440 SATURDAY IN MY GARDEN 



CYCLAMEN. The measure of success that is obtained in the 

 culture of the cyclamen in the greenhouse depends very largely 

 on the summer treatment of the conns. The pots should be kept 

 in a cold frame on a bed of ashes, exposed to the light as much 

 as possible. They will benefit greatly when growth is becoming 

 vigorous by frequent applications of weak soot- water and liquid 

 manure, 



The plants should also be syringed at intervals with clear soot- 

 water. This will promote the production of healthy foliage, and 

 will at the same time help to keep greenfly, thrip and red spider 

 in check. 



The syringing must be persevered with after the plants have 

 been removed from the frame to the greenhouse stage, which 

 should be about the middle of October. Healthy plants will 

 produce flowers from November until March. 



DRAOENAS. One of the most popular of foliage plants for the 

 warm greenhouse is the dracsena. It belongs in reality to the 

 class known among gardeners as stove plants, but during summer 

 may safely be brought into the dwelling-house and used with 

 gratifying effect for table decoration. 



It is the habit of the dracsena to cast its lower leaves as it grows 

 older, and in time it becomes so " leggy " as to be both unsightly 

 and unsuitable for decorative purposes. Diagram 83 indicates 

 a simple method of dwarfing the plants. Figure 1 shows a tall, 

 *' leggy " dracaena, and the plan adopted for shortening it and 

 at the same time increasing the stock is shown in Figure 2. A small 

 flower-pot, of the size known as sixty, is cracked through the centre 

 by means of a sharp blow with the edge of a trowel. Figure 8 

 shows how the stem should be treated. The bark is cut round with 

 a sharp knife, and a circular piece removed. Next a " V "-shaped 

 incision is made in the wood of the stem. The broken pot is 

 fixed in position by means of supports, as shown in Figure 2, 

 and then filled with sandy soil. After a few weeks new roots 

 will have formed, and the top of the plant may be removed and 

 repotted, as in Figure 4. 



The lower part of the plant should be left in its original pot, 



