ox THB CULTIVATION OF THUNBEUGIA ALATA. 229 



tubular pait of the flower. Tho two colours united, make the 

 blossoms very strikingly pretty. The plant is admired by every 

 person seeing it. It cerUinly deserves cultivating, wherever jirac- 

 ticable. I find, that during the summer months, it grows and 

 blossoms freelv, either in a greenhouse, vvann room, or planted 

 out in the ojien border ; taking the advantage of a sheltered sunny 

 situation, in such a place it has this summer flowered profusely. 



The plant has, by many persons, been found dillicult to propa- 

 gate, as well as to keep, from yeai- to year. I have not found 

 either to be so under the mode of treatment I practice. 



Propagation. — I take off" the lateral shoots when about four 

 inches long, cutting them off quite close to the stem producing 

 them ; they are then inserted in sand and loamy soil, about ec[ual 

 parts of each ; I plunge them in a hotbed frame, where they strike 

 root in two or three weeks ; I then separate them from the cutting 

 pot, planting them in small pots. It is quite essential to strike 

 them in moist heat, for not more than one in ten mil strike in a 

 dry atmosidicre. 



Soil. — I use a rich loamy soil, mixed with a portion of sandy 

 peat and leaf mould. 



Culture. — After separation from the cutting pot, and potting 

 them ofl', I keep them in the frame as long as their height per- 

 mits, and in some cases I train them to horizontal cords till they 

 are several feet long. The red spider is a most formidable enemy 

 to the jilant, but in moist heat the insect is kept off, and the j^lant 

 will flourish amazingly. As the pot becomes filled with roots, I 

 repot, using one each time about four inches mere diameter than 

 the one before grown in it. 



When I judge it proper to remove the jilants from the hotbed 

 frame, and to place them in the stove, gi'cenhousc, or conservatory, 

 I have slender, green painted, wire frames, about six feet high. 

 They are fonned by having four uprights, placed ten inches apart, 

 for large size ; and smaller in proportion, suited to the pots ; round 

 these ujirigliLs, wire is spirally coiled round to the toji; the plant 

 is thus trained to the frames, which not only afford a desirable 

 «ui)l)ort, Init it exhibits the beautiful blossoms entirely to view, 

 forming a most enchanting sight. Some plants I iiave trained to 

 a frame composed of four njirights made to splay outwards, so 

 that at three feet liigli, thr frame is tlircc feel across; the uprigiits 



