704 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS calceolaria 



after the seed was sown. One word as to 

 selecting seedlings. Do not always dis- 

 card the weak and prick out the strong. 

 Very often weak seedlings are of a 

 choicer or more aristocratic strain, and if 

 carefully handled will produce flowers far 

 superior to those of the stronger looking 

 plants. 



Greenfly and Slugs are the chief ene- 

 mies of the herbaceous Calceolaria. The 

 former may be got rid of by fumigating, 

 the latter only by carefully watching 

 and kUling by hand. The Greenfly often 

 get on the under surface of the leaves, 

 and it is therefore necessary to Hft these 

 from time to time, and if any be present 

 remove them with a small brush. 



Speaking generally over-watering the 

 plants should be avoided, and also too 

 much feeding with liquid and other 

 manures. A fair supply may be given, 

 but too much promotes leaf growth at the 

 expense of the flowers. Weak liquid 

 manure from cows, horses, and sheep 

 with a little soot added is an excellent 

 stimulant, but should not be used until 

 the pots are well filled with roots. 



The shrubby Calceolarias may also be 

 raised from seed, but they do not require 

 such careful treatment as the herbaceous 

 kinds. The plants so much used for 

 bedding out in summer are usually ob- 

 tained from cuttings. These are inserted 

 in rich, very sandy,- loamy soil in Sep- 

 tember and October. Plump side shoots 

 without flower spikes maie the best 

 cuttings. The lower pair or two of leaves 

 are stripped off, and a transverse cut 

 made beneath a joint. The cuttings 

 must be inserted firmly and afterwards 

 gently watered so as to settle the soil 

 around them. The cold frames in which 

 they are placed should be kept close and 

 shaded for a few days, but afterwards 

 light and air may be given freely. 

 During the winter frost must be kept out 

 by means of mats or litter, but air should 

 be given on all genial days and as much 

 light as possible. The tops may be 

 pinched out to make the plants bushy, 

 and about March or April they may be 

 potted and again grown on in frames 

 until the end of May when they can be 

 transferred to the flower garden. In 

 spring cuttings of the tops may also be 

 rooted in hotbeds in rich sandy soil, and 

 if properly handled very few wUl fail. 

 When rooted they may be transferred to 

 boxes or placed singly in small pots. 



Very hot dry seasons are injurious to 

 Calceolarias. While they do not like 

 stagnant moisture, they also dislike a dry 

 soU. They should then imder such 

 circumstances receive plenty of water, 

 and if the soil is rich in vegetable 

 manure and humus they will thrive. 



The best shrubby Calceolarias for 

 bedding are : Bijou, dark red flowers, 

 very fi-ee ; Game's Yellow, very free- 

 flowering yellow variety; General Have- 

 locJc, crimson- scarlet ; Golden Gem, 

 bright yellow, very free, and the kind 

 most generally grown ; Spa/rhler, crimson- 

 gold, dwarf and compact ; Victoria, deep 

 maroon. 



These shrubby Calceolarias are also 

 supposed to be developed from C. rugosa, 

 described below. 



The following is a list of the natural 

 species sometimes met with in gardens. 

 They are mostly natives of the South 

 American mountains at elevations ran- 

 ging from 13,000 to 14,000 ft., and there- 

 fore very temperate and even frosty at 

 times. 



C. alba. — A lovely Chilian shrubby 

 species 3-4 ft. high, somewhat clammy 

 and resinous to the touch, and bearing 

 linear remotely serrated leaves 2-8 in. 

 long, and forked racemes of pure white 

 flowers in June. 



Culture do. as above for the shrubby 

 kinds. This species has proved hardy in 

 the neighbourhood of London in warm 

 sheltered spots near walls. Increased 

 by cuttings in hotbeds or cold frames, 

 or by seeds. 



C. amplexicaulis. — A charming loose- 

 growing Peruvian species 1^2 ft. high, 

 with herbaceous stems and ovate-oblong 

 taper-pointed, stem-clasping, softly hairy 

 leaves 3-4 in. long. Flowers in summer, 

 soft lemon- yellow, in umbel-like clusters. 

 To thoroughly appreciate the beauty of 

 this species it should be grown in bold 

 groups or masses. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 cuttings in gentle heat or cold frames. 

 Also seeds. Not hardy. 



C. andina. — A native of the Chilian 

 Andes with a somewhat shrubby habit, 

 broadly stalked, oblong ovate wrii-Jded 

 leaves, and panicles of yellow flowers at 

 the ends of the shoots. 



Culture dc. as above. 



C. chelidonioides. — A Peruvian annual, 

 about 1 ft. high, with yellow flowers. 



