NERIUM. 



Greenhouse ami Stove Plants. 



261 



the fact of the place they deserve being 

 occupied by infeiior subjects. The indi- 

 vidual flowers are not unlike those of a 

 small Caination, and are produced in lai-ge 

 bunches on the points of the mature growth. 

 Neriums are plants of very easy culture, 

 growing freely in almost any kind of soil, 

 either loam or peat ; in the latter their 

 handsome shining leaves attain a larger 

 size and deeper hue ; in loam, the disposition 

 to make growth is not so great, which is 

 rather an advantage, as they flower more 

 freely. There is one thing that especially 

 commends them to the notice of those who 

 require decorative flowering plants in 

 quantities : that they can either be giown 

 into large specimens or be managed so as 

 to bloom in a small state. Nothing in the 

 way of flowering plants in 6 or 7 inch pots 

 can be more beautiful than are these 

 Neriums when well grown, in which state 

 they can be used for conservatory decora- 

 tion, or in any place whei'e there hajJiiens 

 to be so little light as would cause death or 

 .serious injury to most things. 



The propagation of Neriums is as easy 

 as their after grttwth. About the end of 

 March take off the points of the shoots, 

 consisting of three joints or so, remoAe the 

 leaves from the lowest one and trim the 

 base at the joint ; pi;t the cuttings singly 

 in 3-inch pots filled with half loam and 

 sand, with a little sand on the top, stand 

 in a moderate heat, keep close and moist, 

 with a little shade when necessary. They 

 will root in a few weeks, when gradually 

 inure to more air, and after they are fairly 

 established give still more, and pinch out 

 the points. By June move them into 6 or 

 7 inch pots, using soil similar to that in 

 which they weie struck, but containing 

 less sand ; as soon as they have begun to 

 root freely in the new soil they will do 

 best with ordinary greenhouse treatment, 

 giving plenty of water to the roots, and 

 syringing thiough the summer daily. In 

 autumn admit more air and keep the soil 

 drier ; winter at about 45° in the night, 

 and when the object is to grow them on 

 into large specimens they should, about 

 the middle of March, be moved into j^ots 

 4 inches larger than those they have occu- 

 pied. As they are not impatient of having 

 their roots interfered with they should be 

 gently loosened and spread out a little in 

 the new soil, which ought to consist of 

 good fibrous loam, broken not too fine, to 

 which has been added a moderate quantity 

 of sand. Use the potting lath, so as to make 

 the soil solid, place the plants where they 

 can be kept a lit Lie close, and syringe over- 

 head every afternoon, closing the house 

 early enough to cause the temperature to 



rise considerably. They require a plentiful 

 supply of water when growing, and must 

 not be allowed to become dry — they will 

 need even immediately after potting a 

 good deal more than most things, and 

 when the roots have fairly commenced 

 giowth they want over double the quantity 

 lequisite for many haidwooded plants. If 

 the shoots have made 8 or 9 inches of 

 growth beyond w^here they have previously 

 been stopped back to, they should at the 

 time of potting have their points again 

 pinched. Encourage growth as much as 

 possible, and as the shoots extend in length 

 use a few sticks to keep them open, but 

 no support will be needed, as the growth 

 is strong enough to do without it. 



Neriums are particularly light-loving 

 plants, consequently no shade must be 

 given. Syringe freely every afternoon ; 

 by the middle of July they will have made 

 considerable growth, and should be turned 

 out-of-doors in the full light, with a piece 

 of mat or canvas round the pots to ward 

 off the force of the sim, which will other- 

 wise have an injurious eft'ect upon the 

 roots that will now lie thickly against the 

 inner surface of the pots ; supply them 

 plentifully with water, and continue the 

 use of the syringe. 



About the beginning of September the 

 growth Avill be well ripened, and the 

 flower-heads be about forming. Tliey 

 should now be taken indoors, and kept 

 through the autumn and winter in a tem- 

 perature of from 40' to 45° in the night ; 

 they should be given much less water, but 

 do not allow the soil to become too dry, or 

 the bloom-buds that are foimed will be in 

 danger of falling off. If the plants are 

 wanted in flower earlier than they will 

 come in by the influence of solar .heat, they 

 may, about the middle of March, be placed 

 in a night temperatuie of 55°, with 8° or 

 10° of a rise in the daytime — this will con- 

 siderably hasten their blooming, but too 

 much heat and moisture must not be used, 

 or it will cause the buds to fall oft". After 

 flowering, put them in pots 4 inches larger, 

 and encouiage growth in the same way as 

 the preceding season ; they will not require 

 stopping, as they will make a number of 

 shoots fi'om the base of where the flowers 

 were produced ; again expose them to the 

 full sun in the open air. Keep through 

 the winter as previously ; in the spring after 

 blooming they will in all probability be 

 getting taller than requirecl. If such is 

 the case, cut the strongest shoots well back, 

 give them another shift, and encourage 

 growth as before, submitting them to open- 

 air treatment in the latter part of the 

 summer. After the next spring flowering. 



