U-veenliouse and Stuoe Plants 



12c 



from the bed in which the pots were 

 plunged the temperature should be kept 

 up to 70° so as to keep the growth moving 

 freely. Under this high pressure forcing 

 the crowns should be started about four 

 weeks before the flowers are wanted. 

 When clumps are used instead of selected 

 crowns, they require larger pots, and they 

 are better adapted for later flowering when 

 slower forcing will suffice. 



CONVOLVULUS MAURITANICUS. 



Among the large number of the climb- 

 ing or twining kinds of Convolvulus there 

 are few held in much favour for cultivation 

 in greenhouses, yet the species under notice 

 bears efl'ective flowers, and the habit of the 

 plant is such as to render it suitable for a 

 greenhouse. 



It is an herbaceous perennial, and can be 

 raised from seeds sown in pots filled with 

 ordinary loam in a greenhouse early in 

 spring ; move them singly into pots as 

 soon as large enough to handle, after which 

 grow on under greenhouse treatment, 

 training the shoots over the space they are 

 to cover, and giving increased root-room as 

 it is required. The flowers are blue ; it 

 blooms for a considerable time in summer. 

 From Sicily. 



Insects. — Greenfly frequently afi'ects the 

 young shoots ; fumigation is the remedy. 



COPROSMA BAUERIANA 

 VARIEGATA. 



A variegated evergreen plant from New 

 Zealand, that, ^^•hen well gro\\'n, is effective 

 among the green-leaved inmates of the 

 greenhouse. 



It is propagated by cuttings of the soft 

 shoots taken off in spring when about 2 or 

 3 inches long, put in pots filled with sand, 

 and kept close, shaded, moist, and warm. 

 Tlie treatment required from the cutting 

 stage and onwards is such as Fuchsias need, 

 and the young plants should be kept warm 

 so as to accelerate growth until they get 

 to moving freely. The leading shoots 

 should have their points pinched out two 

 or three times during the spring and 

 summer to cause freer growth in the side 

 brandies, Avhich in their turn must also 

 have their points pinched, otherwise the 

 plants have a straggling appeaiance. 

 Each spring cut the shoots in moderately 

 before growth begins. Ordinary loam and 

 sand with some leaf-mould is the best 

 material to grow this plant in, with pot- 

 room such as required for Fuchsias. There 

 is a green-leaved form that succeeds under 

 like treatment. 



Insects. — Th rips, aphides, and red spider 

 often attack these j^lants in sjjiing and 

 summer ; to keep them down syringe daily 

 through the growing season. 



CORDYLINE INDIVISA. 



This is a greenliouse ornamental-leaved 

 plant from New Zealand, neaily allied to 

 the Dracoenas, but requiring to be diffe- 

 rently treated, and is so much more diflicult 

 to grow that it is better to treat of its cul- 

 tivation separately. When fully grown 

 and in good condition, it is one of the 

 handsomest of the variegated-leaved plants 

 that are now so much cultivated. The 

 leaves are pale green, the midrib and 

 lateral nerves of a beautiful coial red. 



It is raised from seeds which should be 

 sown at the beginning of the year in large 

 pans in a mixture of fine-sifted loam, peat, 

 and sand, covering the seed slightly ; keep 

 in a temperature of about 60° in the night, 

 just moistening the soil sufficiently to 

 enable the seeds to vegetate. 1\\ the 

 spring, or as soon after as the seedlings are 

 large enough to move put them in 3-inch 

 pots, now using good yellow loam with a 

 moderate addition of sand, draining the 

 pots well, as the plant is very impatient of 

 anything approaching stagnant moisture 

 about the roots. The best place for the 

 young stock through the summer will be in 

 a pit which can be kept a little closer than 

 an ordinary greenhouse ; this will slightly 

 accelerate their growth. Shade slightly iii 

 bright weather. It may be well to mention 

 here that this Cordyline reqiiires to be very 

 carefully watered in all its stages, but more 

 jmrticularly as it gets large with a con- 

 siderable body of soil about its roots, 

 consequently it must never be watered 

 until the soil is approaching a condition 

 of dryness such as the roots would not longer 

 bear without checking groAvth ; when 

 water is given it must be in quantity that 

 will fairly moisten the soil, not more. 

 Winter in a temperature of about 50° by 

 night, and early in spiring move the plants 

 into pots 4 or 5 inches larger, using soil as 

 befoi'e, and keep them through the summer 

 at a greenhouse temperature with plenty of 

 light. They should now do without 

 shading except so far as may be necessary 

 to prevent the leaves getting scorched 

 should the glass in the roof be of a de- 

 scription likely to thus injure them, in 

 which case a little shade in the middle of 

 the day may be needful. It is well always 

 to keep this Cordyline a little Avarmer in 

 the winter than most greenhouse plants, 

 say 45° in the night, or a degree or two 

 higher will benefit it. If thev do well 



