no PLANT CULTURE 



is not quite as floriferous as the Hydrangeas, and is only hardy in 

 the South. As a greenhouse plant we should grow more of it. 



Propagation. Increased by cuttings taken from the ripened 

 growths. 



DIEFFENBACHIA. Among the numerous species there are a 

 few worthy of cultivation in the warm house, D. Baraquiniana, 

 Jenmanii, Veitchii, Bausei and grandis being among the best. They 

 wiU not stand much rough usage, being somewhat soft in the foliage; 

 they are, however, easily propagated. 



Culture. They prefer a porous soU, one containing some 

 chopped sphagnum moss. Give a high and moist atmosphere. 



Propagation. Some of the old plants of these ornamental aroids 

 will, by the end of Summer, have grown lanky, bending over the 

 pots, with only a few leaves terminating the stem. Take the tops 

 oil and put tliem in the sand bed; lay the stems aside in a warm, 

 airy place to dry for three or four days, then cut them into lengths 

 of about 2 inches. Lay these aside to dry for a similar period, first 

 rolling them in powdered charcoal to lessen the danger of decay. Put 

 in a box of nearly dry sand, cover over about an inch and stand on 

 the floor of a warm house. When a few small leaves have been made 

 to each sprout, pot in a mixture containing at least one-third of its 

 bulk of chopped sphagnum moss; keep warm and moist. The tops, 

 as soon as fairly well rooted, should be potted, not in ordinary soil, 

 but in a mixture of chopped sphagnum, manure, leafmold and sand. 

 In this mixture the roots fairly revel, provided a strong, moist heat 

 is given. In potting Dieffenbachias put them into as small pots as 

 possible, and when a shift is necessary they may be placed three to- 

 gether in a pot, making a well furnished appearance in a com- 

 paratively short time. 



DIONiEA (Venus' Fly-trap). The most intensely interesting 

 of the insectivorous plants is perhaps Dionxa muscipula. This plant 

 is grown in greenhouses all over the world where suitable conditions 

 are available and never fails to rivet the attention of the beholder 

 when its peculiarities are pointed out. It is probably the most pe- 

 culiar plant in the world as it lures, catches, kills, and practically 

 eats insects by means of the little traplike modifications of the 

 leaves. The traps are so arranged that it is impossible to devise 

 any mechanical scheme to entrap flies and other insects 

 with greater certainty than this denizen of the swamps of North 

 Carolina. 



