326 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



make growth, so as to get them established 

 in the new soiL Some flowers will be pro- 

 duced through the early summer months, 

 and the plants, when well managed, gene- 

 rally yield a second full crop about July or 

 August, after which they may have the 

 shoots slightly shortened again, which will 

 have the effect of keeping them close and 

 bushy. By the end of September they may 

 be gradually induced to a state of rest, as 

 in the preceding season. The subsequent 

 treatment will require to be such as before 

 advised, giving a little more root-room as 

 required. Weak manure-water once or 

 twice a week will be beneficial. After 

 they have got into pots as large as are 

 deemed requisite, the plants will last for 

 years if each alternate summer after bloom- 

 ing the upper portion of the ball of soil is 

 reduced, and replaced with new. If they 

 get too tall they may be cut back freely 

 after flowering, and as soon as new growth 

 has commenced they should be partially 

 shaken out, returned to the same or a size 

 smaller pots, and encouraged to make 

 growth as when younger. 



T. coronaria is a single-flowered form of 

 the above, dift'ering little from the double 

 kind except in the number of jsetals, and 

 requiring similar treatment in every way. 

 East India. 



Insects. — Tabernaemontanas are liable 

 to the attacks of mealy bug and scale. 

 When these make their ajapearance means 

 should be taken to extirpate them, for if 

 present at all the continual cleaning re- 

 quired to keep them down often injures 

 the leaves, and causes the flower-buds to 

 fall oft'. 



TACSONIA. 



These splendid evergreen greenhouse 

 climbing plants are very nearly allied to 

 Passifloras, and are among the very finest 

 flowering subjects we possess for draping 

 the roofs of greenhouses and cool conserva- 

 tories. They are of vigorous habit, and 

 grow rapidly, covering a large space in 

 'little time, and are particularly adapted 

 for large houses or heated glazed corridors, 

 where there is plenty of room for the de- 

 velojjment of their numerous pendent 

 shoots, which, clothed with the immense 

 number of finely-coloured flowers they 

 produce, are, thus drooping, seen in the 

 best position. It is not advisable to 

 j)lant them in small houses, as in such 

 they almost smothei' everything grown 

 under them, or else have to be so con- 

 tinuously kept cut in that their bloom- 

 ing capabilities cannot be seen to advan- 

 tage. The roof should be lofty, so that 



there will be a considerable space inter- 

 vening betwixt the extremities of their 

 hanging shoots and the heads of the plants 

 that stand on the stages or floor of the 

 house, otherwise the drooping growths have 

 a confused appearance, and the flowers are 

 not so eft'ective. 



Tacsonias are not at all adapted for 

 growing in pots in the ordinary trained 

 specimen style, their habit being too free 

 to be kej)t within such bounds ; but where 

 the roof or wall space which they are in- 

 tended to cover is insufficient to give scope 

 for the full development of the plants, if 

 allowed, proportionately, too much root- 

 room, they may be grown in a large pot or 

 box. In this way they can be confined to 

 less space without further resort to the 

 knife than is consistent with the produc- 

 tion of bloom in sufiicient quantities. 



The different greenhouse species most 

 worthy of cultivation bloom continuously 

 for a considerable period through the 

 summer and autumn, when indoor 

 flowers are somewhat scarce ; they are 

 very useful for cutting to decorate large 

 stands, or entwined round the stem of a 

 vase ; when so arranged, or hanging down 

 over the sides, they have an elegant and 

 pleasing appearance that cannot be pro- 

 duced except by the use of things similar 

 in habit. Loam is the most suitable soil 

 in which to grow them, and it should be 

 of a good mellow nature, containing plenty 

 of fibre, for on this will depend its lasting 

 properties. The border in which the 

 plants are to be grown should be propor- 

 tionate in extent to the space they are in- 

 tended to cover. 



Most of the varieties can be increased 

 from seeds and by cuttings which should 

 consist of young shoots, such as produced in 

 spring from branches that have been cut 

 back ; these ought to be taken off with a 

 heel as soon as they have grown to a length 

 of about 4 or 5 inches, and put singly in 

 3-inch pots, drained and half filled with 

 a mixture of loam and sand, the surface 

 wholly sand ; kept close, moist, and shaded, 

 in an intermediate heat, they will form 

 roots, when give more air. Stand them 

 during the summer on a moist bottom, 

 syringe each afternoon when the house is 

 shut up, and give a little shade in the day; 

 in this way they will grow so as to require 

 pots 3 inches larger in July. Winter in a 

 temperature of 45° or 50°, and about March 

 move them into 8 or 9 inch pots ; use the 

 soil moderately fine with some sand added, 

 and put to each plant three or four sticks 

 round which to train the shoots. A 

 slightly closer atmosphere than that of a 

 greenhouse will be all that is required this 



