82 



Greenhouse and Stove Plant t 



disposition to bloom. If in such a position 

 provision can be made to plant them in an 

 outside border as vines are usually planted, 

 taking the stems inside, low down, and 

 thereis enough room for the head to extend, 

 the effect they produce when covered with 

 their large flowers is very fine. Brug- 

 mansias increase freely from cuttings made 

 of the points of the shoots about three or 

 four inches long taken off in spring. They 

 should be put singly in small pots filled 

 with sand and loam, and placed in heat, 

 where they make roots in a few weeks. 

 Then they should be moved into pots two 

 or three sizes larger, with good ordinary 

 loamy soil, to which a moderate quantity 

 of rotten manure is added. After the plants 

 get to growing freely treat in every way as 

 for ordinary greenhouse stock, giving a 

 moderate amount of air in the day -svith 

 plenty of water and a free use of the syringe 

 daily through the growing season. By the 

 end of June they should have made enough 

 progress to require moving into 8 or 10 

 inch pots. The usual way of growing them 

 is in the form of small standards on stems 

 from 4 to 5 feet in height : the first season 

 the gro-wth should be directed so as to form 

 this erect stem, and to get them up to a 

 handsome size without loss of time. In 

 the autumn when growth has ceased give 

 less water, using no more through the 

 winter than is sufficient to keep the soil 

 from getting quite dry ; during this time 

 warmth such as is kept up in an ordinary 

 greenhouse will suffice. About the begin- 

 ning of March turn them out, remove all 

 the loose soil, and put them in 12 or 13 

 inch pots, cutting the point of the stem 

 back to induce their breaking several shoots 

 s(j as to form a head. When they push 

 into growth remove such shoots as are not 

 well placed. Keej) the plants in a green- 

 house through the spring and summer with 

 plenty of light and air, .syringing overhead 

 daily ; they may be expected to flower 

 about the beginning of August and Sep- 

 tember, when they can be placed in a 

 conservatory, where they will be attractive 

 for some weeks. Brugmansias are gross 

 feeders and must have plenty of water 

 whilst growing, and during the time they 

 are in flower. Through the winter treat 

 as before ; each spring turn them out of the 

 pots, reduce as much of the ball as can 

 be done witliout disturbing the roots, 

 replace it with new, and give larger pots 

 or tubs as the plants increase in size. 

 Every spring before growth begins the 

 branches should be well cut in so as to keep 

 the heads within a size proportionate to the 

 place they are to occupy. When they are 

 to be planted out it is better to grow them 



for the first year in .pots, turning them out 

 the following spring before growth begins, 

 and cutting' back the stem to induce the 

 formation of shoots. These latter must 

 subsequently be stopped and trained as 

 required to furnish the space destined to 

 be covered. 



The undermentioned are all fine kinds: — 

 B. hicolor. Flowers red ; a large grower. 

 Peru. 



D. Jlorihunda. Orange-coloured flowers. 

 South Amei'ica. 



B. Knigktii. A very handsome white 

 flowered kind. 



B. suaveolens. Has immense, drooping, 

 white, trumpet-shaped flowers, which it 

 produces freely. A native of Peru. 



B. Waymanii. A dwarf-growing, white 

 and purple flowered kind. From South 

 America. 



Insects. — Red spider, aphides, and most 

 of the other leaf parasites that prey on 

 plants, will thrive on Brugmansias , much 

 will be done to keep red spider and aphides 

 down by tlie regular syiinging already 

 advised. If mealy bug or scale make their 

 appearance, sponge and wash with insecti- 

 cide. 



BROWNEA. 



These are among the finest of all ever- 

 green stove shrubs. One of the finest of 

 the species, however (B. Ariza), attains the 

 height of a moderate-sized tree. Their 

 large dense heads of flower are almost 

 equal in size to the trusses of the finest 

 of the Rhododendrons ; they are only 

 suitable for a large house, where they have 

 room to show their true character They 

 may be gro^vn in large pots or tubs, but 

 are better turned out in a prepared bed. 

 They succeed in a mixture of half peat and 

 loam of a good turfy nature. 



Cuttings of the current season's shoots, 

 in a nearly mature condition, put singly in 

 small pots filled with sand, in autumn, and 

 kejjt moderately close and moist in a tem- 

 perature of about 60°, will callus ovei', 

 and make roots during the wdnter. When 

 well rooted, remove the glasses, and stand 

 near the light. In spring increase the 

 heat in the night to 65°, letting it rise pro- 

 portionately more in the daytime. The 

 plants should now be moved to lai'ger pots, 

 and as the sun gets powerful shade in the 

 middle of the day, giving air at the same 

 time. Syringe overhead in the evenings. 

 Continue to treat thus until the autumn, 

 when lower the temperature by night 

 to 60°, at which keep them through 

 the winter. Give larger pots in spring ; 

 the plants, if all has gone well, will 



