COMBRETOM. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants 



12] 



very handsome, are borne in larne, spread- 

 ing, fan-shaped sprays a foot in length and 

 nearly as much in width ; the colour, red- 

 dish crimson, is rich and deep ; the flowers 

 are individually small, but they are pro- 

 duced in large numbers, standing close and 

 erect on the upper surface of the spike, 

 which assumes a horizontal position. The 

 plant is suitable for twining round a pillar, 

 clothing a rafter, or training as a specimen 

 on a tiellis. In the latter case it can be 

 used when in bloom for decorative pur- 

 poses in a warm conser\-atory or heated 

 Fern house ; yet it must not be subjected 

 to draughts in a cool house, as it is essen- 

 tially a warm stove plant, coming from the 

 liot, moist regions of Madagascar, and 

 therefore cannot bear for any length of 

 time either a low temperature or a dry 

 atmosphere. 



It is increased by cuttings, which by 

 many are found rather difficult to strike. 

 The strong young shoots are somewhat 

 pithy, long-jointed, and liable to damp off. 

 If cuttings made from growth of medium 

 strength that has got two-thirds ripened 

 are in the summer put singly in small 

 pots, filled with clean sand, placed in a 

 brisk heat moderately moist and kept 

 close, they will callus in a few weeks and 

 ultimately emit roots. As soon as these 

 exist in sufficient quantities to support the 

 cuttings, they should be gradually inured 

 to air by tilting the propagating glasses by 

 degrees until they can be dispensed with 

 altogether. The young plants should be 

 kept at the warmest end of the stove, and 

 when they have got enough roots to bear 

 moving, ought to be put in 4-inch or 5-inch 

 pots. The soil should consist of good 

 fibrous peat, without anything added, 

 except sufficient sand to ensure its keeping 

 for years quite porous. This latter is 

 essential, as the plant, from its evergreen 

 character, cannot bear shaking out like 

 some things. The soil must be kept 

 moist, but not too wet. Syringe daily 

 overhead, and slightly shade fi'om the sun 

 until the middle of September, when both 

 may be dispensed with till the spring. As 

 the days get shorter reduce the tempera- 

 ture, which may be kept during the season 

 of rest at 60° to 65° in the night, with 5° 

 higher by day. Less water should be 

 given through the winter. About the 

 middle of February let them have a little 

 more heat day and night, but do not pot 

 them until the roots have begun to move 

 freely, as they do not require nearly so 

 much root-room as some plants. At the 

 beginning of April they may be moved 

 into pots 3 inches larger, giving them soil 

 similar to that in which they were potted 



before. They sliould now have a few neat 

 sticks inserted in the soil, round which to 

 be trained. They ought to have their 

 points pinched out, so as to induce them 

 to make several shoots. The night tempe- 

 rature further on may be raised a few 

 degrees, and in the daytime be allowed to 

 run up to 80°, after which give air, closing 

 with sun-heat and syringing each after- 

 noon. A thin shade wU now be required 

 in bright weather. Do not over-water, as 

 this Combretum is comparatively a slow- 

 rooting plant, and until the roots have 

 begun to enter the new soil it is better to 

 keep it a little dry. Continue to syringe 

 overhead when the house is shut up in the 

 afternoon, with a moist atmosphere day 

 and night. As growth is made keep the 

 shoots trained regularly round the sticks, 

 for if allowed to l;)ecome entwined in each 

 other, they are liable to get injured when 

 being undone. 



Nothing further will be required, except 

 a continuance of this treatment until the 

 middle of July, when, if the plants have 

 made sufficient progress to bear a second 

 shift, again give them pots 3 inches larger, 

 using the peat in pieces a little larger than 

 previously. It is safer practice with sub- 

 jects of this description, Avhich do not make 

 rapid growth, to give two moderate shifts 

 in the season than one large one, as, if the 

 work is carefully done, they will not 

 receive any check. They will now need 

 larger and stronger sticks to support them, 

 and through the lemainder of the summer 

 will simply want attending to as before. 

 In September cease to syringe or shade, 

 giving more air and less moisture in the 

 atmosphere, as well as at the roots, so as 

 to discourage their making much growth, 

 and to ripen up the shoots. Eeduce the 

 temperature 5° both day and night through 

 the autumn, ultimately lowering it to the 

 point recommended for the preceding 

 winter. During the winter keejj them in 

 a light situation well up to the glass, for 

 upon the wood being well-matured will 

 depend their flowering freely the ensuing 

 summer. As the days lengthen, again 

 raise the temperature gradually as before, 

 and in April move them into pots 2 inches 

 or 3 inches larger, according to the quantity 

 of roots they are found to have ; in these 

 they must remain through the summer. 

 They should now be taken off' the sticks, 

 and have stout wire trellises placed to the 

 pots, round which the shoots should be 

 trained so that the bottom of the trellises 

 shall be well covered. Their treatment 

 through the growing season will require to 

 be similar to that which was recommended 

 for the preceding. By midsummer they 



