Angn st 16, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



137 



threatening to steal strength from the othera should also be 

 stopped to give two or three shoots instead of one. If fly, 

 or thrips, or bug appear there must be smoking and sponging 

 at once. 



This treatment should continue, with a little shade from very 

 bright sun, until September. The pots should then be raised 

 out of the hotbed, the plants placed nearer the glass and in full 

 light ; and though syringing may be resorted to at times, it 



should gradually be discontinued, and water at the roots also 

 lessened, but never so as to cause the plants to flag. The object 

 is to ripen the shoots formed. During October and November 

 the water must be lessened, and the temperature fall then and 

 on to February to 60° and 55°, the roots just kept healthy and 

 no more, and care taken of the leaves by syringing and spong- 

 ing on a fine bright day. The rest is thus given at the dull 

 season, as the flowers are much more pale when produced in 



Fig. 31. — IXORA REGINA. 



winter. About March, or earlier, the plants are to be moved 

 into a higher temperature by degrees, and at first the pots 

 partially and ultimately three parts plunged in a sweet hotbed, 

 with openings below the pot to secure drainage. The tempe- 

 rature may be gradually raised to 75° and 80° with air, and of 

 course waterings at the root will be more needed as the tem- 

 perature rises, and the syringe muBt be pretty well used before 

 the bloom trusses Bhow. Then a drier atmosphere should be 

 given and the plants be lifted out of the bed as the flowers 

 open, and kept cooler and drier to preserve the bloom. 



Ixoras cannot be grown in a low temperature. On this 

 point a good authority has written as follows : — " I would par- 

 ticularly allude to this high temperature and moist atmosphere 

 in summer as essential to success, as I have had several com- 

 plaints that the Ixoras cannot be managed in a warm green- 

 • house temperature — about 50° in winter, and very airy in sum- 

 mer. It is waste of time attempting such plants under such 



circnmBtances. I have given them up for a time because I 

 have not enough heat for them. Those who can command a 

 dryish atmosphere of from 55° to 65° in winter and a ferment- 

 ing bed in Bpring and summer, securing a bottom heat of from 

 80° to 85° and 90°, and a top temperature of from 70° to 85°, 

 and 5° to 10° more in sunshine, with abundance of atmo- 

 spheric moisture, will no doubt succeed with these lovely 

 plants, which are well deserving all such attention." 



A few of the best varieties are I. coccinea superba, which still 

 maintains its position aa an exhibition plant ; I. Williamsii, one 

 of the very best of all, so free in flowering and has such large 

 trusses; I.Princeof Orange, very distinct and fine; I. floribunda 

 nana, valuable as a very free flowering variety in its young 

 state; I. Colei, the best white; I. Dixiana, and I. regina. 

 The last named is a new and splendid variety now being dis- 

 tributed by Mr. Bull, and of which the accompanying figure is 

 a faithful representation. The plant is of dwarf florfierous 



