322 



Greenhonse and Stove Plants. 



STBELITZIA. 



height remove two or three of the top 

 joints to cause the production of two or 

 more gro-wths. The plant comes from 

 Madagascar and can stand a good amount 

 of heat ; consequently, through the sum- 

 mer months it will bear a temperature of 

 65° to 70" by night, with irom 70° to 80° 

 in the day. It likes a somewhat drier 

 atmosphere than some stove subjects — that 

 is, it does the best -with a liberal admission 

 of air in the daytime so as to permit of the 

 air of the house getting drier than where 

 less is given. It requires no shade further 

 than is found necessary to keep the leaves 

 from scorching. If by the beginning of 

 July the pots are found full of roots 

 move into others a couple of inches larger. 

 Syringe the plants in the afternoon during 

 the growing season until September, when 

 give more air and reduce the root moisture 

 as well. From 55° to 60° night tempera- 

 ture will answer through the winter, with 

 just as much moisture in the soil as %vill 

 keep the leaves from shrivelling. About 

 the begdnning of March raise the tempera- 

 ture, and increase it still further a-s the 

 sun gets warmer. Give more water to the 

 roots, and as soon as gro-wlh has commenced 

 move into pots 4 or 5 inches larger, using 

 loam, which should be of such a good turfy 

 character that it mU not soon decompose. 

 Eam the soil quite firm, and either fix 

 trellises on the pots whereon to train the 

 shoots or run them up wires or strings 

 over the roof if intended to be grown in 

 that way. Before the shoots begin to grow 

 stop the points to cause them to break. 

 The young growth will most likely pro- 

 duce some flowers, but the princii^al ob- 

 ject this second season should be to get the 

 plants as large as possible, for upon the 

 size and strength they acquire, and their 

 being well maintained, will depend the 

 quantity of bloom they make the ensuing 

 year Treat in every way as in the pre- 

 ceding season, keeping the shoots regularly 

 trained. If this is not attended to they 

 get so entangled that they cannot be regu- 

 lated afterwards. Give plenty of air 

 through the latter part of summer and 

 autumn, with a drier condition of both 

 atmosphere and soil, so as to get the 

 growth fully matured. Winter as before. 

 Do not reduce the shoots at all previous 

 to the commencement of growth, and if all 

 goes well the plants -will produce a large 

 quantity of flowers. When the blooming 

 is over the shoots may be shortened back, 

 and pots from 4 to 6 inches larger should 

 be given. Treat during the summer as 

 previously, and also through the autumn 

 and winter. The pots to which the plants 

 were last season moved will be large enough 



for the next two years, giving manure- water 

 at the time of active growth. Cut the 

 shoots back so far as necessary after bloom- 

 ing, as advised the preceding season, and 

 treat as before. The plants will last for 

 many years if a few inches of the surface 

 soil be removed and replaced with new. 

 Although we have spoken of their being 

 grown on trellises in specimen fashion, 

 they do better close under the roof near to 

 the glass, and even if they are wanted to 

 bloom on the trellises the shoots should be 

 trained near the glass during the growing 

 season, and then wound round the trellis 

 when fully matured. But in no way is the 

 plant seen to so much advantage as where 

 permanently trained under the roof, and if, 

 in addition, it can be planted out in a bed of 

 well-prepared soil 3 or 4 feet square, it 

 will keep on growing and flowering for 

 many years. Where there is plenty of 

 room for the head to run, a plant will con- 

 tinue blooming for months. 



Insects. — From the leathery texture of 

 the leaves Stephanotis is not liable to the 

 attacks of such insects as aphides and red 

 spider, and if these make their appearance 

 they are easily removed by syringing. The 

 worst pests, like scale and mealy bug, are 

 however very partial to it, and should 

 these affect it a thorough dressing with in- 

 secticide ought to be given when the plants 

 are in a dormant state during the winter ; 

 repeat the dressing so as to make sure of 

 destroying not only the mature insects, but 

 also their eggs. 



STRELITZIA. 



These showy Cape plants are generally 

 classed as stove subjects, but they will thrive 

 in a greenhouse in summer and do with a 

 little more warmth in the winter than 

 ordinary cool greenhouse plants need. An 

 intermediate temperature suits them best. 

 Some half-dozen kinds may be met with 

 in cultivation, but they do not difler very 

 materially from S. Eeginse, which has 

 purple and yellow flowers. The Stre- 

 litzias are evergreen herbaceous plants of 

 stately appearance ; their season of bloom- 

 ing is ordinarily in the summer and 

 autumn. S. Begins? bears its flowers on 

 stout erect stalks, which attain a height of 

 3 feet or more, according to the strength of 

 the plant and the heat to which it is sub- 

 jected ; the flowers are very distinct and 

 curious in form, and last in perfect condi- 

 tion two or three weeks. 



Strelitzias are mostly propagated from 

 suckers, which are produced after flower- 

 ing in the manner usual with plants that 

 increase in this way ; when these have 



