Gardening for Amateurs 



337 



tropical Asia, the ordinary temperature of 

 a cool greenhouse is hardly sufficient in 

 winter for this plant, though in summer it 

 does quite well in such a house. The leaves 

 are striped with white and pink. It is readily 

 increased by cuttings inserted in a close 

 propagating frame at almost any season. 

 A suitable compost consists of 2 parts loam, 

 1 part leaf-mould, and 1 part coarse sand. 

 Botanists give this plant the name Oplis- 

 menus Burmannii variegatus, but it is more 

 commonly known as Panicum. 



Pelargonium. The Ivy-leaved Pelar- 

 goniums or Geraniums are among the most 

 popular of all plants used for hanging 

 baskets on verandas, balconies, and pon In >. 

 Their naturally trailing habit, free-flowering 

 qualities, and rich and varied colours render 

 them indispensable for summer decoration. 

 They are equally valuable for large baskets 

 capable of accommodating twenty or more 

 plants and for small baskets needing only 

 three or four. They are very attractive in 

 the cool greenhouse and corridors in sum- 

 mer, and also blossom freely in a heated 

 greenhouse in winter. August is a good 

 time to root the cuttings, the plants being 

 grown in pots during the winter and placed 

 in baskets in February or March. For winter 

 flowering the cuttings are inserted in March 

 or April. Ivy-leaved Geraniums will thrive 

 in ordinary light, loamy soil. A selection of 

 suitable sorts is as follows : Galilee, rosy 

 pink ; Madame Crousse, silvery pink ; 

 Souvenir de Charles Turner, rose, shaded 

 amaranth ; Colonel Baden-Powell, white, 

 shaded blush-lilac ; Mrs. Hawley, deep 

 pink ; Achievement, salmon pink ; Jeanne 

 d'Arc, white, suffused lavender ; Leopard, 

 lilac pink, blotched crimson ; Her Majesty 

 the Queen, salmon ; His Majesty the King, 

 dark cerise. 



Rhipsalis. Rhipsalis Cassytha, the 

 Mistletoe Cactus, is an interesting and 

 curious plant from South America. The- 

 popular name of Mistletoe Cactus aptly 

 describes the habit of growth and berry- 

 bearing character. It is increased by cut- 

 tings. A comparatively small amount of 

 soil is required, and this should consist of 

 equal parts turfy soil, leaf-mould, and old 

 mortar rubble. In some instances it is 



SCCIl m'oUlim \\ell nil e<i|U \\llll .1 -III. ill 



22 



amount of soil fastened on with wire. The 

 Rat's Tail Cactus is equally suitable for a 

 greenhouse or light window. 



Schizanthus. This is popularly known to 

 gardeners as the Butterfly or Fringe Flower, 

 and is an excellent plant for baskets. 

 There were originally three distinct kinds 

 S. pinnatus, S. Wisetonensis, and S. re- 

 tusus. During recent years the respective 

 strains of these plants have undergone won- 



The Rat's Tail Cactus in hanging flower pot. 



derful improvement, and a valuable selec- 

 tion of large-flowered sorts has also been 

 created. These include many beautiful 

 colours, embracing mauve, white, pink, 

 purple, carmine, salmon, rose, apricot, etc. 

 Seed should be so\\n m AnyiM for spring 

 flowering, and from K.hiuuy onward to 

 provide a succession of bloom. If the tips 

 of the shoot** are remove* I t\\< or three times 

 the plants branch ii- l\ and form a mass 

 of growths and flowers. Only sufficient pro- 

 tection should be given in \\inter to keep 



