742 



Gardening for Amateurs 



cannot be done, spraying with a strong 

 solution of quassia is the best deterrent. 

 Of the several Marguerites in cultivation 

 the best is Mrs. F. Sander, the flower 

 of which has a raised Anemone-like centre. 

 The various greenhouse Marguerites have 

 been evolved from Chrysanthemum frutes- 

 cens, a native of the Canary Islands. Within 

 the last generation they have become ex- 

 ceedingly popular for many different pur- 

 poses. They are now largely employed for 

 summer bedding, for which their continuous 

 flowering qualities stand them in good 

 stead, for they will bloom throughout the 

 summer and into the autumn, as they 

 are hardier than many bedding plants. 

 For window-boxes they are well suited, as, 

 however exposed, they succeed, provided, of 

 course, that they are well supplied with 

 water. In the embellishment of the green- 

 house plants of different sizes are invaluable, 

 and specimens in large pots or tubs are seen 

 to great advantage when placed on bal- 

 conies or terraces during the summer months. 

 Marguerites are readily propagated by cut- 

 tings of the young shoots during the spring 

 and summer months. If plants are required 

 in spring for bedding the cuttings should 

 be taken in the month of August, select- 

 ing for the purpose shoots of moderate 

 vigour, rather than very strong ones, about 

 3 inches long ; before they are inserted the 

 bottom leaves and all flower buds are re- 

 moved. A suitable compost consists of a 

 mixture of loam, peat and sand, the upper 

 layer of which has been passed through a 

 fme sieve. After being watered the cuttings 

 are placed in a frame, kept closed and 

 shaded for a few weeks. When sufficiently 

 rooted they may be potted singly in small 

 pots, keeping them during the winter in a 

 greenhouse just free from frost. It may 

 be necessary to pinch out the points of 

 some to induce a bushy habit of growth, 

 but if the plants are not sufficiently ad- 

 vanced for this to be done in the autumn 

 it may be carried out in early spring. At 

 that season, if it is desired to increase the 

 stock of plants, the separated tops may be 

 treated as cuttings, and in a propagating 

 case in the greenhouse they will soon root. 

 If potted singly and given a good position 

 they will form effective plants by bedding- 



out time. The strongest of the autumn- 

 struck plants may, if required for green- 

 house decoration, be shifted into pots 5 to 6 

 inches in diameter. For large specimens 

 the most vigorous plants must be repotted 

 as becomes necessary. The most suitable 

 compost is turfy loam, lightened by a little 

 leaf-mould and sand. 



Maurandya, (See Climbing Plants for 

 the Greenhouse.) 



Mammillariao (See Succulents.) 



Mesembryanthemunio (See Suc- 

 culents.) 



Metrosideros floribunda, (See Hard- 

 wooded Plants.) 



Mignonette. (See Annuals.) 



Mimosa. (See Acacia dealbata.) 



Myrsiphyllum. (See Climbing Plants for 

 the Greenhouse.) 



Myrtus. The common Myrtle, of which 

 the botanical name is Myrtus communis, is 

 hardy in some districts, but where protection 

 is needed it is a valuable greenhouse shrub. 

 The neat dark -green leaves, so fragrant when 

 slightly bruised, are always appreciated, and 

 the white blossoms so freely borne are equally 

 admired. The flowers are at their best 

 during the late summer and autumn months. 

 Apart from the ordinary kind there is a small- 

 leaved variety, as hardy as, even if not 

 hardier than, the former. A dwarfed form 

 of it, known as Jenny Reitchenbach, is very 

 floriferous. The Myrtle can be raised from 

 cuttings of the young shoots in spring. 

 Failures in this respect are few, though the 

 plants must remain a considerable time 

 in the propagating case before roots are 

 produced. The Myrtle will thrive in ordi- 

 nary potting compost of loam, leaf soil and 

 sand. 



Nemesia. (See Annuals.) 



Nerine. A beautiful class of autumn- 

 flowering bulbs, some of which, when at 

 their best, form a brilliant display in the 

 greenhouse. In order to flower them well 

 they need special treatment ; when the 

 blooms are over they should be assigned 

 a good light position in the greenhouse 

 and watered as before, as they make their 

 growth during the winter months. As 

 spring advances they gradually go to rest, 

 and then must be kept quite dry and fully 

 exposed to the sun, so that the bulbs may 



