Gremliouse and Stove Plants. 



291 



but as ordinary decorative subjects. That 

 they are not more generally grown seems 

 strange, as their colour (Inight reddish- 

 purple) is scarce among haidwooded plants, 

 and their appearance is distinct, either in 

 or out of flower, from most things requiring 

 a similarity of temperature and general 

 cultural treatment. They are also of 

 much easier growth than many hard- 

 wooded subjects, not being liable to get out 

 of health or go off suddenly. They are 

 plants that we should recommend to be- 

 ginners in the cultivation of hardwooded 

 greenhouse species, who sometimes get dis- 

 heartened by hrst attempting to grow the 

 most tUfficult things, which often slip 

 through the hngers of even those who have 

 liad long practice, and havepatiently studied 

 Llieir peculiar habits and requirements. 

 Polygalas are very free rooters, and not 

 nearly so impatient of slight excess of 

 moisture at the roots as many Cajje plants 

 are. They will grow in either loam or 

 fibrous sandy peat, but we prefer peat 

 where it can be had of anything like good 

 quality. 



They strike freely from cuttings of the 

 young shoots, about 3 inches long, which 

 may be taken off in spring. Put several 

 togetlier in 6-inch pots filled with sand, 

 keep in a moderate heat, moist, shaded, 

 and covered with a propagating glass ; so 

 treated they will root in five or six weeks, 

 after which dispense with the glasses, and 

 move singly into small pots. Keep mode- 

 rately close, standing them on a moist 

 bottom, give a little shade in the daytime, 

 and as soon as shoot growth begins to move 

 freely pinch out the points. Give more 

 air as they get fully established, and 

 syringe in the afternoons at closing time. 

 Continue this treatment until autumn, 

 when give more air, and winter at about 

 45° in the nights. Towards March move 

 into 3-inch pots, stop the shoots, and keep 

 the atmosphere a little closer until the nuits 

 enter the new soil ; treat as in the preceding 

 summer, about July again piuch out the 

 points of the shoots, and stand the plants 

 where they will get plenty of light. Let 

 the autumn and winter management be as 

 advised for the previous year, but about 

 the middle of February shorten the shoots 

 to within three inches of where they were 

 stopped to in the summer, and place them 

 in a house or light pit where they can be 

 kept at a night temjjerature of 45° ; here 

 they will soon break, and by the mid<Ue of 

 April will be in a condition for repotting. 

 ] f they have plenty of roots they should 

 receive a liberal shift — 4 inches will not 

 be too much. Break the peat into pieces 

 about the usual size for young hardwooded 



plants, add a good sprinkling of sand, and 

 make the soil quite firm. At this season 

 the sun is powerful and the air begins to 

 get much drier than earlier, consequently 

 they will require both shade in the middle 

 of the day and the house kept closer, by 

 the absence of side air, for two or three 

 weeks ; the stage upon which they stand 

 must also be regularly damped morning 

 and afternoon, and the house closed while 

 the sun is yet upon the glass. At tliis 

 time the points of the strongest shoots 

 should be brought down low so as to induce 

 a compact bushy condition, with a disposi- 

 tion to clothe the base of the plants well 

 down to the bottom. After they have 

 taken to the new soil, which will be ap- 

 parent from their young shoots commenc- 

 ing to grow freely, give air as ordinarily, 

 and syringe overhead every evening : get 

 the water well under the leaves and to 

 every part of the plants, so as to keep down 

 spider. By the beginning of July pinch 

 out the points of the shoots, to induce them 

 to break back ; attention to this matter is 

 of more importance with Polygalas than 

 most plants, as their natural upright 

 disposition of growth, if not checked, in- 

 duces a thin, straggling bottom, and, il 

 not stopped in the summer, they will 

 require cutting back in the winter to 

 within the distance already prescribed for 

 the previous year's growth, which js a loss 

 of time by reducing their size. Keep the 

 shoots well spread out, and support them 

 with a few nice sticks, so as to keep the 

 voung plants in .shape without too much, 

 ifonnality. As the pots get filled with 

 roots the wetting of the surface of the ball 

 consequent upon the syringing overhead 

 makes it a little more dirticult to ascertain 

 the condition of the soil underneath as to 

 water, and necessitates close observation 

 in this matter : but they must not be 

 allowed to get dry at the bottom of the 

 ball, or growth will be seriously checked 

 and insects encouraged. By the end of 

 August the plants will be benefited by the 

 admission of more air and the absence of 

 shading, so as to harden them up for the 

 ^vinter, during which season keep them in 

 a temperature of 40° or near it in the 

 night. Again, about the end of February, 

 as last season, cut back the shoots to wiihin 

 6 inches of where they were stopped in 

 summer, and encourage them at once to 

 push young growths by keeping a little 

 closer, as recommended for last spring. 

 Move at the same time as then advised, 

 giving 3 or 4 inch larger pots, according to 

 the strength and condition of the plants ; 

 j tie them' out so as to secure a compact, 

 i shapely outline, and keep all the strongest 



