242 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



MACKAYA BELLA, 



can be removed to a conservatory kept at 

 a temperature in accordance with their re- 

 quirements. When the flowering is over 

 they may be moderately shortened back 

 and kept on through the winter as before, 

 giving them a liberal shift in the spring, 

 and, to still further promote growth, 

 supply them with manure-water during 

 the summer. They will this season make 

 fine decorative objects when in bloom, 

 after which treat as previously, giving 

 more root-room as required. Where in- 

 tended for planting out, a moderate extent 

 of border must be prepared, sufficiently 

 drained by means of a layer of 2 or 3 inches 

 of broken bricks, pebbles, or anything of 

 a similar character. The plants should be 

 turned out in the spring just before growth 

 commences ; if delayed until later on, some 

 check to the young shoots will follow the 

 necessary disturbance of the roots, which, 

 if coiled to any extent round the ball, 

 should be loosened so as to be directed 

 into the new soil ; make this moderately 

 firm, otherwise the water will pass through 

 and leave the ball dry, a condition essenti- 

 ally opposed to free growth. When pre- 

 paring the soil, if, in addition to sand, a 

 sprinkling of broken sandstone or pot- 

 sherds is added to it, it will benefit the 

 plants, as we have always noticed that the 

 material in inside borders is more disposed 

 to get into a sour, unhealthy state than when 

 it is fully exposed to the open air. The 

 plants should be spread out to cover the 

 wall or end of the house, as the case may 

 be, so as to furnish the whole properly 

 from the first, as where attention is not 

 paid to this matter the growth is naturally 

 directed upwards, leaving the lower space 

 deficient, a condition which it is after- 

 wards difficult to remedy. Where a pillar 

 has to be clothed it will be well, instead 

 of stopping the plants, so as to induce their 

 branching out more than requisite, to allow 

 one or two of the strongest shoots to take 

 the lead so as to attain the required height, 

 merely pinching the points at intervals that 

 will cause them to sufficiently furnish the 

 space as they progress. 



L. Pinceana. A native of Nepaul, has 

 white flowers, sometimes slightly tinged 

 with pink. It requires treatment such as 

 advised for L. gratissima. 



Insects. — The less injurious kinds of 

 insects wiU in a great measure be kept 

 down by the syringing advised. If aft'ected 

 with scale or bugs, syringe and sponge 

 with insecticide. 



LYGODIUM. 



A genus of climbing or twining Ferns, 



comprising stove and greenhouse species ; 

 among them are some alike remarkable for 

 their elegant and distinct habit. Varying 

 as they do so much from other Ferns they 

 are worthy of being much more grown 

 than they are at present. The slender 

 thread-like shoots of L. scandens are very 

 effective when used in arrangements of cut 

 flowers. 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Ferns, general details of culture. 



STOVE SPECIES. 



L. lanceolatum. 



L. polystachyum. Malay Archipelago. 



GREENHOUSE SPECIES. 



L. articulatum. New Zealand. 

 L. japonicum. Japan. 

 L. scandens. East Indies. 



MACKAYA BELLA. 



There are few plants which have been 

 introduced to this country in recent years 

 that produce such lovely flowers as this 

 Acanthad. It is a native of South Africa, 

 and has so far been found a somewhat shy 

 bloomer, but this most likely is owing to 

 its requirements as to temperature not being 

 sufficiently understood, as it evidently is 

 one of a number of beautiful flowering 

 species we possess that will only bloom 

 meagrely or not at all if grown in a hot 

 stove temperature, and yet do not suc- 

 ceed well with the warmth of a green- 

 house. It is propagated by cuttings of the 

 young shoots produced after flowering. 

 These can be obtained about midsummer. 

 They should be put singly in small pots 

 in sand under a bell-glass in a temperature 

 of 70°, kept moist, close, and shaded. They 

 will soon root, and then should be gradu- 

 ally allowed more air ; keep them close 

 to the light, and directly they are well 

 furnished with roots, move them into 

 6-inch pots in turfy loam, with some 

 sand ; pinch the points out to induce 

 bushy growth. The heat of a cool stove 

 or intermediate house is what is required, 

 with more air than stove plants generally 

 like, and no more shade than is found 

 needful to keep the leaves from scorching ; 

 syringe daily until autumn ; then keep the 

 atmosphere drier and allow the soil to get 

 a little drier also. A night temperature 

 of 45° to 50° will suit the plants through 

 the winter, with a rise in the daytime, 

 more or less, as the weather varies ; from 

 55° to 58° vn\l be right. 



In March increase the warmth 5" in the 

 night, and to 60° or 65° by day, moving 

 them into 10-inch pots ; raise the tempera- 



