FOURTH WEEK IN SEPTEMBER 



It is a dwarf shrub from the West Indies, which needs to 

 be pruned back in the early spring and repotted as soon as 

 new shoots appear, shaking away about half the old soil, and 

 giving it a rich, light compost of peat, loam, and leaf-mould, 

 with soot and a little Clay's fertiliser, or old hot-bed material 

 free from insects. Its stems, when cut, exude a milky sap, 

 and this should be checked by powdered charcoal, or the 

 plant is weakened. After repotting, a warm, moist place 

 will suit the asclepias, with plenty of sunshine in summer ; 

 but the plant does not do so well in the open air at that 

 time as under glass, and therefore should be kept in the 

 greenhouse throughout the year. Asclepias tuberosa, a 

 somewhat similar plant, may be grown in the border, and is 

 now in blossom. Although classed as a hardy plant, it should 

 receive some shelter before wintry weather arrives in all but 

 the most sheltered localities ; a conical pile of ashes around 

 it from November till March, or a bell-glass covered with a 

 mat in a severe frost, will be sufficient. The Syrian asclepias 

 has pale mauve flowers and is extremely fragrant ; it is 

 said that the young shoots of this flower are edible, and taste 

 like asparagus when cooked, but one would be sorry to be 

 reduced to eating them. 



Poinsettias, gesneras, tydaeas, and isolomas must now have 

 warmth at night, or they will fail to bloom ; and the same 

 may be said of bouvardias, Sericographis gheisbrightii, 

 Hibiscus sinensis, and callas (arums) if they are required to 

 flower at Christmas. 



A dainty little winter flowering shrub is the bouvardia, 

 which, coming as it does from South America, is rather 

 tender, requiring a minimum temperature of 50 in winter, 

 with plenty of moisture in the atmosphere during its 

 growing stages, and constant syringing, for it soon becomes 

 a prey to blights without this help. 



Just at this time of year, when bright blossoms are not 

 too common, it is valuable in the conservatory, and also 

 when cut ; and there are varieties in pure white, coral- 

 red with a white tube (B. Bocki), and intense scarlet 

 (B. Hogarth), as well as those with double flowers, Alfred 



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