192 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



GOMPHRBNA. 



will receive plenty of light, and not be 

 crowded too closely among other plants. 

 As soon as the flowering is over remove 

 them to the hard wooded house, and treat 

 as advised for the preceding season, except 

 that this summer they will not require a 

 second potting, except in the case of any 

 individual plant that appears unusually 

 strong, and gives evidence of more than 

 ordinary root-power. Such may receive 

 at the end of June a 3-inch shift, but with 

 these exceptions the spring potting will be 

 enough. Attend well to the plants through 

 the summer, more esj^ecially in the matter 

 of Avater, which should never be given to 

 them by inexperienced hands, or all the 

 previous care will very likely be thrown 

 away. Gradually inure to all the air possible 

 through the autumn, without placing them 

 in a cold draught too near where air is 

 admitted. They must never be submitted 

 to exposure in the open air, as in the case 

 of such plants as are stronger in constitution 

 or require it to induce a flowering dis- 

 position. These Gompholobiums are 

 naturally such free-bloomers, that if in 

 health they are certain to bloom profusely. 

 Continue to give the necessary attention 

 to training before the shoots get too much 

 entangled, and in the winter remove all 

 the sticks, using in their place such as will 

 meet the requirements of increased growth. 

 Through the winter keep them where, the 

 temperature will be a little over that 

 required for the greater number of green- 

 house hard wooded subjects, say not lower 

 tlian 40° in the night. In the succeeding 

 May and June they should make good 

 blooming plants, fit for exhibition if so 

 required. They should not be placed 

 where they will be subjected to a low 

 temperature, such as many plants can bear 

 early in the spring in a north retarding 

 house, or the chances are that there will be 

 serious loss of leaf through mihlew ; but, 

 as their flowers begin to open in IMay, they 

 may with advantage be removed to such a 

 situation ; it will otherwise be necessary to 

 shade them while in flower, as the sun 

 destroys the beautiful bright colour of the 

 flowers. 



After blooming this season lay the plants 

 on their sides, and give a good washing 

 with clean water applied by the syringe. 

 This will remove any dirt that may have 

 accumulated on the leaves while in flower, 

 and keep down insects. As soon as they 

 have pushed freely into growth give such 

 as seen to require it a 3-inch sliift ; this 

 will be as much as even the strongest 

 plants of Gomphololiium will ever need. 

 They naturally flower in a younger state 

 than many things, and conseauentlv do not 



often last so long. Such as retain health 

 and keep on growing until the soil gets at 

 all exhausted, may be assisted with weak 

 manure-water in the season of active 

 growth. As these plants are not so long 

 lived as some others it is well to keep up 

 the stock by each year starting two or 

 three young ones to take the place of any 

 that may go off. 



G. harhigerum. Is one of the purest 

 yellow flowers in existence, and is a general 

 favourite. 



G. polymorphum splendens. This, the 

 best of the genus, has dark crimson flowers, 

 with a lighter-coloured eye, three-fourths 

 of an inch in diameter. In a well-grown 

 healthy plant they are produced in quan- 

 tities for from four to six weeks during the 

 spring. The plant has when either in or 

 out of flower a very distinct appearance. 



Insects. — We have already alluded to 

 these plants being subject to red spider and 

 pointed to the necessity for a vigilant look- 

 out for this insect ; this is the more 

 necessary as they are sparse-leaved, and if 

 once their leaves are seriously injured the 

 roots will suff"er in proportion, and the 

 plants will never afterwards look so well. 

 They are sometimes attacked by aphides 

 upon the points of the young shoots, but 

 these can easily be kept down by fumiga- 

 tion. 



GOMPHRENA. 



(Globe Amaranth.) 



This old well-known annual is a native 

 of India, and is one of a genus most of 

 which are plants of shrubby habit. The 

 long duration of its hard papery textured 

 flowers make it valuable for decoration 

 in the greenhouse or dwelling. The seeds 

 should be sown about April in pans filled 

 with fine soil in a hot-bed, house, or pit, 

 where a temperature of about 60° can be 

 maintained with the soil kept moderately 

 moist. The plants will soon come up, 

 when stand near the glass, shading slightly 

 from the sun, and give air in the day. As 

 soon as the young seedlings are 2 or 3 

 inches high move singly into 3-inch pots, 

 using good turfy loam well enriched ; keep 

 a little close for a few days, after which 

 give a moderate amount of air in the day 

 with a little shade when required. Syringe 

 overhead and keep the soil moderately 

 moist. When the roots have got full hold 

 of the soil move into 6 or 7 inch pots, 

 which will be large enough for them to 

 flijwer in. After this treat as before ; the 

 plant is naturally of a branching habit, but 

 as they grow larger each will require a 

 small stick to support the leading stem. 



