TRACHELOSPERMUM. Greeiihouse and Stova Plants. 



33? 



cept by heading down. Let the young 

 plants have plenty of light, but a thin 

 shade will benefit them when the sun is 

 powerful. During summer they will bear 

 as much heat as is required for the 

 generality of stove plants, and as the pots 

 get filled with roots move into others 3 

 inches or 4 inches larger, after which 

 nothing further is required but to pinch 

 out the points of any shoots that are taking 

 an undue lead. Cease shading in Sep- 

 tember, and as the autumn draws on reduce 

 the temperature ; through the shortest 

 days a heat of 60° in the night will suffice. 

 This Toxicophlsea will flower when very 

 small, but with plants of this description 

 it is for a time best to look more to getting 

 them larger than to blooming. With this 

 view cut out the points of all the strongest 

 shoots about the end of February, and in 

 the ensuing month move them into pots 3 

 inches or 4 inches larger, increasing the 

 temperature gradually, and treating in 

 other respects as through the summer 

 previous, using the syringe daily. If the 

 plants have made good progress by July, 

 they will require a little more root-room, 

 but as they never attain the size that some 

 of the stove occupants do, it is well not to 

 give more root-space than is necessary. 

 Twelve-inch or 13-inch pots should be 

 large enough to suffice, and the peat must 

 now be a little more lumpy than in the 

 first stages of growth. At all times mix 

 enough sand with the peat to keep it open ; 

 this is the more necessary with plants of 

 this character that do not require or bear 

 to be shaken out and have the soil renewed 

 in the way usual with coarser-growing 

 subjects. Treat as before through the 

 autmnn and winter, and in the spring 

 increase the heat with the advent of more 

 sun. If all has gone well they will bloom 

 profusely, during which time, if they can 

 be kept in a little drier atmosphere than 

 heretofore, their flowers will last longer. 

 They are useful for cutting. After the 

 blooming is over, cut the shoots back a 

 little, and when they have started into 

 growth they may be shifted into pots an 

 inch or two larger. The subsequent 

 management required will be of a routine 

 character similar to that advised hitherto. 

 If in the growing season a liberal applica- 

 tion of weak manure-water is given once 

 or twice a week, healthy growth will be 

 secured without having recourse to large 

 pots. The plants will last for several 

 years, and if the soil gets exhausted, the 

 balls can be partially reduced and new 

 material given in place of the old ; this 

 should be done when they have just broken 

 into growth after being cut in when the 



flowering is over, keeping them close and 

 warm for a few weeks until they again get 

 established. 



Insects. — The worst species of insects 

 will live on this plant, but the stout nature 

 of the leaves makes their destruction by 

 the aid of insecticide comparatively easy ; 

 dipping or syringing is the best remedy as 

 often as they are found to be affected. 



TRACHELOSPERMUM JASMIN- 

 OIDES. 



(Syn : Rhynchospermum.) 

 In this we have an evergreen green- 

 house climbing plant of moderate growth, 

 alike suitable for a trained pot specimen or 

 for growing on a pillar or ratter, where the 

 space to be covered is not too large : for 

 although, in common with almost all other 

 plants indigenous to China, it is a free 

 grower, it does not attain the size of many 

 climbers. From the locality in which it is 

 found, Shanghai, it is very nearly hardy in 

 this country, succeeding on a sheltered 

 wall, with a little protection, in the south 

 of the kingdom ; yet it is a plant that will 

 thrive under a very considerable range of 

 temperature, and wiU do equally as well in 

 a cool stove, or intermediate heat, as it will 

 in a greenhouse ; but of course the progress 

 made, especially during the early stages, is 

 much quicker when it is subject to heat. 

 It will bear forcing ; its white, fragrant 

 Jasmine-like flowers are produced freely. 

 The shoots are of a semi-twining habit, and 

 when the plant is in vigorous health will 

 extend to considerable length in a single 

 season, particularly if submitted to a warm, 

 humid atmosphere. The perfume is very 

 agreeable and powerful ; a small plant in 

 flower will load the atmosphere of a large 

 house. The ease with which it may be 

 grown, even by those who have not had 

 much practice in plant-growing, commends 

 it to the inexperienced. When in a strong 

 vigorous state each bunch contains a 

 number of flowers, which open in succes- 

 sion, keeping the plant gay for several 

 weeks consecutively. 



It is well adapted for conservatory deco- 

 ration, as the hard texture of the leaves 

 renders it little subject to injury by being 

 kept, while in flower, somewhat crowded 

 among other things in a way that is often 

 unavoidable in such structm-es. The 

 somewhat short foot-stalk renders the 

 flowers less serviceable for using in a cut 

 state than they would be if it were longer ; 

 nevertheless, if not subjected to too much 

 heat in opening, they are useful for 

 bouquets. The plant strikes readily from 

 cuttings made of the young shoots taken 

 off when in a half-ripened condition, such 



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