EPIPHYLLUM. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plaftfn 



159 



During the time they are in the open 

 air they must not be suffered to get too 

 wet at the roots ; to prevent this the 

 plants should be laid on their sides when 

 heavy rain seems likely to occur. Keep 

 them regularly trained out during all stages 

 of their growth : they are peculiarly ea-sy 

 to keep in order in this respect, from the 

 flexible nature of their shoots, which will 

 bend readily in any direction. Winter 

 and treat generally as before such as are 

 required for early flowering, as to bringing 

 them into bloom and also when done 

 flowering. These early-flowering plants 

 should be potted as before directed, when 

 they have commenced growth ; even at 

 this size they will not require more than a 

 3-inch shift. The later varieties that 

 bloom in May or June had better not be 

 potted until they have flowered and com- 

 menced to grow ; treat them as before, 

 with additional shade and moisture in the 

 atmosphere, consequent upon the greater 

 amount of sun-heat at this advanced season. 

 The plants will not require potting after 

 this oftener than once in two or three 

 years, or they may lemain even longer if 

 assisted with weak trans]3arent manure- 

 water during the time they make their 

 growth ; plants so treated may be kept by 

 this means in a good healthy condition 

 without additional pot-room for si.x or 

 seven years. 



For winter and early spring flowering 

 the following varieties will be found good 

 in colour and constitution, and generally 

 useful either for cutting or conservatoiy 

 decoration : — 



E. hyaciiithina candidissima. AVhite. 



E. hyacinthina carminata. Carmine. 



E. hyacinthina fulgens. Bright pink. 



E. Kinghornii. 



E. Lady Panmure. White, tinged with 

 rose. 



E. Mont Blanc. White. 



E. Mrs. Pym. 



E. Salmonca. E eddish salmon, 



E. Sunset. Bright red. 



E. The Bride. Pearly white. 



E. Vesuvius. Crimson. 



For late blooming, especially when 

 required for exhibition, the undermentioned 

 more bushy-habited varieties will be found 

 the best : — 



E. Eclipse. Bright red, mouth of the 

 tube heavily tipped Avith pure white ; an 

 excellent strong-growing vaiiety. 



E. grandiflora rubra. Fine and strong, 

 rather deeper in colour than the preceding. 



E. miniata. Red, tipped with white. 



E. miniate splendens. Red tipped with 

 white. 



Insects. — Epacrises are i-arely affected 



with mildew, and are seldom attacked by 

 insects, except scale. The bi-o-svn species 

 can easily be destroyed by a dres.sing of 

 insecticide used strong enough to kill them 

 and applied when there is no growth going 

 on and the flowers are not far enough ad- 

 vanced to be injured thereby. White scale 

 on these, as on other plants, is difficult to 

 kill, and sometimes a stronger application 

 is necessary to destroy the insects than the 

 plants will well bear. The tender young 

 growing points of the shoots are sometimes 

 affected with aphides, but these are easily 

 destroyed by fumigation. 



EPIPHYLLUM. 



As decorative plants duiing winter and 

 spring the different varieties of E. trun- 

 catum have few equals. They bloom well 

 even in a small state, and can "consequently 

 be used either in 5 or 6 incli pots for the 

 decoration of the side stages in a stove or 

 intermediate house, or they can be grown 

 to a size suthciently large to fit them for a 

 central position in large i>lant structures. 

 In no way, however, are they seen to bett«r 

 advantage than when grown on their own 

 roots in the form of low spreading bushes 

 12 or 15 inches in diameter, plunged in 

 neat wire baskets of suitable size, fringed 

 with LycopcKlium cresium or other Club 

 Mosses, suspended from the roof of the 

 house in which they are placed. In this 

 way their drooping flowers are shown off 

 in the best manner. Showy flowering 

 plants with a drooping habit are not over 

 ]ilentiful, and it is well to use these 

 Epiphyllums in that way. If hanging 

 baskets Avere employed to a greater extent 

 than they usually are, the appearance of 

 plant houses, both warm and cool, would 

 be enhanced. Epiphyllums of this class 

 are easily propagated either by grafting 

 on the Pereskia stock, or by striking 

 cuttings for growing on their own roots. 



Cuttings made from pieces of the shoots, 

 consisting of three, four, or half-a-dozen 

 joints, taken off before growth has com- 

 menced, and inserted singly in small pots, 

 drained and filled with a mixture of equal 

 ])arts of sand and peat or sand and loam, 

 will strike root freely if placed in a brisk 

 heat and slightly but not over-moistened. 

 They should be kept moderately near the 

 light, but not under a propagating glass or 

 similar contrivance, as if confined they are 

 liable to rot. When the pots are filled 

 with roots, shift into others a size or two 

 largei", but they must never be over-potted. 

 A mixture of five parts turfy loam to one of 

 sand, with a sprinkling of potsherds, will 

 be fuund to suit them perfectly. Soil of 



