Celmisia 



( 189 ) 



Celsia 



another fortnight, complete the earthing process, 

 lirinii-ing the soil to a sharp slope, with only the 

 ti| of the tallest leaves visible. Some growers 

 prefer to accomplish the earthing-up at one opera- 

 tion, and successful results are obtained in this 

 way. Celery is generally fit for use a month or 

 five weeks after the final earthing-tip. 



Celery Fly (TrphriHi Onopordinis). The larvae of 

 this lly mine beneath the surface of Celery leaves, 

 and cause the well known blistered appearance 

 by eating away the green colouring matter of 

 the leaf. Crushing between the finger and thumb. 

 ,andthe removal of badly affected leaves, are recom- 

 mended for its extirpation ; while an occasional 

 dusting over the leaves with soot and lime on 

 dewy mornings is the means generally adopted to 

 prevent the mature fly depositing its eggs on the 

 foliage. 



CELMISIA COBIACEA. 



Leicester Red : very large. 

 Major Clarke's Heil ; 



medium. 

 Saiulriugham White ; 



early, dwarf. 



A Selection of Varieties : 



Standard Bearer, red ; 



large. 



Sulham Prize, pk. 

 Wright's Giant White: 



large. 



CELMISIA. 



A genus (ord. Composite) of greenhouse or 

 hardy perennials, propagated by seeds and thriving 

 in any fertile, well-drained soil. 



Principal Species : 



C'oriarcii, wh , yel. 

 Liu.lsiiyi, hdy., wh., yel. 



Monroi, grh.. yel. 

 spectabilis, My., 

 HI., yel, 



CELOSIA. 



Description. Although some thirty species are 

 included in this genus (ord. Amarantacese), very 

 few of them are cultivated. Cristata, the Cocks- 

 comb, and its varieties pyramidalis, p. plumosa, and 

 variegata. are the most valuable members of the 

 genus. All are showy plants, and much prized for 

 decoration. For some time pyramidalis was re- 

 garded as a distinct species, but it is now looked 

 upon as only a variety of the versatile cristata. 



Propagation. Seeds of all the species may be 

 SOWTI in brisk heat in February or March, the plants 

 pricked-out singly into small pots, and grown on 



briskly in rich foil, repotting always before the 

 roots are through the bottoms of the pots, and 

 seeing that the plants never experience a check in 

 any way. A starving process is sometimes adopt. -d 

 with Cockscombs, the object being to cause combs 

 to form prematurely, when the best-shaped ones 

 are selected and placed in flowering pots. When 

 cristata produces good combs on somewhat long 

 stems, as is sometimes the case, procure pots a size 

 smaller than the plants are in, crock well, and fill 

 with sandy soil. Cut off the heads of the leggy 

 plants with some 6" of stem attached, remove the 

 lower leaves, and insert them singly in the centre 

 of the prepared pots. Press the soil firmly around 

 the stems, and place in a propagating case, or on a 

 brisk, moist hotbed, when they will quickly emit 

 roots and form beautiful dwarf plants with large 

 combs in small pots. Pyramidalis and p. plumosa 

 are very graceful plants for conservatory decora- 

 tion. They should be grown in a moist atmosphere 

 to discount the attacks of red spider, and be 

 liberally fed until the colour of the flowers is seen, 

 when pure water only should be given. They 

 make extremely graceful and effective bedding 

 plants if seeds are sown early in February and 

 the plants are grown on well, carefully hardened 

 off, and planted out in good soil in the beginning 

 of June. If well grown and liberally fed they 

 make magnificent objects in 8" or 10" pots, and 

 will retain their beauty for many weeks. The 

 plumy Celosias are obtainable in various colours, 

 e.g. yellow, golden, crimson, scarlet, purple, and 

 creamy white ; or seeds may be purchased in 

 packets containing a mixture of the whole. Cris- 

 tata variegata has prettily variegated foliage. 

 Seed is very sparingly produced on good Cocks- 

 combs, and where the different varieties are grown 

 together they invariably produce hybrid mon- 

 strosities. 



Principal Species and Varieties : 

 argentea, 2' to 2|', st., sum., flowers wh. in dense 

 spikes. 



linearis. narrower Ivs. than the type, 

 cernua (wr cristata). 



cristata, !' to 3', st., sum., dark red, very vari- 

 able (fyn. cernua). 



coccinea, 1' to 2', St., sum., shorter Ivs. 



comosa, 1' to 2', st., sum., red or pur. 



pyramidalis, \y to 2^', st., sura., red, yel. 

 There are many sub-'vars., of which plumosa is the 

 most showy. 



variegata, H' to 2', St., sum., red, variegated 

 foliage. 



Huttoni, 1' to 2', st., sum., red, in small spikes. 

 The crirn. Ivs. make this a handsome foliage 

 subject. 



CELSIA. 



Hardy or half-hardy plants (ord. Scrophularinea 1 ), 

 which bear a close resemblance to the Verbascums 

 or Mulleins, from which they differ little in struc- 

 ture. They have their flowers in spikes. l'rn|,a- 

 gated by seeds sown under glass in spring; the 



shrubby species also by cuttings of the young w 1 



in pots placed in a frame or greenhouse. Tho 

 biennials iiiuM be wintered in a frame or green- 

 house. Any common soil. 



Principal Species : 



Arctiirus. }', .Ty.. hlf-hdy. shr.. grh., yel. There- 

 is a var. named linmeana, which has a pur. throat. 

 (fijn. sublunata ). 



