98 PLANT CULTURE 



CINERARIA. There is hardly a more showy plant in bloom 

 than a well-grown Cineraria, and few things more wonderful than 

 the color display of several hundred plants in flower, and the 

 thought that they aU evolved out of one tiny little package of seed. 

 There is nothing that can be produced with less expense and less 

 trouble. C. cruenta is the garden or florists' Cineraria. C.flore plena 

 is a double. C. stdlata (Star Cineraria) is a beautiful, taU, branching 

 grower which is becoming very popular. 



Culture. Keep plants growing vigorously, and do not let them 

 get pot-bound. Use one-half leafmold and one-half fibrous loam 

 until plants are ready for their flowering pots which should be 5 or 6 

 inches, then give three parts fibrous loam and one part well-decayed 

 cow manure. Keep night temperatures as near 45 degrees as pos- 

 sible. Keep near the glass. Plants should be in their flowering pots 

 at least six weeks before the time they are to begin flowering. This 

 makes compact growth and large, dense flower heads. If not some* 

 what pot bound, growth will be weaker and flowers few. 



Propagation. They are mostly propagated from seed; double 

 varieties are sometimes propagated by cuttings because they do not 

 seed freely. Two or three sowings should be made to insure a suc- 

 cession of bloom, the first about the first of August, the second 

 about the first of September, and a third about September 15. Sow 

 the seed and give the seedlings the same care as for Calceolarias, 

 except that the seeds should be covered to a depth of Vs inch with a 

 mixture of finely sifted leafmold and sharp sand. 



After seedlings germinate, sift a Httle fine, clean sand over the 

 top of the pan. This prevents damping ofi'. Water the same as 

 for Calceolaria seed. As soon as large enough to handle, transplant 

 into thumb pots. 



CLIANTHUS (Glory Pea, or Parrot's BiU). C. Dampkri is a 

 leguminous plant, hard to surpass as a strikingly beautiful flower. 

 Another species, C puniceus, is often seen in Southern California, 

 but it cannot compare with C. Dampieri. 



Propagation. C. puniceus is very easily raised from seeds, but 

 it seems difficult to get good flowering specimens of C. Dampieri on 

 its own roots under cultivation and because of this it is usually in- 

 arched upon other members of the legume family, such as the 

 Colutea and Caragana. When grafting it is best to use the seedhng 

 Clianthus while in the cotyledon stage. Make a vertical cut in the 

 small seedling stock and with a razor make a slanting cut in the 

 Clianthus seedling stem and place this into the cut in the stock and 



