170 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



EUCHARIS. 



can be placed in the conservator)'-, where 

 tliey will be found very effective at a time 

 when the greater portion of flowering 

 subjects are over. When done blooming 

 the plants may be stood out-of-doors and 

 supplied with water until tliey show signs 

 of going to rest, when the quantity given 

 must be much reduced, as in the preceding 

 autumn, after which cut the shoots down 

 and winter as before. In the spring again 

 shake them out and remove into pots 4 or 

 ti inches larger, which will be as big as 

 ever they will require, and treat in every 

 way as advised for the previous season. 

 So managed they will go on for a number 

 of years^ throwing up a score or more 

 strong blooming shoots. 



Insects.— This Erythrina is not usually 

 much troubled with insects ; if greenfly 

 makes its appearance they can be destroyed 

 by fumigating ; red spider will rarely 

 aifect it if syringing is attended to as re- 

 commended. 



EUCHARIS. 



Of all plants requiring stove treatment 

 that have been introduced into Europe 

 during the present century there are few, 

 if any, that have become more general 

 favourites than Eucharis amazonica, or 

 that better deserve to be grown by all who 

 have the convenience of a house wherein a 

 sufficiently high temperature can be main- 

 tained. When this plant first made its 

 appearance in this country the extreme 

 purity of its lovely white flowers, combined 

 with their exquisite fragrance, at once pro- 

 duced an impression in its favour, even 

 though imperfectly grown— imperfectly so 

 far, that the small-pot culture, to which it 

 was then thought best to confine the plant, 

 was not such as to admit of that full de- 

 veloimient which it has since exemplified 

 under more liberal treatment. The re- 

 striction of its roots to promote flowering 

 has been found to be altogether unnecessary 

 and to seriously prevent the bulbs from 

 increasing as they wovild do if accommo- 

 dated with plenty ot space. In this it 

 differs from most bulbous plants, the 

 generality of which do not succeed well 

 imder pot culture unless their roots are 

 somewhat confined. It has no particular 

 season of flowering ; with suitable treat- 

 ment the same plants will bloom two or 

 three times in the course of the year if 

 subjected to alternate short seasons of 

 growth and rest. To do it full justice it 

 should not be moved when in bloom to a 

 conservatory or other house cooler than 

 that in which it has been brought into 

 flower. Growth should immediately folhjw 



the production of bloom, and it naturally 

 receives a check if taken from a warm to a 

 cold temperature. It is a remarkably 

 effective plant in the stove, its ample deep 

 green leaves setting off to the best ad- 

 vantage the numerous umbels of wax -like 

 flowers that rise well above them. It is, 

 however, especially for the jiroduction of 

 cut flowers for filling vases and for bou- 

 quets that it is most valuable, almost 

 rivalling in these respects the Camellia 

 itself. In addition to the individual 

 flowers standing well when cut (which 

 their j^eculiar texture and substance en- 

 sure) each umbel opens its blooms con- 

 secutively so that almost every flower can 

 be used as required, a circumstance that 

 has made the plant a general favourite 

 with those who grow flowers for market, or 

 who have to provide for private establish- 

 ments wliere a continuous supply is needed. 

 Propagation is effected by separating the 

 bulbs, which increase moderately fast when 

 well grown, but, like most other evergreen 

 bulbous plants, it does not like to have its 

 roots much disturbed. Interfering with 

 them, to the extent necessary when sepa- 

 rating them, has the effect of retarding 

 growth for a time ; thereftjre plants of this 

 Eucharis should only be broken ujd when 

 they have either got larger than is requisite, 

 or when it is desirable to increase their 

 number. The time for carrying out the 

 operation should also be chosen when 

 growth is complete ; it should not be 

 attempted when the leaves are in course of 

 formation, or when they are not fully 

 matured. Let us suppose that early in 

 the spring a large plant exists which it is 

 deemed advisable to break up. Turn it 

 out of the pot, and, if the roots are very 

 much matted and the soil is of an adhesive 

 character, it will be difficult to separate 

 them without breaking ; to avoid this 

 place the plant in a tub Lwge enough to 

 admit the ball, half fill it with tepid water, 

 and work out all tlie soil with the fingers, 

 which will leave the roots so that they can 

 be sejDarated with little breakage. The 

 bulbs may be divided with a knife at the 

 point where they adhere to each other, or 

 j they may be parted by hand, singly, or 

 two or three together, and put in pots 

 from 5 inches to 7 inches in diameter. 

 When growing, a copious supply of water 

 is required ; consequently the pots must 

 be well drained. This Eucharis will 

 thrive in good turfy loam, to which add as 

 much sand as will keep it porous. Pot 

 firmly without injuring the roots, and 

 cover the bulbs to about half their depth. 

 Do not give much water until growth has 

 commenced. Place them at once in a 



