Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



195 



liglit, giving a slight shade in the middle 1 

 of the day in bright weather ; admit a 

 moderate quantity of air, close the house 

 early, and slightly damp them overhead at 

 the same time. Eeduce the temperature in 

 the autumn to 55°, at which point they 

 may be kept during the winter, and at the 

 same time give as much water as will pre- 

 serve the soil slightly moist. Give the 

 young plants as long a season of growth as 

 possible by placing them about the middle 

 of February in a temperature of 60°, and 

 giving a little more moisture to the soil as 

 soon as they show signs of growing. In- 

 crease the temperature both by day and 

 night as the weather gets warmer, shading 

 slightly as before and syringing a little 

 when the house is closed in the afternoons. 

 By midsummer they will most likely have 

 so far filled their pots with roots as to re- 

 quire moving into others of a larger size, and 

 now the soil should be a little more lumpy, 

 and should have added to it enough sand 

 to keep it quite sweet. After this treat the 

 plants through the autumn and winter as 

 recommended for the preceding season, 

 again starting them early ; or if there is 

 the convenience of a house that is kept 5° 

 warmer during the winter from the first 

 than the temperature prescribed, they may 

 with advantage remain in it, by which 

 means they will make more progress. If 

 the growth is satisfactory, the strongest 

 plants will most probably flower in the 

 autumn three years from the time the 

 seeds were sown, although the bloom-spikes 

 will not be nearly so strong as when the 

 bidbs get fully grown, which will very 

 likely be two years later, when they will 

 increase by making offsets. After flower- 

 ing each autumn they will make their 

 growth, during which time they should be 

 kept at about the same temperature as that 

 already recommended, and supplied libe- 

 rally with water until the growth is 

 finished, which will be apparent by the 

 leaves attaining their full size and solidity. 

 ^Yhen the plants have begun to bloom it 

 will to some extent alter the time of their 

 growth, retarding it considerably, so that 

 it may not be completed before May, after 

 which the soil ought to be maintained as 

 before described in a slightly moist state. 

 During the summer the increase of solar 

 heat and the higher temperature necessary 

 for the other occupants of the house will 

 cause them to push up their bloom-stems, 

 the flowers opening through the autunm. 

 Each year after bloondng they require 

 larger pots, and until they begin to increase 

 freely by offsets, an inch shift at a time 

 will generally be enough, as they must 

 never be over-potted, although as the speci- 



mens get large they will make an abun- 

 dance of roots and fine leaves, and require 

 proportionate pot-room, while the flowers 

 also will be proportionately strong. When 

 the plants attain specimen size it will not 

 be necessary to pot them every year. A 

 very imperfect estimate can be formed ot 

 the beauty of GrifSnias while they are in a 

 comparatively small state with one or two 

 flower-spikes as compared with large 

 examples that will produce from a dozen 

 to thirty, each proportionately larger than 

 those borne by smaller plants. They may 

 be gro-tt-n on until they fill IS-inch or 

 20-inch pots, or be divided as already de- 

 scribed. Those who are fortunate enough 

 to possess a good stock of these valuable 

 plants will do well to grow both small and 

 large specimens. When in flower they 

 may be placed for several weeks in a con- 

 servatory somewhat warmer than an 

 ordinary greenhouse, but they should not 

 remain too long, especially if the autumn 

 is far advanced and the weather getting 

 cold, as they wiU be commencing gi'owth, 

 which would get checked, and thus mate- 

 rially interfere with their progress daring 

 the ensuing season. 



The undermentioned, if treated in accor- 

 dance with the above directions, will be 

 found an acceptable addition to any collec- 

 tion of plants : — 



G. Biumenavia. A smaller-growing 

 species than G. hyacinthina maxima ; 

 flowers a little earlier in the season. From 

 Brazil. 



G. hyacinthina maxima. A large and fine 

 species, with bluish-violet flowers, each 

 petal having a white stripe from the base 

 down the centre for a considerable portion 

 of its length. A large specimen will bloom 

 through the whole of the latter part of the 

 year. A native of South America. 



G. ornata. A new introduction from Rio 

 de Janeiro, with large heads of purplish- 

 lilac flowers fading off to white. A very 

 free bloomer, sometimes producing two 

 scapes from a single bulb ; it flowers in 

 the autumn or winter. 



Insects. — When aphides afi'ect the 

 young leaves and flower-stems, they may 

 be destroyed by fumigation and sponging. 

 Thrips also attack the undersides of the 

 leaves, and should be either cleaned off 

 with a sponge dipped in tobacco water, or 

 fumigated. Bro\\'n scale and mealy Isug 

 will also affect them ; these can be best 

 removed by sponging. 



GUILIELMA. 



A small genus of stove Palms ot tall, 

 slender habit, presenting quite a contrast 



