18 STOVE AND GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 



BOUVARDIA — A much grown Winter-flowering plant some years ago; 

 now comparatively few are to be seen. Young plants are raised early 

 in Spring, from small pieces of the roots, placed in flats of sand and kept 

 in a warm house. For the first week or two cover the surface of the 

 sand with damp sphagnum moss; this will encourage the formation of 

 buds on the roots. When the growths are of sufficient size, put in 2-inch 

 pots, shifting into 3-inch pots, and plant outside during the latter part 

 of May. To make bushy plants the leading shoots should be pinched 

 , repeatedly. About the middle of September, or earlier, according to 

 location, the plants are lifted with balls of earth attached, and either 

 planted on benches or put in pots. Keep the atmosphere moist and 

 close for the first few days, 'and the plants shaded from the sun. A mini- 

 mum temperature of 55 degrees is necessary for perfect development. 

 Pink, white and red are the prevailing colors. 



BROWALLIA — B. Jamesoni is a useful plant for late Winter flowering. 

 It is naturally alow-growing soft-wooded evergreen shrub, with a rather 

 straggling appearance. When grown as a standard it is an extremely 

 ornamental subject. For this purpose take strong shoots for cuttings, 

 and grow to single stems, removing the side shoots and stopping the 

 main shoot when the desired height has been attained. In Summer the 

 plants may be plunged in a bed of ashes and frequently fed with liquid 

 manure. They need full sun. B. elata will bloom all Winter in a cool 

 conservatory. It is annual in duration. Seeds should be sown the 

 latter part of August; a few in a 4-inch pot. Discard the weakest seed- 

 lings, leaving three or four in a pot, and shift into 6-inch pots to bloom. 



BRUNFELSIA— About half a dozen species are common in cultivation. 

 Out of this number tliere are at least two well worthy of attention as 

 pot plants— B. (Franciscea) latifolia and B. eximia. The former is very 

 free in producing flowers, and is one of the best plants to put out in the 

 permanent bed of a warm conservatory. The plant flowers during the 

 late Winter months from the wood made the previous Summer. On first 

 expanding the flowers are light purple, changing as tiiey grow older to 

 pure white. Old plants sucker freely, and if severed an inch or so 

 beneath the surface of the ground and put in the propagating bed, they 

 will quickly form new roots and develop into specimens large enough 

 for 5-inch pots within a year. These plants should be grown indoors 

 all the year round. Winter is their resting period, and during that time 

 they should be watered but sparingly. The soil should be of fibry loam, 

 sand and lime rubble; a small quantity of leaf mould may be added. In 

 rooting any of the kinds, take very large pieces; dust the cut part with 

 powdered charcoal; allow it to dry, then put in a pot of dry sand and 

 keep dry till rooted. 



CALADIUM— See Bulbous Plants. 



CACTUS— This name is applied to all the members of the family. 

 Formerly it was the adopted generic name of a large number of plants 

 which are now divided into several genera. Quite a number are hardy 

 in the Middle Atlantic States, among these are Opuntia arborescens, O. 

 BaflnesquiijO. vulgaris, O. missouriensis, and one named O. pha*acantha. 



