SECOND WEEK IN JANUARY 



shoots are pushing up in summer it enjoys a more moist 

 atmosphere than that of a room, and should be kept in 

 the greenhouse at that time. Then there is the trailing 

 Asparagus sprengeri, which also makes a pretty furnishing 

 plant in its younger stages ; but after the first few years it 

 should be allowed to hang below the conservatory roof in 

 a basket, for its growths are then several feet in length. 

 Other members of the same family are A. retrofractus, A. 

 decumbens, and A. medeoloides, all handsome climbers, but 

 scarcely so beautiful as A. plumosus ; they all enjoy a winter 

 temperature above 50, when they require less water than in 

 the summer, but must never be allowed to become dust 

 dry ; whilst in spring and summer an ample supply will be 

 necessary. 



All of the asparagus tribe can be most easily propagated 

 from seed sown in slight warmth ; the roots of pot plants 

 may be divided when they are repotted in spring, and 

 cuttings of the last season's growth may be induced to strike 

 roots in light sandy soil under a bell-glass, sinking the pot 

 in a hot-bed for the first six weeks. Smilax, too (which 

 also belongs to the lily order, and is nearly allied to 

 asparagus), can be propagated best by seed, but also by 

 division of the roots and by cuttings ; just now the smilax 

 (well named S. ornata, for it is most decorative) which 

 wreaths the back wall of the vinery is in full bloom, the tiny 

 white flowers, like miniature lilies, being produced at the 

 axils of the leaves. They are richly fragrant (almost too 

 much so for use in a room), and will be followed by 

 scarlet berries. The new growths are trained each on its 

 separate string from the time it starts, for if once allowed to 

 ramble, the long trails cling around each other, and become 

 useless for table decoration ; whilst if carefully trained, each 

 spray is perfect and straight, easily detachable, too, from the 

 wall by cutting the string at either end, when it can be 

 pulled out without difficulty, leaving the trail of smilax 

 intact. The roots will now be mulched with a rich compost, 

 and more water than they have had during the past three 

 months will be supplied to them as new growths appear. 



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