316 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



SONEKILA. 



overliead in the afternoons, shutting up 

 early enough to close in a good amount of 

 son-heat. The plants require little stop- 

 ping, but should any of the shoots take a 

 decided lead it will be necessary to shorten 

 them back to encourage the weaker ones ; 

 they will want attention from time to time 

 in training the shoots regularly round the 

 outsides of the sticks, otherwise, from the 

 natural twining habit of the plants, they 

 will lay hold of each other in such a way 

 that it will be difficult to separate them 

 without injury. Little shade is necessary, 

 as from the leathery nature of their leaves 

 they are able to bear exposure to the sun. 

 From the naturally moderate growth of 

 the plants it is not absolutely necessary to 

 give them another shift through the sum- 

 mer, except in the case of any that may 

 happen to be unusually vigorous — these 

 may have pots a couple of inches larger 

 ^sbout the end of June, and the roots 

 will thus have sufficient time to get full 

 possession of the soil before autumn. 

 Cease using the syringe by the middle of 

 August, and give plenty of air both day 

 f.nd night. Winter them in a temperature 

 suitable for ordinary greenhouse stock, 

 anything from 35° to 45° will suit them, 

 as they are neither subject to mildew 

 from a low temperature nor liable to be 

 started into growth with a few degrees 

 more heat. Keep the soil in a medium 

 condition as to moisture through the 

 winter, the roots are not so sensitive in 

 this respect as many, and this renders 

 them, like Rhynchospermum jasminoides, 

 and a few others of similar character, very 

 suitable for beginners in the cultivation of 

 hardwooded greenhouse plants. Again, 

 about the same time as the preceding 

 spring, give another shift, if satisfactory 

 progress has been made they will again 

 stand about 3 inches more root-room ; use 

 the soil with as much fibre in it as possible 

 so as to enable it to last long. It will now 

 be necessary to determine in what way the 

 plants are to be grown ; if for a pillar, or 

 over the front lights of a greenhouse, some 

 wires should be placed to train them to. 

 "With these, as with all plants of like 

 habit, it is better to tie the shoots than to 

 allow them to cling to the supports by 

 twining, as when the latter takes place 

 removal, should it be necessary, either for 

 the purpose of changing their position or 

 of cleansing from insects, is invariably 

 effected at a sacrifice of some of the 

 branches. If the plants are required for 

 pot specimens a moderate-sized wire trellis 

 will be the best to grow them on ; in this 

 case also prevent them from becoming 

 twined round the wires, and be mindful 



to clothe the bottom of the trellis first 

 before allowing the shoots to ascend up- 

 wards or the lower portion can never be 

 covered satisfactorily. Little more will 

 be required except routine treatment, such 

 as already advised, in giving more root- 

 room when needed. As in tlie case of 

 most plants of a similar character weak 

 liquid manure during the growing season 

 will be found beneficial. 



S. Drummondii. From Australia. 



S. heterophylla. A native of New Hol- 

 land. 



S. linearis. From Swan River, 



Inskcts. — The tough leathery leaves 

 afford little sustenance to such as red spider, 

 thrips, or greenfly ; where the syringe is 

 used as advised during the summer months 

 these are seldom troublesome, but should 

 aphides attack the young shoots dip in 

 tobacco or quassia water, or fumigate. 

 Scale must be diligently sought for and 

 removed by sponging, or the heads of the 

 plants may be wholly dipped when at rest 

 in a strong solution of insecticide. 



SONERILA MARGARITACEA. 



This is a particularly handsome small- 

 growing stove plant, the bright pink 

 flowers with prominent yellow anthers 

 contrasting admirably with the lovely 

 spotted leaves. It is a spreading, low- 

 growing, semi-herbaceous Melastomad, 

 which attains a height of 8 inches or 9 

 inches. It flowers early in the spring and 

 lasts in bloom two or three weeks, during 

 which time it is one of the prettiest of 

 stove plants. Even when out of flower, 

 a well-grown Sonerila is always attractive, 

 its dense mass of small leaves profusely 

 studded with milk-white spots looking like 

 pearls set in bright green. It is a native 

 of India, and in order to grow well re- 

 quires a brisk heat and a somewhat moist 

 atmosphere. It thrives best in fibrous peat 

 broken small and mixed with about one- 

 fourth of chopped sphagnum, to which a 

 liberal proportion of sand should be added, 

 with a good sprinkling of crocks. 



It strikes readily in the spring from 

 pieces of the shoots inserted in small pots 

 half full of crocks, the remainder being 

 filled up with material such as that already 

 described. The cuttings should be kept 

 moist and covered with a bell-glass in a 

 temperature of 70° ; they will root in two 

 or three weeks. When the young plants 

 have got fairly established move them into 

 larger pots or deep pans, as to get a good 

 specimen in the least time its biancliing 

 procumbent shoots sIkjuW have room to 

 spread over the soil, into which they will 



