314 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



the day, but do not keep them too cool, 

 especially at night, as, in common with all 

 stove subjects that flower in the autumn or 

 winter, if deficient of warmth the blooms 

 will be thin and indifferent. Keep the 

 heads of the plants close to the glass from 

 the time the flowers are formed, and if the 

 pots are very full of roots use weak manure- 

 water once a week. After blooming, unless 

 large specimens are wanted, it will not be 

 necessary to retain more of the old plants 

 than are sufficient to furnish stock for 

 cuttings ; keep them with the soil only a 

 little moist through the time that inter- 

 venes from the flowering until they are 

 again started into growth, during which 

 period a temperature of from 55° to 60° at 

 night will maintain them in health. 



Insects. — This plant is not much sub- 

 ject to insects, but aphides, red spider, and 

 thrips wiU sometimes attack it ; for these 

 fumigate with tobacco or dip in tobacco- 

 water. 



SMILAX. 



Evergreen stove climbers suitable for 

 covering walls or pillars or draping the 

 roofs of large stoves. They are not much 

 in favour, as in most cases plants of a 

 more attractive character can be employed. 

 Where grown, unless they have plenty of 

 room for the shoots to extend, they should 

 not have over much root space, although 

 they do better planted out than when con- 

 fined in pots. 



They are easily increased by suckers 

 which they produce freely ; these should 

 be taken oft' in spring, before the plants 

 begin to grow, and put singly in 5 or 

 6 inch pots. They will thrive in either 

 peat or loam, and an intermediate heat is 

 sufiicient for them. After the young plants 

 have been grown for a year in pots they 

 may be planted out. 



The following are suitable for using in 

 the way described : — 



S. longifolia variegata. A distinct-look- 

 ing plant ; in colour the leaves are a com- 

 bination of deep and greyish green. From 

 Para. 



S. Shuttleworthii. A new species ; the 

 ground colour of the leaves is green, with 

 greyish-white markings. 



Insects.— If well attended to with the 

 syringe through the growing season little 

 trouble need be anticipated from insects. 



SOLANUM. 



(Berry -hearing.) 



Among the large number of Solanums 

 existent there are two especially worth 



growing for the pretty appearance of 

 their fruit, S. capsicastrum and S. pseudo- 

 capsicum, the red berries of which render 

 the plants so effective in the autumn 

 and winter months. They are evergreen 

 greenhouse plants that flower and produce 

 their berries profusely in a small state. 



They are often raised from seeds which 

 germinate freely if stood in a temperature 

 of 60° or 65°. Afterwards pot singly, and 

 grow on during spring in an intermediate 

 temperature. Through the summer put 

 them in cold pits or frames, or plant them 

 out in the open ground, taking up and 

 potting in September. But as there is 

 considerable difference in plants raised 

 from seed in the quantity of beiTies they 

 bear it is best to select the freest fruiters, 

 and propagate from them by shoot cut- 

 tings. To have the berries ripe and fully 

 coloured in autumn the cuttings should be 

 struck by the end of the year ; the soft 

 points of the shoots root in a few weeks in 

 a temperature of 65°, kept moist and close, 

 after which move them singly to small 

 pots ; good loam with a little leaf-mould 

 and sand suits them in every way. Keep 

 in a temperature similar to that in which 

 the cuttings were struck, and pinch out 

 the points of the shoots as soon as they 

 begin to grow, standing them near the 

 glass with a little air in the day. Con- 

 tinue to treat in this way until March, 

 when they will be ready for moving to 

 6-inch pots, in which they are to remain ; 

 previous to potting again stop the points 

 of the shoots so as to secure bushy growth, 

 which is essential to the appearance the 

 plants should have when in fruit. Keep 

 up a growing temperature by the aid of 

 fire heat until the middle of April, after 

 which no further assistance in this way 

 will be needed. Cool greenhouse treat- 

 ment is all these Solanums require, and 

 the heat so far advised is only used with a 

 view to get the young plants on in size 

 sufficiently to cause them to bloom early 

 enough so that their berries may have 

 time to grow and ripen by autumn. Plants 

 that are not wanted to have their berries 

 lipe before the end of the year may be 

 struck a little later. By the middle of 

 May a cold pit will answer for them ; air 

 should be given freely in the daytime, 

 with a little shade when sunny, and plenty 

 of water to the soil ; syringe fieely every 

 afternoon — this must be done regularly 

 and thoroughly to keep clear of red spider, 

 to which the plants are subject, and which, 

 if present, quickly spoils the foliage. Con- 

 tinue this treatment through the summer, 

 standing them close to the glass. By Sep- 

 tember the berries will be fast putting on 



