122 THE amateur's greenhouse 



LiBONiA. — The beautiful L.floribunda is valued for its winter 

 flowers, which may be likened to those of Cupliea platy centra. 

 It can only be turned to account, however, where there is con- 

 venience for keeping it warm in the winter, and those who 

 have only a cool house may as well do without it, for it will 

 vsimply worry them. It is very easy to propagate and grow. 

 Cuttings of the young wood should' be inserted early in the 

 spring, and treated in the same way as the ordinary kinds of 

 soft-wooded plants, the pot being plunged in a nice bottom- 

 heat. The plant being very compact and short-jointed, does 

 not need after it is potted to be frequently stopped ; the great 

 thing is to get the lower part of the plant well furnished with 

 branches in its first growth. It is in the earlier stages only 

 that the stopping of shoots is essential. It will thrive in good 

 rich loamy soil, and may stand out of doors with the majority 

 of greenhouse plants during the summer months. In common 

 with many other winter flowering plants the Libonia loses its 

 leaves if kept too cold in October and November. The leaves 

 may not fall at the time, but afterwards, when the plant is in 

 flower, it will be found' that many of the leaves are dead- 

 Excess of damp or too low a temperature in winter will very 

 much mar the beauty of this useful plant. 



Petunia. — For summer flowers the Petunia is invaluable, as 

 it will flower freely if badly treated, but if skilfully handled 

 may be developed into a sumptuous specimen-plant. The 

 single and double varieties have equal claims on our attention, 

 but the last named are the most popular, the flowers being 

 perfect rosettes, rich and various in colour, and deliciously 

 scented. Por hanging-baskets and vases the single varieties 

 are to be preferred, and for exhibition purposes the double 

 varieties are certainly the best, especially when trained to a neat 

 pyramidal outline, dense, dwarf, leafy to the bottom and richly 

 covered with their lovely flowers. 



Petunias may be handled in the same way as fuchsias ; they 

 must have a generous soil, a kindly temperature during their 

 earlier stages, and at all times the foliage must be kept per- 

 fectly clean. To get up a stock of fine specimens place a few 

 old plants in a temperature of 60° in February, and as soon as 

 the young shoots are sufficiently advanced, take them oft', and 

 strike in the usual way. If old plants are not at command the 

 cuttings in the store pots may be put in warmth, and when 



