ERYTHRINA. 



Greenliouse and Stove Plants. 



169 



within ten days immediately after flower- 

 ing, before growth has commenced. The 

 way this insect principally injures the 

 plants is by coating over with its excre- 

 ment the upper surface of the leaves, as if 

 they were varnished, clogging the pores, 

 and causing them to prematurely turn 

 yellow and ftxll off. This washing has also 

 a beneficial effect in removing dust that 

 adheres to the foliage and becomes fixed in 

 the small drops of glutinous fluid that are 

 secreted by the flowers. 



ERYTHRINA CRISTA-GALLI. 



This greenhouse species of the Coral 

 tree is from the cooler regions of Brazil ; it 

 belongs to a splendid genus of plants, many 

 of which acquire a considerable size in 

 their native country, but grown as a pot 

 specimen it can easily be kept within 

 reasonable bounds. That this Erythrina 

 is not more generally cultivated can only 

 be accounted for Ijv the reason of its having 

 no pretensions to Iseing new in the country, 

 and on that account, like numbers of other 

 things of real merit, it is comparatively 

 neglected. It has a very distinct appear- 

 ance — the peci;liar form of its large coral- 

 red flowers, produced freely at the axils of 

 the leaves for three-fourths the length of 

 stately shoots, 4 or 5 feet high, backed by 

 handsome glossy foliage, makes it Avhen 

 well managed one of the finest conservatory 

 plants grown. It is frequently subjected 

 to stove treatment, by which it can be 

 induced to flower t'W'ice in the year— spring 

 and autumn — but when thus grown in heat 

 the shoots are always more or less dra^wn 

 up in a way that gives it a weak loose 

 appearance, much inferior to its character 

 when in the cooler atmosphere of the 

 greenhouse. 



It is of very easy culture, succeeding in 

 either peat or loam, or in a mixture of 

 both, but good loam is preferable, as in it 

 the growth is somewhat more compact, the 

 leaves smaller, and the flowering more 

 profuse. 



Cuttings such as produced in the spring 

 from the collars of established plants should 

 be taken oft' with a heel when about 5 or 6 

 inches long ; put singly in 3-inch pots in 

 sand, kept close, moist, and shaded in a 

 moderate stove-heat, they will root in 

 five or six weeks, when dispense with 

 covering, and as soon as they begin to 

 grow away freely move into 6-inch pots. 

 When the roots have fairly entered the 

 \new soil subject the plants to greenliouse 

 treatment, with air and plenty of water to 

 the roots, and syringe daily. In the 

 autumn when growth ceases they should 



receive very little water — only just as 

 much as is requisite to keep the soil from 

 getting quite dry, as the object is to check 

 any disposition to growth, and the plant, 

 unlike most others, will bear this kind of 

 treatment Avithout injury. This partial 

 drying-off will cause the previous summer's 

 shoots to show signs of dying down, and 

 when this is apparent they may be headed 

 back to within a few inches of the collar. 

 They should then be placed for the winter 

 in an ordinary greenhouse, and in spring, 

 as soon as shoots spring up from the base 

 and have acquired a length of 3 or 4 inches, 

 the jDlants should be turned out of the jiots, 

 the greater portion of the old soil carefully 

 shaken from the roots, and repotted in good 

 fibrous loam, to which has been added one- 

 sixth of rotten dung sifted quite fine ; 

 break the loam up with the hand, \ml do 

 not make it too fine, and mix with the 

 whole a good portion of sand. Give suf- 

 ficient drainage, for although in the case 

 of a plant like this, that should in a mea- 

 sure Ije shaken out every season, it is not 

 necessary to take so much precaution in 

 drainage as for things that cannot bear 

 the interference with their roots consequent 

 upon a lenewal of the sc)il, so much water 

 is required thnnigh the growing season 

 that both soil and drainage must be 

 such as will admit of its passing freely 

 away. Plants of the size above spoken of 

 will bear a 10-inch or 12-inch pot ; the 

 soil should be made moderately firm. 

 After potting replace in the greenhouse, 

 but do not give more water than will just 

 keep the soil a little moist, until the roots 

 begin to move freely, when more will be 

 needed. As the weather gets warmer, 

 syringe overhead every afternoon so as to 

 moisten the leaves all over. This will 

 encourage growth, and keep in check red 

 spider, l3y which it is sometimes afl'ected. 

 Wlien the shoots get a foot or so long, but 

 before they are too stiff', tie them out in a 

 horizontal position towards the sides of the 

 pot, but do not bring them too low, or 

 they will cease growing from the points 

 and break back, which with this Erythrina 

 is not desira1)le ; nor should the points be 

 stopped at all, but simply allowed to grow 

 on to a fl(jwering state. Give plenty of 

 light and air, so as to keep the growth 

 stout and conqiact. When the shoots have 

 extended so as to require it, put to each a 

 neat stick sufiiciently strong for support. 

 The plants will need nothing more than 

 attention with water, and when the flowers 

 begin to show, and the ball is full of roots, 

 liquid manure may with advantage be 

 given twice a week. The blooms will 

 commence to open about July, when they 



