ABUTILON — AGAPANTHUS 351 
active the whole year round. The key to the situation is water: 
at what part of the year to withhold and at what part to apply 
is one of the very first things to learn (pp. 100, 175, 347). 
Abutilons, or flowering maples as they are often called, make good 
house plants and bedding plants. Nearly all house gardeners have at 
least one plant. 
Common abutilons may be grown from seed or from cuttings of 
young wood. If the former, the seed should be sown in February or 
March in a temperature of not less than 60°. The seedlings should be 
potted when about four to six leaves have grown, in a rich sandy soil. 
Frequent pottings should be made to insure a rapid growth, making 
plants large enough to flower by fall. Or the seedlings may be planted 
out in the border when danger of frost is over, and taken up in the fall 
before frost; these plants will bloom all winter. About one half of 
the newer growth should be cut off when they are taken up, as they are 
very liable to spindle up when grown in the house. When grown from 
cuttings, young wood should be used, which, after being well rooted, 
may be treated in the same way as the seedlings. 
The varieties with variegated leaves have been improved until the 
foliage effects are equal to the flowers of some varieties; and these 
are a great addition to the conservatory or window garden. The staple 
spotted-leaved type is A. Thompsoni. A compact form, now much 
used for bedding and other outdoor work, is Savitzi7?, which is a horti- 
cultural variety, not a distinct species. The old-fashioned green- 
leaved A. striatum, from which A. Thompsoni has probably sprung, is 
one of the best. A. megapotamicum or vexillarium is a trailing or 
drooping red-and-yellow-flowered species that is excellent for baskets, 
although not now much seen. It propagates readily from seed. 
There is a form with spotted leaves. 
Abutilons are most satisfactory for house plants when they are not 
much more than a year old. They need no special treatment. 
Agapanthus, or African lily (Agapanthus umbellatus and several 
varieties). — A tuberous-rooted, well-known conservatory or window 
plant, blooming in summer. Excellent for porch and yard decora- 
tion. 
