EUPHORBIA. 



Greenhouse and Utove Fkmt.<. 



175 



covering a wall in the stove, and. there is 

 no situation where it looks better, or where 

 its peculiar form and intense scarlet flowers 

 are seen to more advantage ; but the 

 position in wliich it is placed should always 

 be a light one. 



E. jacquini?ettora is very different in 

 habit and general appearance from the last ; 

 it blooms in winter, at which time its 

 intense scarlet flowered, wreath-like shoots 

 are unsurpassed by any jdant in cultivation. 

 It is a free-grower, and equally free in 

 blooming ; the flowers last well eitlier on 

 the plant or when cut and placed in water ; 

 it gives a succession from a second growth, 

 which the plants will make after the first 

 flowei-ing shoots have been cut. The beauty 

 of the flowers is much enhance<l by the 

 dark-green lanceolate leaves which form a 

 background to them ; it combines well 

 with almost any other desciiption of flower, 

 being especially suited for using in large 

 vases, where its flat sprays can with the 

 greatest advantage be employed as a base 

 for lighter-coloured things. Some growers 

 have experienced a difficulty in striking it 

 from cuttings. The soft sappy nature of 

 the young shoots, if they are taken oft" 

 after they have extended consideiably, 

 causes a liability to damp ; in fact, if 

 cuttings are made in the ordinary way, 

 very few will root. But if in the spring 

 the young shoots that are made after the 

 plants have bloomed are taken oft" with a 

 heel when about 5 or 6 inches in length 

 and inserted in small pots, drained, and 

 filled with silver sand, placed in a tem- 

 perature of 70°, and covered with pro- 

 pagating glasses, not one in twenty will 

 fail ; it is the heel of partially solidified 

 wood that is essential to success. They 

 must be kept quite nroist, and so managed 

 will root in a few weeks, after which 

 remove the glasses, and let them have 

 plenty of light. When they get fairly 

 established move them into 4-inch pots. 

 It does the best in good fibrous loam, to 

 which add one-fifth of sand, and drain the 

 pots sufficiently, as the roots are very 

 impatient of stagnant moisture ; do not 

 give too much water till they get well hold 

 of the soil. The plant has naturally an 

 erect habit — not disposed to branch out 

 much ; if required bushy, the shoots may 

 be stopped or bent down when they get 

 fairly into growth, so as to induce them to 

 break back. The temperature may now 

 be allowed to rise in the day to 80°, 

 with sun heat, and air be given in the 

 morning according to the state of the 

 weather ; close while the sun is on the 

 glass sufficiently to raise the heat for an 

 hour or two up to 85° or 90°, syringing 



overhead at the same time ; be careful at 

 all times, but especially after potting, not 

 to over-water, for the plant does not make 

 so many roots as most things, and will not 

 bear the soil being too wet ; they will 

 require a thin shade when the sun is 

 powerful, but should have plenty of light, 

 or the natural straggling habit will be still 

 fuither increased. By the end of June 

 they ought to be moved into their flowering 

 pots ; those 6 or 7 inches in diameter will 

 be large enough, using soil similar to that 

 in which they were last put, with the 

 addition of one-sixth rotten dung ; as soon 

 as established give manure-water regularly. 

 Place a single stick to each plant, which 

 will be sufficient to support them ; con- 

 tinue the treatment as to heat, air, and a 

 thin shade when necessary, until the end 

 of August, when dispense Avith shading 

 and the use of the syringe, and give more 

 air, which will gradually discourage further 

 growth and rijjcn up the shoots. As the 

 autumn advances reduce the temperature 

 to 60° in the night, giving 5° more in the 

 day. If they are requirecl in bloom by the 

 end of the year, it will be necessary to 

 keep a portion of the plants 5° warmer, 

 and they should be jilaced where the tops 

 of the shoots will all but touch the glass. 

 This is necessary to impait both colour and 

 substance to the flowers. As the flowers 

 become apparent at the axils of the leaves 

 the plants will be benefited by manure- 

 water, which will not only assist the first 

 blooms they make but enable them to push 

 the second growth strong, which will also 

 bloom. Huch plants as are kept cooler to 

 succeed the first lot must not have too 

 much water at the root, especially if they 

 are kept a little under G0° in the uight, 

 but it is not safe to submit them to a much 

 lower temperature than this ; before they 

 are requii'ed to bloom they must be kept 

 warmer, and the increased heat will in a 

 few weeks caiise the flowers to open. 

 After the flowering is over allow the soil 

 to get considerably drier, and head the 

 plants down to within 6 inches of the pots ; 

 keep them in a temperature of 65° in the 

 night, and give no more Avater than will 

 just prevent the soil getting quite dry, 

 until they have broken, and made several 

 inches of growth, when, if more plants are 

 required, the shoots may be taken off and 

 struck, as in the preceding spring. The 

 rest of the plants should be turned out of 

 the pots, two-thirds of the old soil removed, 

 and be given pots 2 inches larger, which 

 will be big enough to grow them on 

 through the ensuing summer ; assist them 

 with manure-watei' when the soil gets 

 [ well filled with roots, and treat in other 



