Conandron 



( 234 ) 



Condaminea 



animal or artificial manures, being made at the 

 discretion of the gardener, who will be guided in 

 regard to proportions by the needs of the plant for 

 which the compost is prepared. 



Good loam, freshly cut, may also enter into the 

 composition of the soil for. hard-wooded plants ; in 

 fact, some of them, like Camellias, grow remarkably 

 well in freshly cut, sandy loam alone. In the 

 majority of instances, however, loam must be made 

 subservient to peat for hard-wooded plants. With 

 coarse sand anil small lumps of charcoal, peat forms 

 a compost in which all hard-wooded plants thrive 

 freely. A word of warning in regard to the use 

 of manures with hard-wooded plants may here be 

 inserted, it being demonstrated that peat, which is 

 practically indestructible by water alone, sets up 

 fermentation, and consequent decay, through the 

 action of manure in contact with it. Those 

 Orchidaceous plants which derive the greater part 

 of their nourishment from the atmosphere only 

 require as compost a moisture-holding, long-lasting 

 mixture not easily impaired by the action of water. 

 This is furnished by peat containing a high per- 

 centage of fibre, living sphagnum moss, charcoal in 

 lumps to ensure sweetness, and occasionally pieces 

 of broken crocks to promote porosity. 



In the case of large plants of the soft-wooded 

 section, it is unwise to sift the compost before 

 using it, as small stones and fibrous lumps of loam 

 tend to keep the soil open and ensure the free passage 

 of water. Smaller plants, sucli as seedlings, may 

 have their compost passed through a sieve to 

 remove the coarser particles, a similar practice 

 being followed in sowing seeds in pans, otherwise 

 it is decidedly detrimental to use the sieve at all. 



To determine whether the compost is in a proper 

 state for use, squeeze a portion tightly in the hand. 

 If it adheres slightly and then separates readily on 

 being released, it is neither too wet nor too dry, 

 but in a proper condition to enable the work of 

 potting to be carried out with the best results. 



CONANDRON. 



The only species of this genus (onl. Gesneracete) 

 is ramondioides, a scarce herbaceous perennial from 

 Japan, resembling a Ramondia in appearance, and 

 with pinkish or whitish flowers. Its hardiness is 

 doubtful, and it should be protected by a frame in 

 winter. It should be grown in a peaty soil, mixed 

 with grit, and in shade. Propagated by division 

 or seeds. It grows about 9" high. 



CONANTHERA. 



Pretty little bulbous plants (ord. Haemodoracea?), 

 half-hardy, but remarkably difficult to keep through 

 our winters. They should be grown either ina 

 border in front of a stove, and protected with a 

 frame in winter, or lifted and kept in dry sand 

 until spring. They are rare in cultivation, and of 

 the three or four species, bifolia, 9" to 15", is the 

 one usually met with. It has blue flowers in June. 

 Light soil. Propagated by offsets. 



Other Species: 

 Simsii (si/n. campanulata). Forsteri. 



CONCRETE. 



Concrete may be formed of broken bricks 

 clinkers, stones, or coarse gravel, with cement! 

 Six parts of either of these to one part of quick- 

 lime, or one part of coal tar to six parts of ashes 

 or coarse gravel, form a very good and lasting 



Comptonia (see Myrica). 



concrete walk. The material forming the bulk of 

 the concrete should be of uniform hardness 

 throughout, or ruts will quickly form in the softer 

 portions i.e. bricks or stones should be used alone, 

 and not mixed together. An inch of gravel 

 added before the concrete sets, and well rolled, 

 materially adds to the appearance and durability 

 of the walks. 



CONDALIA. 



A genus of about nine species (nrd. Rhamnerc), 

 the species occasionally cultivated being micro- 

 phylla, a half-hardy evergreen shrub with prickly 

 leaves, growing 2' high, and with green flowers. 

 Common soil. Propagated by cuttings of partially 

 ripened shoots. (For Condalia of Ruiz and Pavon, 

 sec Coccosypselum.) 



CONDAMINEA. 



Small stove trees or shrubs (onl. Rubiacerc) with 

 thick, compressed branches. Propagated by cut- 



CoMPAKETTIA FALCATA (sec p. 233). 



tings of firm shoots in a propagating case, 

 fibrous loam and leaf mould, with sand 



Principal Species : 



tinctoria, 30', Sep., red. 



Soil, 



