822 



Gardening for Amateurs 



root readily in very sandy porous soil in a 

 sunny window. No propagating frame or 

 bell-glass is necessary. A suitable soil con- 

 sists of 2 parts loam and 1 part broken 

 brick and old mortar rubble. Repotting 

 is seldom necessary ; if required, do it in 



WflMK^UUJMM? 

 Tradescantia as an edging plant in basket. 



How Tradescantia is increased. A prepared cutting 

 is shown at A, and cuttings inserted at B. 



spring. This Aloe requires a fair amount of 

 water in summer, but very little in winter. 

 Begonia Weltoniensis. This is one of 

 the oldest Begonias cultivated in gardens. 

 It has light pink flowers, which are freely 

 produced on plants grown in windows, 

 and is a fairly common occupant ot cottage 

 windows in country districts. It is propa- 



gated by cuttings during the summer. Insert 

 in sandy soil under a bell-glass. The old 

 plants die down after flowering, new growths 

 pushing up again in spring from the tuber- 

 ous rootstock. They will thrive in ordinary 

 potting soil. 



Trailing Bell flower (Cam- 

 panula isophylla). This is the 

 showiest of window plants, suit- 

 able for growing in a suspended 

 flower-pot. Hanging pots with 

 saucers fixed beneath are preferable 

 to wire baskets, for they prevent 

 the water from dropping on the 

 floor beneath. This Bellflower is 

 increased by division after flowering 

 in autumn, and by cuttings inserted 

 under a bell-glass in autumn or 

 spring. Just ordinary sandy pot- 

 ting soil is suitable, and weekly 

 applications of fertiliser in summer 

 do much good. The flowers are 

 blue ; the variety Mayi has blue 

 flowers and hairy leaves, while 

 alba is white. 



Rat's Tail Cactus. C e r e u s 

 flagelliformis is an old-fashioned 

 plant, which does as well hanging 

 in a cottage window as in the best- 

 appointed greenhouse. The long 

 tail-like growths hang down round 

 the pot, and in March and April 

 bear attractive red flowers. Such 

 a quaint and curious plant natur- 

 ally attracts attention. Increase 

 is by cuttings, which root at al- 

 most any season. A very porous 

 soil, made up of fibrous loam, old 

 mortar rubble, and coarse sand, 

 suits the Rat's Tail Cactus. It is 

 practically at rest in winter, and 

 only sufficient water should be 

 given to keep the growths from 

 shrivelling. 



Clivia miniata. This is a useful 

 foliage plant throughout the year, but it 

 is in spring or early summer, when the 

 plants produce lovely bunches of orange- 

 red flowers, that the Clivia is most admired. 

 The secret of success is to grow the plant 

 in the same pot year after year, providing 

 the soil does not become sour. Established 

 plants in pots full of roots bloom annually. 



