FOLIAGE PLANTS 31 



It should be grown in a house where a free circulation of air 

 is provided for every day, and might be wintered with the 

 Cinerarias. 



The Schizanthus is grown as a summer plant, though perhaps 

 not so largely. For this purpose the seeds are sown in February 

 and March, but care must be taken never to coddle the young 

 plants in a high temperature. 



FOLIAGE PLANTS 



Apart from Ferns, there is a whole group of foliage plants 

 raised from seed which at least demands our passing attention. 

 They are Aralia Sieboldii, A. Moseri, Asparagus Plumosus, 

 A. Sprengeri, Grevillea Robusta, Smilax, and some others of the 



FIG. 4. Box of Transplanted Asparagus Plumosus 



Dracoena family. The Asparagus and the Smilax are grown 

 chiefly for cut stuff, the Aralias and Grevilleas as pot plants. 

 They are all in healthy demand and the number grown each year 

 amounts to many thousands ; hence they make a very important 

 line. The seeds may be sown in spring and again in autumn, 

 those sown in spring being fit for sale to the trade as small stuff 

 in autumn, and those sown at the end of August being ready 

 by March. They are not difficult to grow, but had better be 

 treated as greenhouse plants, not as hothouse. 



When preparing to sow the seeds, we mix a compost of loam 

 and peat in equal portions and add liberally of coarse silver sand. 

 This is a compost that is " springy " rather than solid, and 

 one that retains moisture and heat. Special attention is given 

 to drainage, and when the pans are prepared we take the seeds 

 one by one and place them in regular lines at about J inch apart. 



