CLERODENDRON. 



Greenhouse and iStoce Plants. 



Ill 



position over the other occupants of the 

 house such as these roof-climbers are at all 

 infested with these pests, as a natural con- 

 sequence they affect every plant standing 

 under them that the insects will live upon, 

 entailing an endless amount of labour. 

 The position of plants thus trained on the 

 roof renders them much more difficult to 

 clean than when grown as ordinary pot 

 specimens ; it is equally of importance 

 that any plants at all affected with these 

 insects that are introduced to the house in 

 which roof-climbers are grown should 

 never be stood in contact with the stems 

 of the climljers, for if so placed the pests 

 are sure to be communicated to them, the 

 worst results of which must follow. Let 

 the planting-out be done sufficiently early 

 in spring, before any growth has com- 

 menced, so that the necessary disentang- 

 ling of the roots from the ball of earth 

 with a view to spreading them in the new 

 soil, can be carried out without injury, 

 which would follow if growth in either 

 roots or branches had begun. After plant- 

 ing give no moi'e water until they have 

 commenced to grow ; this is necessary to 

 keep the soil in a suitable condition. 

 During the growing season keep the shoots 

 regularly tied up into the place allotted to 

 them, and supply the roots with water. 

 This Clematis is very appropriate for ^jlant- 

 ing at one end of ahouse, and training under 

 the ridge. When allowed to hang thinly 

 in festoons it has a good effect, and is more 

 fitting for being so grown than things 

 which are not naturally calculated for ex- 

 tending ftir. As the soil in which the 

 roots are placed gets exhausted, recourse 

 must be had to stimulants in the shape 

 of copious waterings during the growing 

 season with liquid manure and renewal of 

 the surface soil in the spring by removing 

 an inch or two from the top of the border 

 the roots occupy, and replacing it with 

 new. When the space is filled which the 

 plants are intended to occupy, each year, 

 after flowering, the knife should be freely 

 •Lised so as to reduce the shoots within 

 proper limits, and to allow room for the 

 season's growth. 



Insects. — Red spider will, during hot 

 weather, sometiuies make its appearance 

 on this Clematis, and should be guarded 

 against by a free use of the syringe. Bro^vn 

 scale can be removed by sponging in the 

 usual way. If white scale gets ujjon this, 

 or any plant grown overhead on the roof, 

 there is no chance for its extirpation except 

 cutting the head close in during the winter 

 when at rest, and dipping or washing the 

 affected stem and remaining shoots with a 

 strong solution of insecticide. 



CLERODENDRON. 



There are three very distinct sections of 

 Stove Clerodendrons ; one consists of de- 

 ciduous twiners, of which C. Balfouri may 

 be taken as a representative ; a second is 

 C. splendens, which is also a twiner, but 

 differs from the last-named section in being 

 evergreen and in requiring different treat- 

 ment ; then comes the third division, which 

 consists of evergreen shrubs very distinct, 

 and which neecl treatment different from 

 the others. A selection from these sections 

 may with advantage find a place amongst 

 the best collections of plants ; they have 

 much to recommend them, inasmuch as 

 they grow freely, and succeed with less 

 attention than most things, not being im- 

 patient of either drought or moisture to 

 such an extent as the generality of culti- 

 vated plants. The Chinese C. fragrans is 

 one of the sweetest-scented floweis grown. 

 Another advantage which Clerodendrons 

 possess is, they can be flowered in either a 

 large or small state, several of them being 

 alike suitable for twining round a jiillar or 

 for draping a rafter. Where room is a con- 

 sideration, there is another property pos- 

 sessed by the shrubby species that is de< 

 serving of attention ; it is the way in which 

 they may be cut in every autumn, so as to 

 occupy little room duiing the winter ; not 

 only will they bear this treatment without 

 injury, but to keep them in their wonted 

 shape it is necessary to so reduce their size 

 as to literally head them down. 



As regards cultural requirements, let us 

 commence with the shi'ubby kinds, of 

 which we may take C. fallax as a good 

 representative. This is a vigorous growing 

 shiub, with ample lively green leaves, 

 supported on stout petioles 8 or 10 inches 

 in length ; above these, from the points ot 

 the current season's shoots, spring the 

 flowers, which are bright scarlet in colour 

 and borne in very large stately, erect 

 panicles, 10 inches in diameter and a loot 

 liigh. This sort strikes readily fi'om 

 cuttings, which can generally be obtained 

 about the end of June. When they can 

 be got 6 inches long they should be taken 

 off with a heel and inserted singly in 3-in. 

 pots in half sand and finely-sifted loam ; 

 the soil ought to be kept moist and the 

 propagating glasses sufficiently close to pre- 

 vent the leaves flagging ; these, from their 

 size and somewhat soft texture, will not 

 bear so much air as some kinds of foliage 

 until roots are formed. They should be 

 in a temperature of 70° at night, and 

 allowed 10° more in the daytime during 

 bright weather. The cuttiugs will root in 

 a few weeks, when the glasses may be i-e- 



