GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY PLANTS 129 



of glass, to prevent drying. If care be taken the seedlings may be 

 allowed to grow until large enough to be potted off singly in 2-inch 

 pots, or they may be pricked off thickly into boxes previous to pot- 

 ting off. For flowering late in Summer or early in Fall, sowings may 

 be made as late as the beginning of July. 



In propagating from the leaves, various methods are employed. 

 The one most commonly in use is to take the entire leaf, make in- 

 cisions in the under parts of the principal veins (or they may be cut 

 through) ; lay the leaves fiat on the sand with the stalk buried, and 

 give only enough water to prevent drying up. Small tubers will form 

 at the incisions and at the end of the stalk. During this process no 

 leaves are formed, and the tubers should be harvested and rested 

 for the Winter in dry sand. This operation is best performed after 

 mid-Summer. Another good method to get up stock of extra fine 

 varieties from leaves is to cut them in sections resembling the 

 letter V, the lower part to consist of at least an inch of the midrib, 

 and the leaf cut obliquely to the margin. Treat them similarly to 

 the triangular-shaped cuttings of the Rex Begonias, so far as potting 

 them in the sand goes; but keep on the dry side while forming tubers. 

 Smaller tubers are made by this method than if the leaves were laid 

 flat on the sand; consequently it should only be used when it is de- 

 sired to make the most of extra good kinds. Old tubers are suc- 

 cessfully wintered over in the pots in which they have flowered; or, 

 to save room, they may be taken from the pots, the soil removed, 

 and stored in boxes of dry sand, keeping in a minimum temperature 

 of 60 degrees. In starting, bring to the light and give water, potting 

 up when about an inch of growth has been made. 



GREVILLEA (Silk Oak). The Grevillea robusta is a first-class 

 house plant, with leaves somewhat resembling the Ragweed. The 

 plants are only of value in their younger stages of growth. 



Culture. The plants wUl stand the full sun. A cool greenhouse 

 suits them in Winter. 



Propagation. Seeds are sown in March. Pot singly when quite 

 small, and when in 3-inch pots plunge in a frame untU large enough 

 for s-inch pots. 



HAMELIA. A tender shrub very well suited for growing in 

 tubs. When the plants are in good health they are covered with 

 flowers during the greater part of Summer. H. patens, sometimes 

 called Scarlet Bush, is the best species and well worth growing 

 in the greenhouse. 



Propagation. Ripe wood in early Spring. 



