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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



snap-dragons, are not very exacting as to 

 the nature of the soil, flourishing in either a 

 loamy or a stifFer soil with almost equal 

 vigor and profuseness of flower. A rich 

 soil, however, brings much larger flowers 

 and richer and more intense tints and shades 

 of color. A dozen or two plants each of the 



snap-dragon and scabiosa planted out in 

 the garden will not only beautify the flower 

 garden but furnish an almost unlimited sup- 

 ply of cut flowers the entire summer. Both 

 of these varieties are largely grown by com- 

 mercial florists, a fact that proves their use- 

 fulness for cut flower purposes. 



FICUS REPENS. 



Fig. 2265. Ficus Repens. 



This plant is perhaps one of the prettiest 

 evergreen greenhouse climbers that we have. 

 One would scarcely think, judging from its 

 miniature-like foliage and its decided climb- 

 ing habit of growth, that it belonged to the 

 same class of plants as the well-known 

 rubber plant (Ficus elastica) that has such 

 coarse, heavy foliage, and is altogether of a 



different habit of growth from this little 

 climbing Ficus. Unlike a good many so- 

 called climbers, Ficus repens requires no 

 tying or training to induce it to cling to any 

 support against which it is planted. In this 

 respect it is very similar to the out-door 

 climber, Ampelopsis Veitchii, or Boston Ivy; 

 in fact, it has sometimes been termed the 

 indoor Boston Ivy. It is very easy to pro- 

 pagate, striking root readily in sand in a 

 moderate temperature. For covering a wall 

 or even a board partition in a greenhouse or 

 conservatory it comes in splendidly, as it is 

 of very small culture, in fact, if given only 

 fairly rich soil and an ordinary greenhouse 

 temperature it will soon cover two or three 

 square yards of surface with its ivy-like 

 growth and small glossy green foliage. Its 

 immunity from insect attacks as well as its 

 ease of culture is another point in its favor, 

 as few, if any, of the insect pests that are so 

 partial to greenhouse climbers ever give any 

 trouble with this miniature Ficus. A fairly 

 rich compost of loamy soil, plenty of root 

 room and a temperature of 50° to 75° suits 

 this useful little climber splendidly. The 

 plant as shown in the photo had been planted 

 only about a year and a half from a cutting 

 when the photo was taken. 



Hamilton. W. Hunt. 



