GLOXINIA 



GLYCYRRHIZA 



653 



using partly matured medium sized leaves with a small 

 portion of leaf -stalk attached (Fig. 629, p. 423). These 

 may be inserted in an ordinary propagating bed, where, 

 if kept rather on the dry side, they will soon root and form 

 tubers, when they may be potted and grown on. Seeds 

 should be sown in a warm temperature early in Febru- 

 ary, in pans or shallow boxes containing a finely sifted 

 mixture of peat, leaf -mold and silver sand in about equal 

 proportions. The seedlings will begin to appear in about 

 ten days, when great care must be exercised in water- 

 ing, or they will "damp-off," as gardeners term it. In 

 fact, success with these plants throughout the year de- 

 pends largely upon the care exercised in watering. Even 

 in their most active growth the water always should be 

 given from the spout of a watering can, taking care not 

 to wet the leaves, though they like a warm, humid at- 

 mosphere during their growing season. As soon as the 

 seedlings can be conveniently handled, they should be 

 potted singly into thumb pots and grown on rapidly, 

 using in subsequent shifts a mixture of two parts leaf- 

 mold, 1 part good fibrous loam and 1 part peat. The 

 plants nrnst be well shaded from sunlight and placed in 

 a position free from draughts. The seedlings should 

 begin to flower by the middle of August, when they 

 should be given an abundance of air. After flowering, 

 the leaves will begin to mature, when water should be 

 gradually withheld. As soon as the leaves have all 

 ripened off, the pots should be stored away in some con- 

 venient place for the winter, in a temperature of about 

 45, giving just sufficient water to keep the tubers from 

 shriveling. Towards the middle of February the tubers 

 will show signs of starting into growth. A batch should 

 be started at this time, choosing the tubers which ap- 

 pear most active, and the remainder should be held back 

 for another month; this will give a much longer period 

 of blossoming. The tubers should have all the old soil 

 shaken off and be potted again in clean.well drained pots, 

 using sizes just large enough to accommodate the tubers, 

 the compost being the same mixture as before recom- 



919. Modern Gloxinia blooms (X%). 



mended. They should be given but little water until 

 active root growth commences. As soon as the pots are 

 filled with roots, they should be shifted on at once into 

 the pots they are intended to flower in, as frequent 

 shifts would more or less damage their leaves, which 

 have a tendency to cling round the sides of the pots. 

 The first batch should come into flower in June. When 



carefully grown, Gloxinias are particularly free from 

 insect pests or fungous diseases, and the same tubers can 

 be grown for several years. EDWARD J. CANNING. 



As Gloxinias are essentially tropical plants, they re- 

 quire a temperature of GO (night) if started early; yet 

 seedlings raised during summer time do splendidly when 

 planted in coldframes. When a select collection is de- 

 sired, it is customary to plant hundreds of seedlings in 

 frames for the summer. A large majority of these will 

 bloom, from which a number of the best is selected. In 

 connection with this method of culture, it is interesting 

 to note that nearly all the plants which fail to bloom are 

 strong growers, making grand specimens the following 

 season, and the majority of them will be purple-flow- 

 ered. The more upright-growing plants of red and pink 

 shades are the first to bloom; and curiously, also, the 

 latest plants to start of any age are generally the best. 

 Although cultural directions usually insist on care in 

 watering so as to avoid wetting the foliage, we have 

 never been careful to follow these instructions closely, 

 except when the plants are coming into bloom, but we re- 

 alize that it might be detrimental in moist, dull weather. 

 The greatest objection we have to wetting the foliage is 

 on account of sediment from the water making a de- 

 posit on the bright, hairy foliage, taking away the luster 

 which gives such a healthy and effective appearance to 

 well -bloomed plants. T. D. HATFIELD. 



GLYCfiBIA. Referred to Panicularia. 



GLYClNE (Greek for sweet). I/eguminosce. Perhaps 

 15 or 20 species in tropical Asia, Africa and Australia, 

 mostly twining vines. The Glycines are allied to Doli- 

 chos, Vigna and Phaseolus : the cult, species are distin- 

 guished by small and hairy fls. in short axillary racemes ; 

 stipules very small and free from the petiole : leaflets (3) 

 large and thin: seeds short or globular and pea-like. In 

 this country Glycine is known only in the Soy Bean, G. 

 hispida, Maxim. (Fig. 195, p. 137), which is an erect, 

 hairy annual from Japan and China. It is also known as 

 the Soja Bean, Coffee Bean and Coffee Berry. It grows 

 2-4 ft. high, making a rank, bushy herb, and bearing 

 axillary clusters of small hanging, hairy pods, with con- 

 strictions between the seeds. The seeds are nearly globu- 

 lar, pea-like, usually white (e, Fig. 191, p. 136). In China 

 and Japan the beans are much used for human food, 

 but in this country the plant is grown for forage, hav- 

 ing begun to attra'ct attention about 25 years ago. The 

 beans may be used as a substitute for coffee ; and for 

 this purpose the plant is often sold. The Soy Bean, in 

 the form in which we know it, seems to be unknown in a 

 wild state. It is probably a domesticated form of Gly- 

 cine Sdja, Sieb. & Zucc., which is wild in Japan. These 

 two species are united by some authors and separated 

 by others (see Franch. & Sav. PI. Jap. 1:108. Maxim. 

 Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. 18:398). For purposes of per- 

 spicuity and definition, they may well be kept separate 

 in the books. The Soy Bean has also been separated as 

 a distinct genus under the name of Soja hispida, Mcench ; 

 but this disposition is now mostly given up. For the 

 economic merits of Soy Beans, see various experiment 

 station reports; also Farmers' Bull. 58, U. S. Dept. of 

 Agric. It has been recommended as a drought-resisting 

 crop. 



Glycine was once applied to Wistaria. It is sometimes 

 used for that genus at the present day in foreign lists. 



L. H. B. 



GLYCYRKHlZA (Greek, sweet root). Leguminbsw. 

 LICORICE, also spelled LIQUORICE, and LICKORICE. This 

 genus contains the plant whose roots produce the Licor- 

 ice of commerce. Seeds in pods are listed by a few 

 dealers with miscellaneous agricultural seeds. The 

 genus has about a dozen widely scattered species of 

 perennial herbs, often glandular: Ivs. odd-pinnate; Ifts. 

 of indefinite number, rarely 3, entire, with minute glands 

 or teeth: fls. blue, violet, white or yellowish, in axillary 

 racemes or spikes, which are peduncled or sessile. 



glabra, Linn. Height 3-4 ft. : Ifts. ovate, subretuse, 

 subglutinous beneath: spikes peduncled, shorter than 

 the Ivs.: fls. distant: pods glabrous, 3-4-seeded. Sum- 

 mer and autumn. w. M. 



