REMARKS ON CLIANTHUS PUNICEUS. 2*79 



ARTICLE IX. 



REMARKS ON CLIANTHUS PUNICEUS, GROWN AS A STANDARD 



PLANT. 



BY A FLOWER GARDENER. 



The Clianthus Puniceus is well worthy of a place in every collection, 

 both for its beautiful foliage and pendant racemes of red flowers. 

 When grown as a standard, it far surpasses in beauty and elegance 

 any plant I have seen of its kind : I shall mention a few words 

 regarding its culture as a standard. Select cuttings from a plant 

 about the beginning of May or June ; the cuttings should not exceed 

 four inches in length, and taken from the same year's growth; recol- 

 lect that the extremity or point of the cuttings must not be pinched 

 off. After making the cuttings, allow them to remain for a day or 

 two before potting, to dry some of the superabundant moisture from 

 them, which is an advantage gained by the cuttings rooting two days 

 sooner. A 32-sized pot should be filled with white sand, and the 

 cuttings inserted therein to the depth of two or more inches ; they 

 will strike readily in a heat of 70 or 75 degrees ; if they are covered 

 with a bell-glass the strike will be more successful. After struck, 

 they should be potted off separately, in thumbs or small sixties, 

 amongst a compost of sand, leaf, loam, with a little well-decomposed 

 cow-dung, all well incorporated together. When potted, they should 

 be placed in a bottom heat till they have matured roots enough to 

 support themselves. Then they should be removed to a more airy 

 situation, either to a greenhouse or conservatory, and great care and 

 attention must be paid to the repotting and watering, for without 

 the plants will soon form a sickly, stinted appearance. To make 

 good standards, all side-shoots must be pinched off as soon as they 

 appear, training the plant up with a clear stem to the necessary 

 height required. Then, after they have attained the required height, 

 the tops should be pinched off; and that causes them to throw out 

 laterals, and these laterals again stopped, make them still to throw 

 out the more, till at last the plants attain a most luxuriant head, 

 richly decorated with thick but dense pale green foliage. When 

 treated after the method that I have laid down above, then planted 

 out in a conservatory, amongst good rich mould, one-half fresh loam, 

 one quarter leaf mould, and one-quarter decomposed cow-dung, along 



