166 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



are propagated by taking off and rooting the suckers 

 which form about the base of the plants. If these are 

 placed in sand in a propagating case, they will take root 

 readily, and can then be potted off. These species 

 require the same care as has been outlined for the P. 

 utilis. 



THE AEALIA. 



Of the other decorative plants, none are better than 

 the Aralia (including Panax and Fatsia). While the 

 common hardy and half-hardy species grow readily from 

 cuttings of the roots, only a few of the stove species of 

 the Aralia, such as A. Guilfoylii, propagate with ease 

 from cuttings of the stems, and other forms, such as 

 A. leptophylla and A. Veitchii, are generally grafted. 

 The above mentioned forms are among the best of the 

 Aralias proper. Aralia V. gracillima has long, nar- 

 row, undulated leaflets (with white midribs), and is 

 an improvement on the species. 



Panax plumosum and P- Victoria, both probably 

 varieties oi P. fruticosum, are delicate plants, with plume- 

 like leaves, which are variegated in the latter. They 

 are propagated by means of either stem or root cuttings, 

 or by suckers. The more showy stove Aralias are now 

 placed with Fatsias. Of these Fatsia papyrif era, F. Japon- 

 ica (syn. A. Sieboldii), and the white and yellow varie- 

 gated forms of the latter, are especially valuable. Thej 

 are propagated from seeds, from suckers, or from cut 

 tings of the stems. 



The plants of all these genera need a rich compost, 

 of equal parts of rotten sods, manure and sand. 



AEAUCARIA. 



This is one of the few conifers grown in green- 

 houses. The more common species are Araucaria 

 excelsa, the Norfolk Island Pine, and A. imbricata, the 

 Chilian Pine. Propagation is by seeds or cuttings. The 



