IS6 PLANT CULTURE 



Propagation. Cuttings are struck in late Spring. Put in 

 2j^-inch pots; from these tliey are shifted into 4-inch pots. At the 

 beginning of August they are transferred to 6-inch pots. 



STRELITZIA (Bird of Paradise Flower). Grown for its 

 Banana-like fohage and the very odd, showy flowers. 5. RegincB 

 is the commonest species; the fiowers are orange and purple. 



Culture. It prefers considerable sunhght, a copious supply of 

 water and a strong soil. A temperature of 50 degrees at night is 

 ample. 



Propagation. It may be propagated from seed which are 

 produced by hand pollination. The usual method, however, is by 

 suckers and division. 



STREPTOCARPUS (Cape Primrose). These plants have 

 now attained such a high degree of perfection that they should be 

 included in every general collection of greenhoues decorative plants. 

 They are better window flowering plants than is generally supposed, 

 not requiring a very high temperature at any time. There are a 

 number of good species of this genus. 



Culture. They prefer an open sunny place in an intermediate 

 temperature. 



Propagation. Seed, to produce flowering plants in the Fall 

 should be sown during March. As the seed is very small, extra care 

 should be taken in the sowing and subsequent treatment untO the 

 plants are large enough. In connection with the germination there 

 is a peculiarity not noticeable in other plants. Two tiny seed leaves 

 are produced shortly after sowing the seed, and after a while one 

 of these seed leaves dies, the other continuing to elongate. In some 

 of the species, notably one named 5. Wendlandii, this seed leaf, 

 which at first is about the size of a pin head, expands till it gets 

 about 18 inches long and a foot broad. 



STREPTOSOLEN (Browallia). 5. Jamesoni is a useful plant 

 with orange flowers for late Winter flowering. It is naturally a 

 low-growing, softwooded evergreen shrub, with a rather straggling 

 appearance. When grown as a standard it is an extremely orna- 

 mental subject. 



Culture. In Summer the plants may be plunged in a bed of 

 ashes and frequently fed with liquid manure. They need full 

 sun. 



Propagation. When standards are desired, take strong shoots 

 for cuttings, and grow to single stems, removing the side shoots 



