DRAC^NA. 



Greoihouse and Stove Plants. 



153 



tinct and luuidsome kind. South Sea 

 Islands. 



D. Frederici. A hybrid variety ; dark 

 bronzy-green leaves, edged and veined with 

 crims(jn. 



D. Goldicana. A most remarkable and 

 distinct species ; the leaves are broad 

 and pointed, greyish-green ground colour, 

 banded across with broad irregular mark- 

 ings of whitish grey alternating with dark 

 green. Tropical Africa. 



D. gracilis. A small-growing kind with 

 slender narrow leaves. A useful decorative 

 plant. 



D. Ouilfoylei. Another very distinct 

 and handsome kind ; ground colour light 

 green, striped with wliite, pink, and red. 

 South Sea Islands. 



D. Mrs. Bause. A stout short-leaved 

 variety, ground colour deep green, mai'gined 

 with blight crimson. 



D. Princess Margaret. Different in ap- 

 pearance from most others, medium in 

 giowth, midiib crimson, most of the leaf- 

 blade white, striped with pale green suf- 

 fused with pink. South Sea Islands. 



IJ. pulcherrima. A medium - growing 

 kind, with narrow leaves ; very graceful 

 in appearance ; colour green, with red 

 and white markings. South Sea Islands. 



D. Rex. A hybrid variety of distinct 

 character ; stout in habit ; leaves bronzy- 

 green, streaked and edged with carmine- 

 red. 



D. Shepherdii. One of the largest and 

 strongest growers of the family ; the leaves 

 are very long and broad, and of difi'erent 

 shades of green, tinged with bronzy-red. 

 South Sea Islands. 



D. superba. A small -leaved hybrid 

 variety ; leaves 12 inches long by 1 inch 

 broad, bronzy-green, edged with red. 



B. terminalis. One of the oldest, but 

 still one of the very best for general de- 

 corative purposes, grown more than all 

 others put together for market, as it will 

 stand much hard usage. Leaves bronzy- 

 green, edged and suffused with pale trans- 

 parent red. East Indies. 



I), terminalis alba. A form of the above 

 with a good deal of white in the leaf 

 marking. 



Insects. — Thrii3S,red spider, and aphides 

 can be easily kept under by syringing. 

 Should brown scale or mealy bug attack 

 them, sponging is the best remedy. 



DRAC^NA. 



(Ghxenhouse.) 



The greenhouse kinds of Dracrena are 

 elegant in habit, and are well atlapted for 

 conservatory decoration as also for standing 



in rooms, corridors, and similar places 

 where their stately appearance is seen to 

 the best advantage. 



Such kinds as D. australis — one of the 

 best and inost generally useful — can be 

 raised from seed, which should be sown in 

 spring in pans filled with finely-sifted 

 peat with a little sand added ; cover the 

 seeds lightly and stand in a temperature of 

 55° or 60°, keeping the soil slightly moist 

 and shaded from the sun until the seeds 

 vegetate, after which keep them near the 

 glass, give more air and shade a little from 

 the sun. They should remain in the seed 

 pan until each plant has got several leaves 

 5 or 6 inches long, when mo^•e singly into 

 3-inch pots, now using good loam broken 

 fine, mixed with a moderate amount of 

 sand. As soon as the roots are fairly 

 moving in the new soil subject the plants 

 to greenhouse treatment, giving air freely 

 during the day, a little shade, and water to 

 the soil so as to keep it moderately moist ; 

 syringe overhead in the afternoons, but 

 discontinue this in the autumn. Keep 

 through the winter in a night temperature 

 of 40°, regulating it in the day according to 

 the weather. In the spring about April 

 move them into pots from 4 to 6 inches in 

 diameter, according to the amount of roots 

 each plant is found to have when turned 

 out of the old ones. After potting treat 

 throiigh the summer as in the previous 

 season, again giving a little sliade in the 

 brightest weather ; this summer a low pit, 

 where they will be near the glass and can 

 have 2)lenty of air, will answer best. 

 Syringe each afternoon — this is essential 

 with this plant through the growing 

 season in all its stages to keep down red 

 spider, which if allowed to get established 

 on the leaves does irreparable mischief by 

 causing them to turn yellow and die otf 

 prematurely. All that is subsequently 

 required is to give more pot-room as it is 

 wanted, and to continue other matters as 

 already advised, being careful that tlie 

 roots never want moisture. "Want of 

 moisture tends to injure the lower leaves, 

 and thus to detract much from the appear- 

 ance of the plants. If well cared for this 

 Diactena will attain a height of 6 feet or 

 more before the bottom leaves begin to go 

 off. Other sorts like D. congesta, D. rubra, 

 and D. lineata, are increased by cuttings 

 made from both the thick extremities of the 

 roots, and fi'om slujots such as are pro- 

 duced from the old stems of plants that 

 have had their heads removed ; the young 

 growths should be taken olf when they 

 have grown to a length of 6 or 8 inches, 

 securing the firm woody portion of the 

 bottom. Strip ofi:' three or four of the 



