Greenhouse and Stave Plants. 



301 



object to — its very small leaves are pro- 

 duced in tufts upon the weak, thread-like 

 shoots, and to each little bunch is one, a 

 sort of guard-leaf, much longer than the 

 rest, which while still young, and a full 

 year or more before the others decay, turns 

 brown, but is still retained upon the plant 

 — giving it a rusty appearance ; and if the 

 j)lant is ill-grown, or kept too cold through 

 the winter, this rusty appearance is in- 

 creased. When, however, a well-flowered 

 example is met with, its remarkable white, 

 bluish-purple-tipped blossoms, covering 

 the surface almost so as to touch each 

 other, eS'ectually hide any brown appear- 

 ance the foliage may have. 



The plant never attains a size that 

 renders it unsuited for growing, even 

 where the room at command is limited. 

 To grow it well good fibrous peat with 

 one-sixth of sand added is required. It is 

 a free-rooting subject, much more so than 

 its general appearance would lead one to 

 suppose. 



The method of propagation is by shoot 

 cuttings. If put in towards the end of 

 March, select such as are strong and about 

 two inches in length, and put several to- 

 gether in 6-inch pots in sand ; keep moist, 

 with shade when the sun is on the glass, 

 and moderately, but not too close in 

 an intermediate temperature. They will 

 soon root, Avhen give more air, and as 

 soon as they are sufficiently established 

 move singly into pots about 2 inches in 

 diameter, using fine peat Avith a good 

 sprinkling of sand. Directly the little 

 plants begin to move freely pinch out the 

 points of the shoots ; keep through tlie 

 summer near the light, stood on a moist 

 bottom, with shade from the sun, and a 

 moderate amount of air in the daytime. 

 Under such conditions they will progress, 

 and may require towards the end of 

 summer the points to be again pinched 

 out. Winter at about 45° or 50°, and 

 early in March move into 4-inch pots, 

 using soil as before advised ; a little after 

 this, when they begin to move faster, again 

 pinch out the points of the strongest shoots. 

 As the weather gets brighter give shade, 

 and moisten the material on which the 

 pots are stood at closing time daily, but 

 admit more air in the day than required 

 the preceding summer. By the beginning 

 of July give 6-inch pots, and tie the 

 strongest shoots out to small sticks ; con- 

 tinue similar conditions of shade, air, and 

 moisture until the middle of September, 

 when give more air with a drier atmo- 

 sphere. Now winter at about 45°, and again 

 towards the beginning of March move 

 them into pots 2 inches larger, giving 2 



inches of drainage, and pot firmly, placing 

 to them at the same time sufficient sticks 

 for their support, running the sticks as far 

 as possible into the new soil so as not to 

 injure the roots. 



The plant will flower in even the 

 smallest state, but while young the flowers 

 should be removed as soon as formeil. 

 This will be all that is now required in the 

 shape of stopping, as it is a very even 

 grower, not often making any over-strong 

 shoots, but if such should appear they 

 must be shortened back. Admit no sirle 

 air for two or three weeks, shade a little 

 when very bright, and keep the stage on 

 which they stand damped during sunny 

 weather, but do not syringe overhead. 

 The plants, if all goes well, will quickly 

 take to the new soil. Attend to them 

 properly with water, but on no account 

 give it before it is required, as this, in 

 common with most hardwooded plants 

 indigenous to the Cape, is impatient of too 

 much moisture at the roots. Keep in a 

 good airy house or pit near the glass, for it 

 is especially a light-loving subject, that 

 will not do well if crowded or shaded by 

 other plants. Close the house early in the 

 afternoon while the sun is on the glass, 

 during the spring months ; through the 

 summer admit plenty of air in the day- 

 time, and continue to damp the stages and 

 sides of the pots when the house is closed, 

 but do not wet the plants overhead, for 

 they are in no way benefited thereby, and 

 the eflect of water on the young growth is 

 to render it more liable to mildew. 



By the beginning of July some of the 

 strongest plants may probably have so far 

 filled the pots with roots as to warrant a 

 second potting ; but in the case of any 

 except the strongest it will not be required, 

 and had better not be attempted, for if the 

 roots do not exist in sufficient numbers, so 

 as to enter this new soil in quantity before 

 winter, it is apt to get sour, thereby in- 

 ducing an unhealthy condition from which 

 few plants will recover. Give the most 

 vigorous a 2-inch shift, using, as before, 

 good peat, with a similar proportion of 

 sand, as advised for the early potting. By 

 August they will most likely set flowers 

 upon the points of all the shoots ; these, as 

 soon as formed, should be picked off. By 

 the end of August discontinue early closing, 

 and leave air on in the night during the 

 succeeding month to ripen up the growth. 

 Keep them moderately cool through the 

 autumn, during which the house must be 

 closed in the night, or the plants may get 

 chilled. Most likely they will again show 

 bloom, which must be picked off", or it 

 would come in at a time when of little use, 



