198 PEACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA. 



The Poinsettia pulcherrima is grown from cuttings of 

 the green, or of the ripened wood in April or May, and 

 shifted as required during the summer, plunging the pots 

 in beds in the open ground. In my own practice, I find 

 that boxes eighteen by thirty inches and six inches deep, 

 are more convenient than growing them in pots. Six 

 plants are set out in each box, and when placed on the 

 benches where they are to flower, the sides are knocked 

 from the boxes, and the space between the squares of earth 

 filled in with rich compost. Place it in winter quarters 

 before the weather has become cold enough to chill it, 

 not later than October 1st, as it is a tender tropical plant, 

 and requires a hot-house temperature of not less than 

 sixty-five degrees at night for its full development. 



Grown in this heat, it is a plant of the most gorgeous 

 beauty, the bracts or leaves surrounding the flower-clus- 

 ters averaging, on well-grown plants, one foot in diam- 

 eter ; grown as a hot-house plant, it is in full perfection 

 at the holidays, and is now largely used for decoration. 

 Many thousand heads are sold in New York annually, at 

 an average of $25 per 100. 



Euphorbia jacquini flora and E. splendens are plants 

 of the same family as Poinsettia, and require similar 

 treatment in all respects. The former, from its style of 

 growth, is much used for wreathing, but neither of them 

 are as yet extensively grown. 



BEGONIAS OF SORTS. 



The Begonias cultivated for winter blooming have 

 drooping Fuchsia-like flowers of different shades from 

 white to scarlet, and are used to a considerable extent as 

 a "fringe flower" for sides of baskets and vases. San- 

 dersonii, metallica and fuchsioides are fine, having 

 bright scarlet flowers produced in great abundance ; ear- 



