38 STOVE AND GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 



its use as a cut flower is the clammy or viscid nature of the stems 

 and leaves. The plant is said to be a native of Peru; it was introduced 

 nearly thirty years ago, but has never become popular, supposedly from 

 its being confined to European gardens ever since. Two desirable Win- 

 ter bloomers with dark lilac or purple flowers, are known as E. ianthi- 

 num and E. macrophyllum. They are of little service for cutting from. 

 Plant out in late Spring after they are done flowering. This will give 

 good material for cuttings in September. E. macrophyllum is the 

 stronger of the two. Cuttings grown on in a warm, sunny house will 

 fill 5-inch pots by the first of March, and have very large panicles of 

 flowers. 



EUPHORBIA (POINSETTIA) PULCHERRIMA Poinsettias are grown 

 not on account of the flowers, which are small and inconspicuous, tat 

 for the highly colored bracts which surround them. The flowers are 

 produced in midwinter. Both for cutting and as pot plants Poinsettias 

 are highly popular. There are three kinds in cultivation E. pulcher- 

 rima, which is most commonly grown; E. p. plenissima, having a larger 

 number of bracts, and E. p. alba, with creamy white bracts. The kinds 

 are propagated in two ways, from dormant wood and from green cut- 

 tings. In employing the former method the old plants, after the flowers 

 have been cut, or in the case of pot plants, after the flowers have de- 

 cayed, the stems should be allowed to ripen thoroughly, by gradually 

 withholding water and subsequently placing them beneath the stage of 

 a warm house; while there they should be kept free from moisture at 

 the roots. During March the canes which can be spared should be taken 

 off and cut into lengths of about 4 inches. After the milky sap has 

 stopped exuding from the lower part of the cuttings, they should be 

 washed in warm water and dipped in powdered charcoal previous to 

 being placed in the warm propagating bed. While rooting the sand 

 should be kept on the dry side, only giving enough water so that the 

 roots will obtain sufficient nourishment. Instead of being allowed to 

 make long, spindling roots in the sand they should be potted in thumb 

 pots immediately the roots appear. Put a small quantity of rough 

 screenings in the bottom of each pot, and have the soil (loam and sand 

 in equal parts is best) in a fairly moist condition, so that a very slight 

 sprinkling through a fine rose will suffice for the first few days. When 

 green cuttings are preferred the plants may be started into growth after 

 the end of April. Shake the soil from the roots and repot in rather small 

 pots. In removing the old soil it will be found that the nutritive roots 

 are decayed and only the storage roots remain. On coming into con- 

 tact with moist soil these storage roots speedily send out feeding roots, 

 followed by the expansion of the dormant buds on the canes. When the 

 growths are a few inches long they may be taken off with a heel, potted 

 singly and put in a close frame; or simply rooted in the sand bed and 

 potted when roots are formed. If kept growing without a check plants 

 from green cuttings will give the largest heads of bracts. Batches of 

 cuttings may be put in at intervals during the Summer. When well 

 started in pots all the plants may be placed in a sheltered position out- 

 of-doors, but in the full sun. When the pots in which they are to bloom 

 get full of roots clear liquid manure may be given with good effect. 



