BOUGAINVILL^A 



BOUVARDIA 



173 



cutting material for almost six months. The bloom- 

 bracts are extremely durable. They harmonize well with 

 some of the popular orchids, and also go well with Amer- 

 ican Beauty roses. Entire heads of plants produce very 

 decorative results, and are very satisfactory on account 

 of their durability. 



Bougainvilleas are propagated easily in April, May 

 and June. Secure half-ripened or old-wood 

 cuttings— no wood is too old or too heavy— 

 and cut into 6-12-in. lengths, or shorter if 

 more attention is given to them. Place the 

 lower part 2-4 in. deep in sand in an airy 

 situation, fully exposed to the sun during 

 April, with some bottom heat for this month. 

 In May and June give no bottom heat, but 

 slight shade should be given during the 

 brighter hours of the day. The sand should 

 be kept moist, not wet, 

 syringed several times 

 every day in bright 

 weather. The foliage will 

 drop mainly at the end 

 of the first week ; after 

 the second week, roots 

 may be seen. The time 

 of rooting varies from 12 

 to 30 days, according to 

 conditions. In propaga- 

 ting in quantity, it is ad- 

 visable to grade the wood 

 according to ripeness, 

 enabling the removal of 

 the same from sand with 

 less trouble and loss of 

 time. For first potting, 

 use a light, sandy loam, with pots to suit the 

 roots ; place in a sunny situation, keep them 

 on the dry side for a week or so, giving light 

 syringing daily, and shade during midday 

 hours. In four or five weeks they can be 

 shifted to larger pots, and water may be given 

 more freely ; after this they can be shifted 

 almost monthly. From the time they are in 

 5-in. pots they should i have careful drainage, 

 as they will want daily syringing and a free 

 supply of water. They should be grown with 

 full sun exposure under glass, and plenty of 

 air, and in July and August may receive al- 

 most daily drenchings of water. AH growths 

 should be exposed to the sun by occasional 

 turning of plants ; this secures a ripened con- 

 dition of wood, which is essential to best 

 results. So grown, every shoot will flower 

 freely. If crowded or shaded, satisfactory re- 

 sults are risked. The aim should be to secure 

 strong, well-ripened growths by the last of 

 October. For earliest bloom, plants may be 

 held drier from this time on, but in the case of 

 B. glabra not enough to yellow the foliage, 

 unless in very strong plants. With a little 

 experience, the earliest rested plants can be 

 flowered for Christmas, and others can be 

 brought in successively. The new growths 

 will afford out-flower material until midsum- 

 mer. In June, the flowering plants should be 

 held as cool and airy as possible, but not 

 shaded or only slightly so. If held too warm 

 or dry, the bracts drop in a short time. After 

 the flowering season is all completed, the 

 plants may be held dry for a week or ten 

 days; then all old soil should be removed, the 

 roots and tops pruned to suit, and the plants 

 repotted to smallest suitable pots, with perfect 

 drainage. Then treat exactly as for a rooted 

 cutting. As an excess of water is injurious at 

 this stage, shade for a few days and syringe 

 frequently. Keep on the dry side until the 

 foliage indicates that water may be given more freely. 

 Hundreds of eyes will push from strong plants ; and 

 the plants will soon make rapid growth, when they may 

 be syringed and watered daily. A yellowish foliage is 

 evidence of too much water, but this will hardly occur 

 with plants thoroughly drained and exposed to the full 



sun. Growths may be pinched according to the end in 

 view. 



Strong, well-ripened shoots of B. glabra, tied hori- 

 zontally, produce numerous laterals, whose inflorescence 

 is very distinct in character from the earlier bloom, 

 clusters of intense mauve bracts crowding the shoots, 

 offset by the dark green, glossy foliage. The arrange- 

 ment or disposition of the bracts on such 

 shoots is a revelation of beauty compared with 

 the more familiar form. B. glabra is gener- 

 ally spoken of as a climbing plant, which may 

 apply in a large state or when the plant is 

 unrestricted as to root room. In pots up to 

 12-15 in. we have frequently seen shoots 20-25 

 ft. long, but these always prove mainly self- 

 supporting. Both J?, glabra and its variety 

 make distinct and extremely showy subjects 

 for the lawn. In a partially sheltered situ- 

 ation they could be held in fair condi- 

 tion for at least a month. 



B. glabra, var. Sanderiana, has 

 proved valuable as a decorative plant, 

 particularly for Easter, as it can be 

 flowered unerringly, and possesses the 

 merit of being durable for weeks,— a 

 decided advantage over most subjects 

 grown for that season. B. glabra also 

 may be grown into showy specimens, 

 but, being less compact than Sanderi- 

 ana, requires more attention to secure 

 shapely plants. It should be noted that 

 B. glabra, — on account of the larger 

 size of the bracts (fully three times as 

 large as those of Sanderiana ) and their 

 arrangement on the branches, offset by 

 luxuriant glossy foliage, — appears to 

 be the most desirable variety for cut- 

 flower material ; while Sanderiana, 

 from its elegant, compact habit, affords 

 a splendid subject for pots. 



Theo. F. Beckekt. 



BOirSSINGAtJLTIA (J. B. Boussin- 

 gault, born in 1802, a famous agricul- 

 tural chemist). Chenopodi&cece. A few 

 tropical American climbing herbs. Fls. 

 small, perfect, with a 5-parted, short- 

 tubed perianth, 5 stamens, and 3- 

 divided style, in long racemes. Lvs. 

 alternate, thick, entire. 



baselloides, HBK. Madeira Vine. 

 Mignonette Vine. Pig. 250. Peren- 

 nial, root tuberous: stems smooth and 

 twining, reaching 10-20 ft. in a season, 

 and in late summer or fall bearing 

 profusely of the fragrant white fls. 

 (which become nearly black with age) , 

 and producing little tubercles, by 

 means of which the plant is propa- 

 gated. Equador. B.M. 3620.— A com- 

 mon vine, prized for porches and ar- 

 bors. The roots are stored in the 

 winter, and planted out after dan- 

 ger of frost is past. The plant 

 will not endure frost. Sometimes 

 grown in the conservatory and 

 window garden. l_ g g 



BOUVAEDIA (Dr.Charles Bou- 



vard, physician to Louis XIII., 



and superintendent of the Royal 



Gardens in Paris). Hubidcece. 



Between 20 and 30 American 



250. Madeira Vine, or Boussineaultia. (chiefly Mexican) shrubs or per- 



(XM.) ennialherbs. Mostly tropical, but 



some of them range as far N. as 



Texas. They have entire and mostly sessile, opposite 



or verticillate lvs. with small stipules interposed, and 



terminal cymes of long-tubular fls. with 4-parted limb 



(lobes becoming more numerous in cult.), 4 stamens, 



and I style with a slightly 2-lobed stigma. 



Bouvardias are very useful late fall or early winter- 



