27U 



Greenhoune and iStuoe Plants. 



PELARGONIUM. 



propagated from eyes with a leaf attached, 

 or from young side shoots such as spring 

 from the main stem when the plant gets 

 strong enough, or from shoots produced by 

 a specimen that has been headed back. 

 The cuttings should be put singly in small 

 pots in a brisk bottom heat if available, 

 kept close, moist, and shaded. They 

 generally require a good length of time to 

 form roots. When these are jDresent in 

 sufficient numbers move the young plants 

 to larger pots, using good sandy peat, and 

 keep them in a brisk heat. Supposing the 

 cuttings to have been taken off in the 

 spring, it will be August by the time they 

 get fully established in their pots. Treat 

 generally duiing the remainder of the 

 summer as required by other evergreen 

 warm stove plants, syringing daily overhead, 

 ■with a moist atmosphere, and giving shade 

 when the sun is powerful A temperature 

 of 65° will be enough for the winter. In 

 .spring give them 6 or 7 inch pots, increas- 

 ing the heat as the days get longer ; all 

 farther needed wdll be a continuance of the 

 treatment given last summer, and a similar 

 course when winter again comes round, 

 with pot-room as the roots want it. The 

 plants should be gro\ATi on so long as tliey 

 letain their lower leaves, after the loss of 

 which they lose much of their beauty, and 

 ought to be shortened in. when the stools 

 will produce cuttings. It comes from the 

 Isle of Bourbon. 



P. caffra makes growth in the way of 

 Gardenia intermedia, and produces flowers 

 in bunches like a small white Ixora ; it is 

 a free bloomer, its flowers look very pretty 

 un the plant, and are well adapted for 

 cutting. It strikes freely from cuttings of 

 the young .shoots put in about the end of 

 April, at which time they may usually be 

 had in suitable condition ; place them 

 .singly in little pots, filled with sand ; 

 they will root in a month if kept warm, 

 close, moist, and shaded. After the small 

 pots are filled with roots move into others, 

 3 or 4 inches in diameter, using sandy peat ; 

 pinch out the points of the shoots, and grow 

 on in a moderate stove heat, with a little 

 shade and some air in the middle of the 

 day, syringing in the afternoon. In 

 August give them pots 2 or 3 inches larger, 

 and encourage them to fill the soil before 

 winter, during which time a temperature 

 of 50° or 55° will be enough. More pot- 

 room will be needed in spring, when the 

 points of the leading shoots should be 

 pinched out ; treat as to warmth and other 

 matters as in the preceding summer. The 

 plant is a good grower, and the young stock 

 will require larger pots before the growing 

 season is over. If aU has gone weU most 



of the principal .shoots will produce 

 flowers during the early part of autumn, 

 after which the points of the growths may 

 be cut back slightly, and the plants 

 wintered as before. Give more root-room 

 in spring, and treat generally as advised 

 for the preceding season's growth. By 

 cutting in a little annually and partially 

 removing the soil when needful, they will 

 last for years. This Pavetta is a native of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, but does best with 

 more warmth than most plants from the 

 same region require. 



Insects. — The daily use of the syringe 

 advised during the growing season will 

 keep the smaller insects in check. Should 

 scale or bug, both of which insects will 

 thrive on them, attack the plants, syringe 

 with insecticide when at rest, and sponge 

 the leaves if growth is in progress. 



PAVONIA. 



Evergreen stove plants possessing com- 

 paratively little merit, yet somewhat singu- 

 lar in appearance. They are easily grown, 

 requiring nothing more than ordinary stove 

 treatment, with moderate heat through the 

 growing season, and a temperature of about 

 60° in the night during winter. They 

 will thrive in either peat or loam, with 

 a liberal supply of water to the roots in 

 summer. 



F. Makoyana. A di.stinct-looking species, 

 one of the best of the genus ; flowers 

 purple and bright carmine. From Brazil. 



P. JViotii. This species bears curious 

 flowers, a combination of bright and 

 blackish red. From Brazil. 



PELARGONIUM. 



Of all the genera of plants which are 

 used for the decoration of greenhouses, 

 there are none that hold a more prominent 

 place than Pelargoniums. So accommo- 

 dating are they that some of them will 

 flower all the year round, while nearly all 

 will produce flowers as long as they can be 

 kept growing. 



Their propagation is easily efl'ected from 

 either shoot or root cuttings, the former 

 mostly being used. They will strike at any 

 time of the year, but spring or the latter 

 part of summer is the best ; if the latter 

 season is chosen the shoots will be in right 

 condition about the end of July. Cuttings 

 may be made of the tops, or of the lower 

 I^art of the current season's growth, which 

 will be further matured ; in the latter case 

 let the cuttings be comijosed of a couple of 

 joints each. Put them 2 or 3 inches apart 

 in pans or pots half filled with a mixture 



