Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



209 



or seventh of silver sand, according to tlie 

 quantity of it in the soil Drain mode- 

 rately, it is not a plant that requires a great 

 deal of water ; pot firm, tie out the shoots, 

 but do not bring them too low or down to 

 a positive!}- horizontal position at first, or 

 they will not be disposed to make much 

 progress — its natural stiaight habit causing 

 it to push out shoots fi'oni wheie it has been 

 so bent, which will drain all tlie strength, 

 starving the too low trained shoots so as to 

 prevent their further jjrogression. Place 

 t hem in a light situation where they Avill 

 have the air shut off early enough to close 

 in some sun-heat, so as to induce eaily 

 growth ; pinch out the points of the shoots 

 to cause them to l^reak. 



By the end of April, when the drying in- 

 fluence of the sun begins to be more felt, 

 draw the syringe over them and damp the 

 material on which they stand in the after- 

 noons. When growth has fairly commenced 

 and made some progress, if any shoots show 

 a disposition to run away with more than 

 their share of strength, keep such regulated 

 by further tying down, or they will rob 

 the rest. It is necessary to be more careful 

 in this matter with this plant than with 

 most others, for its slow disposition of 

 growth does not admit of any considerable 

 amount of wood being cut away. Its 

 leaves, being naturally hard in texture, 

 lose little by evaporation, and consequently 

 lequire little shade after this stage has been 

 reached, even in hot weather ; yet it and 

 others of similar nature, when gnnvn Avith 

 plants which do want shade, are not in- 

 jured by it unless too much is applied. 

 Treat through the summer as to water and 

 closing in sun-heat, with a damp night 

 atmosphere, until the end of August, when 

 more air may be given, and the plants pre- 

 pared for winter. As will be seen, no 

 second potting during the season is I'ecom- 

 mended for it, its nature neither requiring 

 nor permitting of such. Winter as advised 

 the preceding seasons. We should again 

 advise the removal of the flowers as soon 

 as they are large enough to be got at. As 

 before, when signs of growth are apparent, 

 move into pots 2 inches larger, stopping 

 the points of the shoots and tying them 

 down lower, as also any that have been 

 formed near the centre and show a dispo- 

 sition to monoj^olise more than their share 

 of sap ; treat as in the preceding summer, 

 again ha,rdening up the growth in autumn 

 by more air and a drier atmosphere. Tie 

 nicely out with a few thin sticks to the 

 principal branches — it does not require 

 nearly so much support in this way as 

 most plants — and draw the weaker shoots 

 into the places they are required. In the 



sjiring they will make nice decorative 

 plants, and when in flower through April 

 and May they can be remoA-ed to the con- 

 servatory or show-house, where the pre- 

 sence of this and similar hardwooded 

 subjects gives a character which the 

 employment of softwooded things alone 

 does not. Let them here liave a light front 

 position, where they will not be too much 

 crowded, and as soon as the beauty of their 

 flowers is over, move them back to their 

 growing quarters ; stop and pot as in the 

 preceding seasons, giving again a 2-inch 

 shift — more than which this plant rarely 

 requires. The future treatment each suc- 

 ceeding yeai' may be similar to that so far 

 advised, care being taken not to overpot, 

 or to pot at all unless the soil is well filled 

 with roots. 



Another method of treating this Hovea 

 is to grow it on without stopping, letting 

 it assume its natural form, which will be 

 to I'un up a considerable height before it 

 branches much. Its treatment in respect 

 to potting, soil, and other matters may be 

 similar in every way to the foregoing, with 

 the exception of its not being stopped or 

 trained, only just a single stick being used 

 to suppoit it. It may also with advantage 

 be kept a little warmer through the winter 

 and spring, the object being to get as strong 

 a plant as possible in little time, with 

 plenty of roots, and, when it is grown into 

 such, to head it down, when the root-power 

 it possesses will cause it to break up a 

 number of shoots all round the collar, that 

 make much more progress than is possible 

 with a young plant tiained from the first. 

 By far the best specimens of it we have 

 seen have been so obtained ; its natural 

 disposition for growing up in a thin, 

 straggling way is by this means best cor- 

 rected. 



After heading doAvn (which should be 

 done about the beginning of ]\larch), place 

 the plants in an intermediate tenqjerature, 

 near the light. Do not give more water 

 than just sutticient to keep the soil from get- 

 ting over-dry until after they have broken 

 an inch or two ; draw the syiinge over them 

 on the afternoons of dry daj's. Growth 

 from stools of this description will be much 

 more rapid than fi-om young plants. 

 When the shoots have pushed 8 or 9 inches, 

 which they will have done by the middle 

 of June, train them out, the strongest to 

 the outside, and pinch out the points, so as 

 to induce them to branch and form com- 

 pact growth. The plants, unless they have 

 been somewhat pot-bound, will not require 

 a shift until the sjjring following, when 

 they should receive it as early in the season 

 as they show signs of growth ; it is better 



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