292 



Greenhouse and Stooe Plants. 



shoots well down — this will have the effect 

 of balancing the growth, which in these, 

 more than in many plants, has a disposition 

 to run up in the centre, leaving the bottom 

 bare. Attend after potting, as advised 

 last season, to shade, moisture, and air, 

 with the regular evening's syringing ; and 

 again, by the end of June, stop all tlie 

 shoots, both strong and weak, back to 

 within 6 inches from the place they were 

 shortened to in the winter. This is neces- 

 sary, for two reasons — to produce an even 

 head of Ijloom and ensure that it should all 

 come in at one time, which will not be the 

 case unless the above conditions are com- 

 plied with. As the end of July approaches 

 give more air for a week or two prepara- 

 tory to turning them out-of-doors. At the 

 beginning of August place them in the full 

 sun, and screen the sides of the pots from 

 its direct action. Continue to syringe 

 overhead well every dry afternoon. Tliey 

 may remain here until the middle of 

 September, if there is an appearance of 

 fine warm weather, after which it will not 

 be safe to leave them outside. Place 

 for the winter in a good light house near 

 the glass ; this, with the hardening process 

 they have gone through, will secure their 

 flowering freely the coming spring, when 

 they will make useful decorative plants for 

 the conservatory, to prepare them for 

 which let them be nicely tied through the 

 winter, using no more sticks than necessary 

 to keep them from having a straggling, 

 untidy appearance. If the object is to get 

 a portion of the plants up to large speci- 

 men size as soon as possible, then the 

 strongest should, as heretofore, be cut back 

 in the winter, and not be allowed to flower 

 in the spring ; pot at the time befoi'e ad- 

 vised, and in every way treat similarly 

 through the season. Such as are allowed 

 to flower must afterwards be cut back 

 again, not leaving more than 6 inches 

 from where stopped to the previous 

 summer. Through all the stages of the 

 existence of these plants it is necessary to 

 stojj or cut them back to something near 

 this length, otherwise they get an unsightly 

 naked appearance which destroys the effect 

 of even a full sheet of bloom. Encourage 

 them to break by slightly syringing and 

 keeping a little closer, and when they have 

 pushed a couple of inches of growth they 

 should be moved into pots 3 inches larger 

 — keeping the house a little warmer 

 through the admission of less air for a 

 short time. They should be, as in the 

 previous season, placed for a few weeks in 

 the open air to induce a disposition for 

 flowering. As the plants will ncjw be 

 getting large enough even for e.xhibition 



purposes, a minimum temperature of 35° 

 in the night through the winter months 

 will be suflicient ; by this means their 

 flowering will be retarded in the spring, 

 which in many cases, where required for 

 exhibition, will be an advantage. "Where 

 it is the intention to so use them the tying 

 niust be more particularly performed than 

 for home decoration, for unless the plants 

 have sufficient support when they come to 

 be carried any distance, they have a loose, 

 untidy appearance ; but instead of the use 

 of a large number of sticks, three-fourths 

 of the branches may be secured in their 

 places by stout black thread. 



Polygalas are subjects that bear their 

 blooming retarded much better than some, 

 being stronger in constitution ; but where 

 they are to be kept back for any jaarticular 

 time it is well to do it in the early stages 

 of the flower's development. Each season 

 after flowering cut them back as near as 

 already advised, which will cause them to 

 last much longer in a stout, shapely con- 

 dition. It is not advisable to move them 

 on into pots larger than 18 or 20 inches, as 

 these, with the assistance of weak manure- 

 water during the season of growth, will 

 keep them in condition for several years ; 

 but as soon as they get in any way naked 

 and leggy, it is better to consign them to 

 the rubbish-heap, and grow on others to 

 take their jslaces, for which jiurpose a few 

 young ones should be started every second 

 year. 



There are two varieties well worth 

 cultivating. 



P. Palmaisiana is the strongest grower, 

 of the most robust constitution, and its 

 flowers are ^proportionate in size, and pro- 

 duced freely from the points of the shoots, as 

 with the others. This is the best variety 

 for exhibition, its colour (purple) har- 

 monising or contrasting well with almost 

 any other flower. 



P. oppositifolia is more of a reddish- 

 purple in the colour of its blossoms, is very 

 free in growth and flower ; it is somewhat 

 weaker in habit, but is a desirable plant, 

 requiring the same treatment as to soil, 

 temperature, stopping, and general routine. 

 It does not generally attain so large a size. 



Insects. — There is one thing that 

 renders these plants worthy of cultivation 

 — it is their immunity from mildew, the 

 worst pest that the grower has to contend 

 with. Scale, both brown and white, will 

 live upon them ; if they get infested with 

 the latter the best thing is to destroy them, 

 as any application that will kill the insect 

 will also kill the leaves. Brown scale can 

 be removed with the sponge and brush, 

 but it is better to deal with after the 



