PHORMIDM. 



Greenliouse and Stove Plants. 



279 



allowed to remain ou, or it will interfere 

 with ilieir making growth for the ensuing 

 season's flowering. Their autumn treat- 

 ment will need to be as before, but in the 

 wintei' they will require more careful 

 tying, so as to put them in proper form 

 for flowering the following season, when, 

 if all goes weU, they should make nice 

 small blooming specimens. 



Pot them again in April ; it will in no 

 way interfere with their flowering, provid- 

 ing it is done with care and the plants are 

 not allowed to suff'er either from the want 

 of water or from receiving too much until 

 the roots get hold of the new soil. The 

 flowers should not be allowed to remain 

 upon the plants more than six weeks after 

 opening, otherwise they will interfere with 

 the ensuing season's blooming ; it is to this 

 cause that is generally attributable t!ie lack 

 of flowers upon these plants two seasons in 

 succession. By the autumn they will have 

 made such progress as to be large enough 

 for exhibition specimens the ensuing sum- 

 mer if required. Keep them near the 

 glass through the winter, which has the 

 effect of causing many shoots to flower that 

 otherwise would not ; this is often the case 

 with plants of the character of the Phreno- 

 coma that do not bloom from the mature 

 wood of tlie previous season's growth, but 

 keep on grc.vlng all the year, and flower 

 from the points of comparatively soft 

 shoots. Tie and put them into shape 

 during the winter. As to potting this 

 season in the spring, or deferring it until 

 after they have flowered, that can best be 

 determined in the case of each individual 

 plant. Any that appear as if they would 

 suffer for want of sustenance at the root by 

 being very large and strong, proportionate 

 with the size of the pot they already 

 occupy, had better be potted on as hitherto 

 in April; but where the reverse is tlie 

 case, it will be well to defer the operation 

 until they have flowered, or even till the 

 spring following, for, although it is always 

 wise to give a jjlant in its younger stages 

 all the root-space requisite to get it on in 

 size as quickly as possible, yet, when once 

 a good start has been effected up to a 

 certain size, determinable in the case of 

 each particular species of plant, it is better 

 not to transfer it into a larger pot more 

 quickly than requisite. This, of course, 

 applies to such as the species under con- 

 sideration, which do not admit of being 

 shaken out, or of a reduction of the ball 

 being made, so as to renew the soil, as may 

 be done with coarse-rooted plants that will 

 bear partial disrooting. 



If they do not receive larger pots until 

 the ensuing spring let the transfer be made 



by the end of Mai^ch, as, now that the 

 plants have attained size, they cannot be 

 removed with so little disturbance of the 

 roots as when smaller, and if the potting is 

 deferred until later it may have the effect 

 of injuring the season's bloom. It must 

 be borne in mind that this plant can never 

 be induced to flower freely if under-potted. 

 The quantity of bloom produced will de- 

 pend upon the strength of the plant. It 

 is liable in time to get bare and denuded 

 of leaves at the bottom, and in such state 

 is very unsightly, but if the branches have 

 been kept trained down as advised, there 

 can be no difficulty in covering this defect, 

 for, with the exception of their being liable 

 to split off at their junction as already 

 state"d they will bend freely in any direc- 

 tion. 



There are two forms of Phoenocoma — 

 the old kind, now seldom seen, which is 

 a shy flowerer ; and the one most generally 

 met with, Barnes' variety (Phcunocoma 

 prolifera Barnesii), which has much larger 

 flowers and is stronger in its growth. It 

 may be easily recognised in small plants, 

 if strong, as the lateral branches are de- 

 pressed, gi'ving each vigorous shoot much 

 the appearance of a miniature specimen of 

 Spruce Fir; this is much the finer variety. 



Insects. — Phoenocomas are but little 

 subject to the attacks of insects ; though 

 occasionally red spider will make its ap- 

 }iearance upon them, in which case the 

 plants should be laid dowTi on their sides, 

 and thoroughly syringed with clean water 

 three or four times, at intervals of a few 

 days. They must never be allowed to 

 stand, especially in the autumn and winter, 

 where anything in the shape of dead leaves 

 from other plants can fall upon them, for, 

 as these decompose, they will communicate 

 mould to the foliage of the plants. 



PHORMIUM TENAX. 



This plant is known as the New Zealand 

 Flax ; it is nearly hardy in the southern 

 parts of the kingdom. Its erect, straight, 

 sword-like leaves have a distinct appear- 

 ance associated with flowering, or other 

 fine-leaved kinds. Its habit of growth is like 

 that of the common hardy Flag Iris, and it 

 is propagated by division of the crowns in 

 spring before growth commences ; these 

 may either be divided singly, or kept 

 several together, in either case pots big 

 enough to sustain the season's growth 

 should be given. Treatment such as 

 suited to the general occupants of the 

 greenhouse, in the matters of light, air, and 

 water, is what is required, as the plant is 

 easily managed. All further needed is to 



