for its general properties, is the best to 

 grow) will suffice for the othei's, as they 

 only differ, so far as the purposes of culti- 

 vation are concerned, in the strength of 

 growth and depth of colour in the flowers. 

 Bougainvilleas are very distinct from all 

 other cultivated plants, especially in the 

 general appearance of the flowers. These 

 are somewhat small and inconspicuous, in 

 form not unlike the individual florets in 

 a Lantana ; they are inclosed in large 

 bracts, which, while small, when they 

 first appear, are green, almost the colour 

 of the leaves. As they approach their 

 full size, about an inch and a half in 

 length by an inch in breadth, they, 

 however, assume a beautiful pale mauve 

 colour which lasts with little change for 

 several weeks, the strong shoots producing 

 a succession opening for a considerable 

 time. As fresh growth is made through 

 the summer, the flowering is prolonged 

 with little interruption until autumn, 

 esj^ecially when the plants are grown in 

 a brisk heat. There is one peculiarity 

 about the species, that it will flower pro- 

 fusely in a cool intermediate house when 

 planted out, but rarely makes much bloom 

 when its roots are confined in a pot, unless 

 it is grown in a higher temperature. It 

 also gives a much longer succession of 

 flowers when in a warmer situation. The 

 flowers of all the species have few equals when 

 cut for filling laig3 vases ; they are equally 

 suitable for bouquets, lasting longer, with 

 little or no moisture to su])port them, than 

 most things. They are all strong growers, 

 and require a considerable amount of root- 

 room to enable them to make growth 

 sufficiently to show their true character ; 

 they -will thrive in either peat or loam, 

 but the latter appears to suit them best, 

 as it does not so soon become exhausted. 



B. glabra does not require a long rest in 

 winter, and may be started early in the 

 year. From plants so treated cuttings 

 may generally be obtained by the be- 

 ginning of March. These should be taken 

 oft' with a heel as soon as they are 6 inches 

 long, and inserted singly in small pots 

 filled with three parts fine loam to one of 

 sand, with a little diuinage ; cover with a 

 propagating glass, and place in a night 

 temperature of 70°, allowing it to rise 8° 

 or 10° with sun-heat. Keep moist and 

 shade from the sun; they will root in a 

 few weeks, when they may be moved into 

 6 or 7 inch pots, mixing one-fifth rotten 

 I manure with the loam, and as much sand 

 as will keep the soil sufficiently open to 

 I allow the water to pass freely through it. 

 1 After the plants get fairly established in 



