Green/ioime and Stove Plants. 



299 



These Rliodudendrons do not want so 

 much I'oot-space as many things. It will 

 be well to keep the plants altogether under 

 glass for two years, giving ordinary green- 

 house treatment, after the grafts have got 

 a good stait in the warmth already advisetl, 

 this is requisite to get them on in size. 

 Afterwards they will be better out-of-doors 

 in the summer. They do best in good 

 turfy peat, to which add some sand. Large 

 growing kinds like R. Nuttalli, as they get 

 big enough to re(|uire it, must have large 

 boxes or tubs to grow in, or better still, be 

 planted out. 



The undermentioned are desirable sorts : 



li. Countess of Haddington. Blush white. 



B. Countess of Sefton. White and rose. 



B. Dennisonii. White and lemon ; very 

 fragrant. 



B. Duchess of Edinburgh. Bright orange 

 scarlet. 



B. Duchess of Sutherland. White, flowers 

 fringed. 



B. Duchess of Teck. Yellow, tinted with 

 scarlet and rose. 



B. Lady Skelmersdale. Pure wliite. 



B. Maiden's Blush. Blush white. 



B. Pink Beauty. White and pink. 



B. Princess Alexandra. Pure waxy 

 white. 



B. Princess Alice. White, tinged with 

 pink ; fragrant. 



B. Princess Boyal. Rose colour. 



B. Prince of Wales. Orange i-ed. 



B, Purity. Pure white ; very fragrant. 



B. Bosy Gem. White, pink, and lose. 



B. Taylorii. Pink. 



B. Thomsonii. Scai-let. 



B. Veitchianum. Yellow and white. 



The following species are fine kinds : 



B. arboreum. Scarlet. Nepal. 



B. argenteum. White, with black spots. 

 Himalaya. 



B. Aucklandii. White. Himalaya. 



B. Dalhousiannm. White. Himalaya. 



B.Falconerii. Red and white. Himalaya. 



B. Fortunii. White. China. 



B. Gibsonii. White. Khoseea. 



B. jasminiflorum. White. Malacca. 



B. javanicum. Yellow. Java. 



B. Nuttallii. White and yellow. Bootan. 



Insects. — Rhododendrons are not much 

 subject to the attacks of insects, but grown 

 under glass they frequently get affected 

 with scale or mealy bug, for which syringe 

 freely with water, and sponge with soap 

 and water. 



RHOPALA. 



In their native habitats these plants 

 assume the proportions of trees, and in a 

 comparatively small state they are very 



eifective for ilie decoratiou of greenhouses 

 or conservatories. Their foliage is distinct 

 and handsome, in some of the species 

 almost resembling that of Palms. 



They are increased by cuttings made 

 from three parts matured shoots cut in 

 lengths of a couple of joints each, discard- 

 ing the soft extremities ; they should be 

 put four or tive together in 5 or 6 inch 

 pots half lilled with sand and loam, the 

 remainder all sand. The cuttings may be 

 put in about August, when the wood will 

 usually be found in right condition ; place 

 them in a temperature of 65° or 70% where 

 they will strike in two months if kept 

 covered with a propagating glass, moist, 

 and shaded. When well rooted move 

 singly into 3 or 4 inch pots tilled witli 

 loam to which add some sand, and keep 

 them through the winter in an ordinary 

 stove temperature ; here they will make 

 some progress in top growth, which it is 

 necessary should be kept moving-. In the 

 spring pots two or three sizes larger will 

 be requireil, and soil similar to that in 

 which they were previously potted should 

 be used. Keep through the summer in an 

 intermediate or stove temperature, stand- 

 ing them where they will get plenty of 

 light, with air in the day and a little 

 shade in bright weather. The temperature 

 the plants are kept in is not material, as 

 they will grow in a greenhouse, but it is 

 better this first summer to keep them as 

 advised in a moderately high temperature, 

 as by this means time is saved, and the 

 growth will be more pleasing in appear- 

 ance. All that is required is to attend to 

 them with water, syringing overhead daily 

 through the season until autumn, when 

 discontinue it. But if the plants can be 

 accommodated with warmer quarters than 

 that of a greenhouse during the winter and 

 through the ensuing summer much more 

 progress will be made, and they should be 

 given pots a couple of sizes larger in the 

 spring, and treated as advised for the 

 summer previous. After this they will do 

 in a greenhouse or conservatory, where 

 their stately erect growth — they shouhl be 

 confined to a single stem — will be eti'ective. 

 The plants will not get too tall for a mode- 

 rate-sized house for three or four years, 

 and will simply require more root-room 

 each spring. When too large they may be 

 headed down before the season's growth 

 commences, and should be stood for a time 

 in heat if possible to help their breaking, 

 after which they may be turned out of the 

 pots, some of the old soil shaken away and 

 replaced with new. 



The undermentioned are desirable kinds : 

 B. corcuvadensis. A large-leaved, dis- 



