304 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



which are also suggestive of those of the Ageratum, are for the most 

 part white, but E. ianthinum, which does not bloom till spring, has 

 lilac flowers. The best greenhouse Eupatoriums are riparium, petiolare, 

 and vernale. Soil : good loam with a little peat. 



Ficus (India-rubber Plant). The well-known India-rubber Plant is 

 Ficus indica, which at one time was more generally grown than it is 

 now. The tendency to lose its leaves at the base has led to such sub- 

 jects as Palms, Aspidistras, and other things being more generally used 

 for indoor decoration. The India-rubber Plant should be potted in a 

 mixture of loam, peat, and sand, and the leaves kept regularly sponged. 

 At the same time care must be taken not to put the plant in too large a 

 pot, as this often leads to many of the leaves dropping. Over-watering, 

 too, must be guarded against. There is a form with variegated leaves, but 

 it is not so effective or so robust as the commoner kind. In direct con- 

 trast to the huge leaves of the India-rubber Plant we have the tiny Ficus 

 ripens and minima, both of which are valuable for clothing a dark, damp 

 wall in the greenhouse, as they will attach themselves to it in the way 

 of Ivy, and render it green and attractive at all seasons. 



Francoa. There are two kinds of Francoa, both of which are 

 pretty greenhouse plants. In Francoa appendiculata the long slender 

 spikes are clothed with pinkish-red blossoms, and in F. ramosa they are 

 white. Both are of easy culture, and readily increased by seed sown in 

 the spring. Soil : loam and leaf-soil. 



Freesia. A charming group of greenhouse bulbs with flowers of 

 various colours. The best known is F. refracta alba, whose pure white 

 blossoms are deliciously scented. In some the flowers are white with a 

 golden throat, while the newer kinds vary in colour from white to car- 

 mine through various intermediate shades of pink, rose, and lilac. Of 

 the better-known kinds the best bulbs are grown in the Channel Islands, 

 and reach here in August. They should be potted at once and grown as 

 cool as possible, consistent with freedom from frost. They will flower in 

 the greenhouse in early spring, and after the blossoms are past must be 

 carefully attended to for water, &c., till the leaves die down in order to 

 perfect the bulbs. When quite dormant keep them dry till August, 

 then shake clear of the old soil and repot. Soil : loam, leaf -soil, and 

 well-decayed cow-manure. 



Fuchsia. The Fuchsia is a well-known greenhouse plant, and is 

 useful for outdoor culture during the summer. Cuttings of the young 

 shoots strike root readily in the spring, and the plants so obtained may 

 be grown in various ways. If their tops are pinched out two or three 

 times when the plants are young they form neat bushes ; next, allowed 

 to grow at will with the leading shoot tied to a stake, they assume natur- 

 ally more or less of a pyramid habit ; while standards, which are admired 

 by many, are formed by tying the plant upright, and removing all the 

 side shoots until the required height is attained, when the upper portion 

 of the plant which is to form the head may be allowed to branch out. 

 Any attempt to form shoots on the lower part of the stem must be sup- 

 pressed. Some of the more vigorous Fuchsias form a delightful feature 



