544 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



A woody shrub or small tree from Chili. It should be 

 grown in a cool greenhouse, where Lapageria thrives. 

 Leaves 3 to 5 inches long ; flowers pendulous, over an 

 inch long, fleshy, blood-red ; they last a month or more. 

 Peat. Cuttings. 



Veronica. — Many of the shrubby species are worth 

 growing in pots for the greenhouse in winter ; they can 

 be plunged outside for two- thirds of the year. Rich 

 loamy soil. The two best species for indoors are : V. 

 Hulkeana, with small leaves and large loose panicles of 

 lilac flowers; V. speciosa, a strong-growing bushy plant 

 with large leaves and upright axillary racemes of blue 

 flowers. Both are from New Zealand. There are very 

 many fine-flowered varieties, of which Constellation, pink; 

 Eclatante, red; La Seduisante, reddish -purple; and 

 Madame Chretien, purple, are the best. 



Viburnum. — Several species are worthy of greenhouse 

 culture. Two of the best are: V. macrocephalum, with 

 very large heads of sterile flowers, and V. odoratissimum, 

 with large glossy leaves and flat heads of white flowers ; 

 both Chinese. Loam. 



Vitis. — A few evergreen Vines are useful for clothing 

 pillars. V. antarctica, the " Kangaroo Vine ", is a strong 

 climber with large, dark, ovate leaves. Australia. V. 

 capreolata is a strong-growing Indian plant with five- 

 lobed leaves, and V. hypoglauca is an Australian plant, 

 also with five-lobed leaves. 



Witsenia corymbosa is a shrubby Irid from South 

 Africa. It has erect stems, clothed with small glaucous- 

 green Iris-like leaves, and, in winter, corymbs of bright- 

 blue flowers. Peat. Cool, airy house. 



Zephyranthes. — Bulbous American plants belonging 

 to Amaryllidese, with narrow leaves and Crocus -like 

 flowers. They require sandy loam and a light, sunny 

 position. Numerous species are in cultivation, a selection 

 being — 



Z. Andersoni. Narrow flat leaves and yellow flowers. 

 Z. Candida. Rush-like leaves with large white flowers. 

 Z. carinata (robusta). Linear flat leaves with large pink 

 flowers. 

 Z. rosea. Like Z. carinata but smaller. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

 THE STOVE OR TROPICAL HOUSE. 



For the successful cultivation of plants in- 

 digenous to hot countries, it is necessary to 

 have one or two houses heated to a temperature 

 congenial to their requirements, and also sup- 

 plied with other conditions essential to their 

 welfare. Where a selection of plants have to 

 be grown together in one house, they should 

 be such as will thrive under the conditions 

 provided. It is possible to accommodate con- 

 siderable variety in such a house. Of course it 

 will be understood that to attain perfection in 

 the cultivation of any particular group of plants 

 a special house must be provided, with condi- 

 tions as to temperature, light, moisture, &c, all 

 carefully adjusted to the peculiar needs of the 

 plants. 



An ordinary stove or tropical house, however, 



does not differ from a greenhouse, such as is 

 figured at page 202, fig. 262, except in tem- 

 perature, and at times in atmospheric moisture. 

 The form and internal arrangements are the 

 same, except in the following particulars: — 

 Side-stages, 2J feet wide, on a level with the 

 wall-plate; in the centre a tan-pit 5 feet wide, 

 the walls, including plate, 3 feet above level 

 of floor; this will allow for a 3J-feet path all 

 round, betwixt the pit and the side-stages. 



Ventilation. — For a hothouse the side-sashes 

 should be fixed, but in the walls below there 

 should be openings 2 feet long by 1 foot wide, 

 fitted with hinged shutters in frames; these 

 openings should be about 9 feet apart. In the 

 roof there ought to be 2J-feet Kghts, hinged at 

 the ridge, which also should open with a lever. 

 These arrangements will afford ample ventila- 

 tion, and the air, which will be principally ad- 

 mitted through the wall-ventilators, will always 

 be in a fit state for the plants, by its having 

 j first passed over the pipes. 



Heating. — The hot-water pipes should be 

 ' placed immediately under the stages, and con- 

 sist of five rows of 4-inch pipes, three flows and 

 two returns; on each side of the house there 

 should be three 9-feet lengths of the pipes with 

 evaporating-troughs cast on them nearly their 

 entire length; these can be filled or otherwise 

 as needed. It is bad economy to provide any 

 plant-house with insufficient heating power. It 

 is not necessary to place hot-water pipes under 

 the centre pit, which should be filled with new 

 tan about the close of the year. With care, this 

 will keep up a heat of 90° for three months, 

 which will not only afford bottom-heat for such 

 plants as may need it, but also assist in main- 

 taining the temperature of the house. In many 

 stoves the central portion is formed of a brick 

 bed 3 feet high filled with clinkers, &c, and 

 surfaced with ashes. This is suitable for the 

 larger plants usually found in stoves, and in- 

 volves less labour than a tan bed. 



A spacious water-tank should be provided, 

 building it, if possible, near the pipes, where it 

 will get warmed. Some cultivators have the 

 tank fixed so that the hot-water pipes pass 

 through it, keeping the water warm and fit for 

 use at all times. 



Shade. — There are usually a number of plants 

 that require shading in the summer season, and 

 others that are much better without it. To 

 accommodate both the better way is to shade 

 one end, say half of each, putting together such 

 things as require protection, and leaving the 

 others exposed. In all cases the shading should 



