Gardening for Amateurs 



845 



little fibrous loam. They all need ample 

 drainage, and a liberal amount of water 

 during the growing season, but at no time 

 must they be allowed to get dry. 



Repotting of A. scherzerianum is best 

 carried out directly the blossoms are over, 

 the others in early spring. Air can be pro- 

 pagated by division, while A. andreanum 

 and A. scherzerianum may also be increased 

 by seed. This takes a long time to become 

 ripe, which is shown by the berries drop- 

 ping. The seeds are embedded in a glutin- 

 ous pulp, and should before sowing be 

 rubbed in some dry silver sand. The pots 

 prepared for the reception of the seeds must 

 be clean and well drained. A suitable com- 

 post may be made up of peat, sphagnum 

 moss, and silver sand, well mixed together. 

 The seeds must be sown on the surface, and 

 just covered with silver sand. Placed in a 

 closed propagating case they will soon ger- 

 minate. The young plants will thrive better 

 in the closed case during their earlier stages 

 than in the ordinary atmosphere of the 

 hothouse. 



Aphelandra. A pretty class of upright, 

 free-flowering plants, of which the blossoms 

 are borne in terminal spikes at various 

 periods of the year. They all require the 

 coolest part of the hothouse, where they will 

 thrive with ordinary treatment. They can 

 be struck from cuttings, put in warmth in 

 spring. A selection of the best includes : 

 A. aurantiaca, vermilion ; A. chamissoniana, 

 chrome yellow ; A. coccinea, scarlet ; A. 

 Leopoldii. rich yellow ; A. nitens, deep 

 scarlet : and A. tetragona, with massive 

 heads of rich scarlet flowers. Old plants are 

 apt to become tall and bare, hence a few 

 cuttings should be struck each spring. At 

 that season of the year repotting is also 

 best carried out. A suitable compost is a 

 mixture of loam, peat or leaf -mould, and 

 sand. In some of the Aphelandras the 

 foliage, too, is very handsome. They all 

 thrive best in the coolest part of the hot- 

 house, 



Aralia. The Aralias are handsome foli- 

 age plants, most of them being particularly 

 light and elegant. In a young state they 

 are much valued for table decoration. 

 Kinds suitable for this purpose are A. 

 Chabrieri, A. elegantissima, A. reticulata. 



Bertolonia remarkable for its exquisite 

 leaves. 



A. Veitchii, and A. Veitchii gracillima. As 

 small plants are much appreciated constant 

 propagation is necessary in order to ensure 

 them. At the same time large specimens, 

 owing to their graceful character, are exceed- 

 ingly useful for grouping purposes. All the 

 above can be readily propagated from cut- 

 tings, except A. Veitchii and its variety 

 gracillima. For the increase of the others 

 half-ripened shoots of moderate vigour and 

 about 3 inches in length should be taken 

 during spring or early summer, and put 

 singly in small, well-drained pots filled with 

 a mixture of loam, peat and sand. If 

 plunged in bottom heat in a closed propagat- 

 ing case, they do not take long to root. 

 Aralia Veitchii and its variety are easily in- 

 creased by grafting upon Aralia reticulata, 

 which strikes root very readily. The best 

 time for the purpose is when the stocks are 

 the thickness of a stout straw to a pencil. 

 Side-grafting is preferable, and the point of 

 union should be near the ground, so that 

 when repotted it may be covered. The 

 operation is a simple one, and in a closed 

 propagating case a union is effected in about 

 a couple of months. If the graft is tied 

 securely with raffia no wax is necessary. All 

 the Aralias thrive in a mixture of loam, 

 peat and sand. 



Aristolochia. (See " Climbing Plants for 

 the Hothouse.") 



