EUPHORBIA. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



171 



temperature of 70° ; if tliey can be plunged 

 in a bottom heat 10° higher, they will 

 progress all the quicker. In this tempera- 

 tuie they will grow fast. Shade slightly 

 during the hottest part of the day in very 

 bright weather, but in doing so do not 

 darken the plants too much, or they will 

 grow up weakly. Let them have a mode- 

 rate amount of air early in the day, shut- 

 ting it off in good time in the afternoon, 

 and syringing overhead at the same time. 

 They will bear during summer as much 

 heat as the generality of stove plants. It 

 will not be advisable the tirst summer to 

 rest the smaller bulbs for flowering, as it 

 will be better to get as much growth as 

 possible. Early in August shift them 

 into pots 2 inches larger than those they 

 are in ; continue to give them a liberal 

 amount of heat and moisture, both at the 

 roots and in the atmosphere, until autumn, 

 when they will have made considerable 

 progress. 



At this time, when the leaves are fully 

 matured, cease shading, and gradually 

 withhold water till the soil gets so dry as 

 to cause the leaves to flag slightly ; do not 

 let them be injured by the want of it, but 

 give a little just to freshen them up, and 

 again alternate the treatment by drying 

 and then slightly watering them. Con- 

 tinue this treatment for a month, during 

 which time i\ni\ can be kept in a night 

 temperature of 55°, with a few degrees 

 moi'e warmth during the day ; then they 

 may be well watered and placed in 10° 

 more heat — if they can be i)lunged in 10° 

 higher than this it will be still better. So 

 managed they will quickly push up their 

 flowei-stems, and they should be encou- 

 raged by being supplied with plenty of 

 water at the roots and as much heat as is 

 consistent with the diminished light of 

 the season. Thus treated, when their 

 lilooming is over they will grow on slowly 

 through the winter, and after their full 

 development they may be again submitted 

 to the drying and resting process, after 

 which increase the temperatuie, give water, 

 and treat them in every way as before. 

 This alternate growing, resting, and flower- 

 ing can be practised two or three times in 

 the year with the best results without 

 injuring the plants in the least. Do 

 not at any time pinch them as regards 

 pot-room. When the soil is well tilled 

 with roots they will be much benefited by 

 a good soaking with manure-water once or 

 twice a week. For general purposes mode- 

 rate-sized plants in 12-inch or 13-inch 

 pots will be found the most convenient, 

 but where it is desired they may be grown 

 on into specimens 6 feet across by simply 



using pots or tubs proportionate in size. 

 When large they make fine exhibition 

 plants, their general appearance being such 

 as to contrast well with their associates. 



E. Candida difl'ers little from E. ama- 

 zonica, except that the flowers are much 

 smaller and more elegant ; the foliage is 

 also distinct. It is a native of the United 

 States of Colomljia, and a most desirable 

 kind. 



E. Sanderii has pure white flovv-ers in the 

 way of those of E. amazonica, 2i inches to 

 3^ inches in diameter ; it will be' an accept- 

 able addition to stove bulbous plants. It 

 comes from New Grenada. 



Insects. — Most of the pests that infest 

 stove plants will live upon Eucharis, but 

 from the nature of the leaves, they are 

 more easily destroyed than on many plants. 

 If thrips or greenfly make their appearance, 

 fumigation will generally be found to be 

 the best remedy, but from the regular use 

 of the syringe these and red spider are not 

 often troublesome. Should scale or mealy 

 bug gain a footing they must be diligently 

 sought for and removed by means of 

 sponging, using a soft brush for the bases 

 of the leaf-stalks where the bugs will be 

 found to lodge ; foi-, if not desti'oyed, they 

 will increase"" greatly and both disfigure the 

 plants and do them serious injury by the 

 constant cleaning process which their pre- 

 sence makes necessary. 



EUGENIA. 



These are evergreen plants varying in 

 habit ; some are shrubs, whilst others 

 assume the proportions of trees. Only a 

 few are worth growing under glass, and 

 these cannot be counted as above second- 

 rate in comparison with the many desirable 

 plants with which our greenhouses abound. 

 They can be propagated and grown on 

 similarly to Myrtles, which see. 



The two species best adapted for cultiva- 

 tion in a greenhouse are : — 



E. ajjiculata. A white-flowered kind, 

 from Chili. 



E. Ugni. Bears white flowers, and is 

 also a native of Chili. 



EUPHORBIA. 



The genus Euphorbia comprises a large 

 number of plants, existing in a wild state 

 imder the most opposite conditions of heat 

 and cold, dry and moist atmosphere, from 

 the Valerian-leaved (E. valerianaefolia) 

 of Siberia to the curious-crested angled E. 

 lophogona, that flourishes in the hot regions 

 of Madagascar, the interesting E. orientalis 

 from the Levant, to the splendid scarlet 



