CULTURE OF FAVORITE PLANTS. 



MOYJL. 



F the Ho\as, 

 pccies, alfof t 



or Wax-plants, there are three or four common 

 hem very beautiful. They are mostly woody vines of 

 a standent or climbing nature, with waxy, ovate leaves; and, though 

 pioperly belonging to the hothouse, can be grown with the greatest 

 e.ise as parlor plants, always with the understanding that warmth must 

 be supplied in winter, and that they be kept free from frost. Of course, 

 the blossoms must not be expected to appear as abundantly as when placed in 

 a higher and moister temperature, but, should they utterly refuse to bloom, the 

 beauty of the foliage would amply compensate for the little care they require. 

 They can, however, be almost always made to bloom by withholding the usual 

 water supply, and suffering them to become partially dry for several weeks. 

 The flowers are most exquisitely beautiful, the clusters being composed of from fifteen 

 to twenty florets arranged in the form of a simple umbel. Each floret is in the shape 

 of a five-pointed star, with the points slightly recurved. The texture is like wax, with a 

 rather plushy surface. The buds open always in the evening, and all at one time, as if 

 by electricity, so sudden is the transition from bud to blossom. When plants are well 

 established they grow freely and rapidly, if not neglected in the matter of a judicious 

 application of water to leaf and root. One in our own collection (the Hova carnosa), in 

 a twelve-inch pot, makes each season vines about eight feet long, and blooms very freely 

 in a common sitting-room with a southern aspect. 



We would advise our readers, however, to secure good-sized plants in the first place, 

 those with old flower stems or buds, if possible ; for, though growing readily from slips, 

 they are many times very perverse in starting runners, often remaining stationary for a 

 provokingly long time. The flower or bud stems come from the axils of the leaves, gen- 

 erally at every alternate joint of the young growth, forming one year and blooming the 

 next, and from that on, season after season, though sometimes skipping. Occasionally 

 buds come from the old wood of the vines as well. These dark or woody flower-stems 

 should never be cut ofl^, as there is always a central or live tip for future bloom, and the 

 apparent unsightliness is amply compensated for by their superior flowers. 



The best soil is said to be three parts loam, two parts leaf-mold, and one part sand, 

 with a little broken charcoal. It should be light and open, with good drainage. The 

 repotting should be done in spring, just as soon as the plant begins to grow, and the 

 plant thoroughly watered ; after which water should be withheld a week or more until 

 new roots begin to form. When in a large pot they need not be disturbed every year. 

 In summer thty should be watered when the earth is dry on the surface; in winter, once 

 a week, or less often, will do. During the growing season the plant should have a watering 

 of liquid manure, not very strong, once or twice a week. 



In propagating, the slips should be laid aside a day or two, until the sap closes the 

 wound. The cuttings should then be placed near the sides of the crock, and started, if 

 possible, in a gentle heat. The leaves also answer as slips. The only insect we have 

 seen on them is the mealy bug, which with a little care is easily kept under. In sitting 

 rooms the foliage and stems will require washing occasionally to remove the dust. 



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