244 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



MANDEVILLA. 



bloom nicely the following year. The 

 flowers are of a brown colour. This 

 Magnolia forms a large bush, and is best 

 E'lited to a large cool house, where it will 

 go on for years if given enough root-room, 

 with the assistance of manure-water. 



Insects. — Syringe freely to keep down 

 red spider. Should aphides become trouble- 

 some fumigate with tobacco. 



MANDEVILLA SUAVEOLENS. 



In this we have one of the most desirable 

 plants for decorating the roof of a cool 

 conservatory or greenhouse. It is a climber 

 of moderate growth, bearing pure white 

 trumpet-shaped flowers, very handsome, 

 and highly fragrant. Its flowers are pro- 

 duced freely through the summer and 

 autumn ; it is very distinct in appearance, 

 and is in every way a much more suitable 

 plant for a roof-climber than numbers 

 that are more generally grown. In addition 

 to the properties already mentioned it has 

 the important advantage over many con- 

 servatory climbers of not being over- 

 rampant in habit. The deciduous habit of 

 the Mandevilla prevents any injury being 

 done by shading through the winter months 

 to plants grown nnder it, when all the 

 light that can be obtained is required. In 

 no way is the plant seen better than when 

 planted in the centre of one end of a span- 

 roofed house, and trained up along i;nder 

 the ridge, from which its blooming shoots 

 will hang in festoons ; a very few flowers 

 will scent a large house. It is not an over 

 strong rooted suljject, and will grow more 

 freely if planted in peat than loam, although 

 it will do in the latter. It is not suitable 

 for growing as a pot specimen, consequently 

 it is better to treat only upon its culture 

 as a climber. It comes from Buenos 

 Ayres. Like other subjects of not over- 

 strong habit, if turned out when small into 

 a considerable body of soil in an open 

 border, the chances are against its doing 

 well. It can be raised from seeds or from 

 cuttings, the last-named method will be 

 more within the reach of most cultivators. 

 Cuttings such as required will be found in 

 the right condition about May, in the 

 shape of young shoots that have been made 

 by established plants that have been cut in 

 and have broken fresh growth ; when these 

 are 4 or 5 inches long take them off with a 

 heel and put singly in small pots half 

 fiUed with sand and peat, the top all sand. 

 Kept .moist, shaded, and covered with a 

 propagating glass, in an intermediate tem- 

 perature they will soon root, after which 

 dispense with the glass, and encourage 

 growth by continuing a growing tempera- 



ture and syringing daily overhead. By 

 the middle of July the young plants should 

 be ready for moving into 3 or 4 inch pots, 

 using soil made moderately fine, with 

 some sand in it ; keep close until the roots 

 begin to move freely, after which admit 

 more air. A stick should be placed to 

 each plant, to which the shoots should be 

 trained ; give a little shade all through the 

 summer when the sun is powerful, towards 

 autumn admit more air, keep the atmo- 

 sphere drier, and leave off syringing. 

 Keep at a greenhouse temperature through 

 the winter, and about the beginning of 

 April move into 6-inch pots, treating 

 subsequently during the summer as in the 

 last, giving to each plant a tall stick, to 

 which train the shoots. Winter as before, 

 and about the beginning of April if well- 

 rooted give a 3-inch shift, use good fibrous 

 peat, to which add one-sixth of sand, drain 

 the pots well and pot firm, inserting just 

 inside the rim three or four 4-feet sticks, 

 round which through the season keep the 

 shoots regularly trained. While young 

 they are tender, and if allowed to get 

 entwined in each other they will be difficult 

 to separate, and are almost certain to 

 receive injury in the operation. When 

 potted, place them in a house or pit where 

 they can be kept moderately close for a 

 short time ; a temperature of 50° in the 

 night, with a rise in the day according to 

 the state of the weather, Asdll answer for 

 them. Do not give much air for a few 

 weeks until the roots have begun to enter 

 the new soil, only so far as requisite to 

 keep the temperature from rising too high. 

 When they show signs of growing freely, 

 give plenty of air in good time in the 

 morning and during the day, closing 

 sufficiently soon to raise the temperature 

 considerably by sun-heat. The plants will 

 now need more water at the roots, and as 

 the season advances it will be necessary to 

 use the syringe more freely than requisite 

 with many things, as it is subject to red 

 spider. To keep this pest in check the 

 whole of the leaves, on both the upper and 

 under surface, should be reached by the 

 water. Continue this treatment through 

 the summer, shading a little when the sun 

 is very bright, and moistening the atmo- 

 sphere by sprinkling the paths and under 

 the stages. Keep on treating in this way 

 until the beginning of September, when 

 they should be no longer syringed or 

 shaded ; give abundance of air so as to 

 discourage further growth and to ripen up 

 the wood. 



Keep them through the winter at an 

 ordinary greenhouse temperature of 35° or 

 40° in the night until the end of March, 



