202 



Greenhouse and Stove PlanU. 



the plants have a strong leader, wnth a de- 

 cided disposition to the pyramidal form 

 they are somewhat inclined to, the leading 

 shoot should be taken out, or they soon 

 get too hi,L,'h, and the base of the plant 

 becomes naked ; they are also sometimes 

 disposed to throw up a quantity of strong 

 shoots from the collar. These must be 

 removed while they are young, or they 

 quickly rob all the rest of the plant, and 

 also render it too crowded. During the 

 growing season keep the material on which 

 the pots are stood damped with the syringe 

 every afternoon, but never syringe these 

 plants overhead at all. The summer man- 

 agement should be similar to the last until 

 the middle of August, when they should be 

 turned out-of-doors — not in the full sun, 

 which is too tr>4ng for them, often render- 

 ing them hard, and inducing a stunted 

 condition from which they rarely recover. 

 The north side of a good hedge, or a low 

 tree that will somewhat break the mid- 

 day's sun, but where they mil receive it 

 morning and evening, will answer best. A 

 month's exposure this way in the open air 

 «-ill be found sufficient. The object of this 

 turning out is to harden the season's 

 growth so as to render it less subject to 

 mildew. A temperature of 40° by night 

 will now be sufficient during the winter. 

 If all goes M-ell the soil mil by March be 

 full of roots, and they should be moved 

 into 15 or 16 inch pots ; the peat should 

 be used in a lumpy condition, if it con- 

 tains plenty of fibre it may with advantage 

 lie used in pieces as large as hen's eggs. 

 Add now a little more sand than at the 

 first putting. Keep the plants well tied 

 out. If fresh sticks are added each time 

 the plants are potted the greater portion 

 necessary for the support of the plants can 

 be stuck in the new soil before the roots 

 enter it, by which means injury to the 

 roots will be avoided. Any branches that 

 are disposed to outgrow the others must 

 lie cut back to induce an ec[uality of 

 growth. Treat as before in the summer ; 

 by August a full crop of flowers will be 

 set on all the strongest shoots, after which 

 again turn the plants out-of-doors for a 

 month as in the preceding season. 

 Although, as already said, the plants 

 when they have got beyond their early 

 stages of groM'th should be stood out-doors 

 for a time at the latter end of summer, 

 when they have reached a blooming size 

 they must never be turned out until after 

 the' flowers are set, otherwise it is doubtful 

 if they mil bloom. With us H. tulipiferum 

 never set any flowers after being moved to 

 the open air. The flowers already set 

 assume a deeper red colour in the open air 



than when kept indoors. Even if no trace 

 of mildew can be discovered it will be a 

 good practice in October to slightly dust 

 the plants over with sulphur by way of a 

 preventive. Let it remain on for a week 

 or so, and then wash ofl^ with the syringe. 

 Winter as before. During the coming 

 season they should make nice specimens, 

 and mil bloom freely. As soon as the 

 flowers begin to get shabby they should all 

 be picked oft', and the plants placed in the 

 hardwooded house, where the lights are 

 closed with a little sun-heat on the house, 

 and water applied to the paths and stages 

 in the afternoons. This will quickly bring 

 them into free growth. When the usual 

 time in August arrives, turn them out as 

 before for a month to harden, in September 

 give them a shift — 3 inches will afi'ord 

 room sufficient for several years. In the 

 ensuing spring they should make fine 

 specimens, with a profusion of flowers. 

 If they have grown and their wood has 

 been ripened properly, the points of their 

 strongest shoots will be furnished mth 

 three or four blooms each. Through the 

 whole course of their existence the plants 

 must be kept in the desired shape by 

 stopping and training, as they wUl not bear 

 cuttirig back. 



There are three species now met with in 

 cultivation, all requiring similar treatment 

 as to soil, water, air, light, temperature, and 

 general management. 



H. fimhriatum. This is a more recent 

 introduction, not so well known, and 

 is a nice addition to the family, con- 

 trasting well with the others. Australia. 



H. Hookerii. A weaker grower than H. 

 tulipiferum, mtli smaller flowers, pale red 

 in colour, generally produced singly at the 

 points of the shoots. This species usually 

 opens its flowers earlier than H. tuli])!- 

 ferum, but leists even longer in good con- 

 dition than that species. Australia. 



H. tulijnferum. By far the best of the 

 genus ; its creamy - white bell - shaped 

 flowers, or floral leaves, when well 

 coloured, profusely streaked, and dashed 

 mth red, have a striking appearance, con- 

 trasting well with any other plant. Swan 

 River. 



Insects. — The disposition of these plants 

 to go oft' suddenly is somewhat favourably 

 counterl>alanced by their almost complete 

 immunity from insects. We have grown 

 plants for a dozen years and never seen a 

 single insect of any description upon them. 

 They appear to be thrip and red spider 

 proof. Brown scale, if it gets communi- 

 cated from some neighbouring plant, will 

 live upon them, but can be destroyed by 

 two or three washings mth insecticide. 



