Greenhouae and Stove Plants. 



215 



pleasing combination of red and yellow, j 

 lasting for a considerable time, effective on 

 tlie plant and useful for cutting. \ 



The most usual method of increasing I 

 them is by division of the crowns, which 

 should be effected in the spring, before they 

 begin to grow ; turn the jjlants out of the | 

 pots and shake away the soil so as to admit I 

 of their roots being separated with as little I 

 breakage as possible ; then divide the { 

 crowns and place them singly in pots big I 

 enough to admit the roots they already | 

 possess, and others that will soon be j 

 formed, for Imantophyllums are free j 

 growers, and make roots almost as fast as | 

 Agapanthus umljellatus, which plant they 

 are not unlike in habit of growth. Pot in ' 

 good loam, to which add some sand, and at 

 once put the plants in an inteimediate 

 heat if such is at hand, if not keep them 

 close in a greenhouse with as little air as 

 possible, so as to get them into growth 

 quickly, for where the roots of any plant 

 have been broken, as unavoidaljle in divid- 

 ing the crowns, the injury is least where 

 growth afterwards commences without 

 delay. It will be an advantage to keep 

 the plants modeiately warm for two or 

 three months, giving them plenty of light 

 and water as needful to keep the soil well 

 moistened until the growth is finished, 

 after which they will do in any cool house 

 or pit at liberty. Imantophyllums require 

 no more shade than such as may be found 

 needful to keep the leaves from buiiiing, 

 which seldom occurs. 



Winter in a temperature such as the 

 generality of greenhouse plants require, 

 and in the spring move them into pots 3 or 

 4 inches larger. Ordinary greenhouse treat- 

 ment will now suffice, but they increase in 

 size more quickly if kept a little warmer 

 through the earlier part of the .spring and 

 summer, during which time all that are 

 strong enoiigh will flower. A continuance 

 of the treatment so far advised, will suffice 

 to keep them in health, giving pot-room 

 proportionate to the size the plants are re- 

 quired to be grown to. Large specimens 

 in 15 or 16 inch pots yield a quantity of 

 flowers annually, but in most cases smaller 

 examples will be more useful. If when 

 the plants get too large a medium size is 

 preferred rather than single crowns, they 

 may be divided into two or three in place 

 of being more reduced in size. When to be 

 forced so as to bloom early in the spring, 

 strong plants should be put in ordinary 

 stove heat about January, and kept well 

 supplied with water, and they will soon be 

 induced to push up their flower-stems. 

 The flowers will last longer if the plants 

 are kept moderately cool when in bloom. 



During the winter season comparatively 

 little water is lequiied, either in the case 

 of large or small specimens. 



/. Aitonii. Flowers red and yellow ; 

 blooms during summer, sooner or later, 

 according as it is cool or warmer. Cape ( 't 

 Good Hope. 



/. miniatum. A pretty red and yeUow 

 flowered kind. Africa. 



I. miniatum s'plendens. A highly-coloured 

 variety of the last-named. 



I. miniatum var. Martha Reimcrs. A 

 large, massive-flowered variety, an im- 

 provement on the older kinds. 



Insects. — Imantophyllums are not much 

 troubled with insects, their smooth, hard, 

 leathery leaves not afl'ording much harbour 

 to them ; should any of the ditt'erent 

 species of these pests at all affect them, 

 syringing and sponging will be found suffi- 

 cient for tlieir removal. 



IMPATIENS. 



Though very different from the common 

 Balsam of our gardens in general appear- 

 ance, I. Jerdonia3, which is a stove plant, 

 is botanically nearly related to it. To 

 those who love and grow flowers for their 

 own sakes, it is fi'equently a matter of sur- 

 prise that plants, beautiful in themselves, 

 veiy distinct in character, and, as one 

 might suppose, possessing every property 

 to lecommend them for growing generally, 

 should too frequently, through caprice, 

 fashion, or some unknown cause, be 

 allowed to go almost out of cultivation. 

 Such has been the case with the plant in 

 question. When first introduced, if our 

 memory serves us rightly, some thirty 

 years or so ago, it quickly became a 

 favourite, so much so, that few people 

 possessing a stove were without it. Its 

 compact habit and profuse disposition to 

 flower weie such as to place it within the 

 means of culture of those who had little 

 heated glass space. Another advantage 

 possessed by it is that it does not require 

 great heat, but there is one matter con- 

 nected with its cultivation essential to its 

 very existence, and that is that in the 

 winter when at rest, and all but denuded 

 of leaves, it must be kept very di'y at 

 the root, in a comparatively dry atmo- 

 sphere, and near the light, otherwise its 

 succulent stems are apt to decay. The 

 whole texture of the stem and branches of 

 the plant is very similar as regards their 

 fleshy character to the ordinary Balsam in 

 general cultivation, consequently it will be 

 seen that in propagation the cuttings will 

 not do to be kept too close or confined, and 

 they must have comparatively little mois- 



