HOT-HOUSE OR STOVE PLANTS. 



cultivating this class of plants, and with their fronds 

 well wetted every afternoon, they flourish and keep 

 in luxuriant health. This surface syringing- goes a 

 long way towards keeping the roots sufficiently moist, 

 but must he supplemented hy a thorough soaking of 

 the roots when necessary. As to air, they require hut 

 little, and all they need is sufficient to keep the 

 temperature down to a comfortable point, beyond 

 which it becomes arid, and leads to the ferns be- 

 coming infested with insects. The most trouble- 

 some among these are thrip and red spider, and the 

 only way to rid the plants of these pernicious para- 

 sites is to fumigate with tobacco in the case of the 

 first, and to wash the latter off by means of clean 

 water. The smoking must be done with great care, 

 as there are few, if any, plants more impatient of its 

 fumes than ferns, especially when the fronds are in 

 thoir young state, in which condition they quickly 

 get injm-ed. This being so, the fumigating ought 

 to be deferred till they get a little hard, and instead 

 of gi^'ing a strong dose of smoke it is better to 

 venture only on a little, and repeat it night and 

 morning for several days in succession. This per- 

 sistent administration will tell in the end by de- 

 stroying the insects, and leave the plants none the 

 worse. Scale sometimes affect ferns, and if not 

 dealt with and eradicated they increase at a rapid 

 rate ; but as they are proof against the fumes of 

 smoke, sponging or washing by hand has to be re- 

 sorted to. The easiest mode of dislodging them is 

 to use a somewhat stiff, small brush, and brush 

 them off, as they cannot attach themselves again ; 

 and though there are plenty of insecticides that are 

 said to kill them, none of them are safe to apply to 

 ferns, which, as before observed, are exceedingly 

 susceptible of injury alike from smears and 

 smoke. The best time to attack scale is early in 

 spring, as then many of the old fronds may be re- 

 moved ; but this clearing of foliage should be very 

 gradual, as otherwise it tends to weaken the plants, 

 which require its assistance till the young growth 

 begins to push forth. 



Ferns, like all other plants, need a season of rest, 

 which is partly afforded them by the winter, as there 

 is little or no movement in vegetation during the 

 short days ; but in addition to the quiet that absence 

 of light affords them, the soil should be kept much 

 di'ier, as that tends to sweeten it, and has a most 

 beneficial effect on the roots. J\[uch mischief is, 

 however, often done>through keeping ferns too dry 

 in the winter. Evergreen ferns especially, from the 

 mere fact of their being such, demand a supply of 

 water even during their semi-resting state ; and few- 

 things are more destructive of freshness and vigour 

 of frond than excessive dryness at the roots in 

 winter. 



HOT-HOUSE OE STOVE PLANTS. 



By William Hugh Gowek. 



Callicarpa. — A small genus of soft-v/ooded stove 

 plants belonging to the Verbenacece. The name is 

 derived from kcdos, "beautiful," and '■'carpos" fruit, 

 in reference to the ornamental berries, which, while 

 singularly beautiful by themselves, become still 

 more so when grown in contrast with the berried 

 Solanums. Pot in loam, leaf -mould, and well- decayed 

 manure, about equal parts, and avoid over-potting. 



C. purpurea, when well grown, is one of the very 

 finest ornaments for a stove during the autumn and 

 winter months, and possesses a rare beauty, entirely 

 dissimilar from any other plant. It may be grown 

 as a shrub, as a basket plant, or trained as a standard. 

 The flowers, of no beauty, are borne in clusters, and 

 are succeeded by bright purple berries, about the size 

 of a pea, and nearly a hundi'ed together ; these clus- 

 ters, forming a dense raceme, from one to three feet 

 in length, remain in full perfection all the winter. 

 East Indies. 



Carludovica. — Handsome plants, much like 

 palms ; nearly allied to the Screw Pine family 

 [Fandanacece), and are placed with the CycJanthus. 

 Some sjjecies have long scandent stems, which ascend 

 the forest trees by the aid of their whipcord-like 

 roots ; but the most beautiful kinds are those w^hich 

 are stemless ; these grow upon the ground, and 

 form dense masses of undergrowth. Pot in loam 

 and peat, and give plenty of water with strong heat. 



C. Brudci. — A stemless species, with deep green 

 leaves, which are fan-shaped and plaited. The 

 flowers of all the species are inconspicuous, although, 

 in the mass, these being pure white are more con- 

 spicuous than others. Columbia. 



C. humilis. — Leaves rhomboid, about a foot and a 

 half long, and a foot broad, deeply divided or two- 

 lobed at the apex, and rich bright green in colour. 

 New Grenada. 



C. palmata. — Stemless, throwing up petioles from 

 ten to fifteen feet in height ; these support large 

 plaited fan-shaped blades, which measure some four 

 feet in diameter, and are rich deep green in colour. 

 Panama. 



C. rotundifoUa. — Although somewhat similar in 

 appearance to the preceding, this is very distinct 

 and extremely handsome. 



Caryophyllus. — C. aromatlcus. — This belongs to 

 the Myrtle family. The cloves of commerce are 

 produced by it, and are the young unopened flowers ; 

 these when expanded are not very showy, but it 

 foi-ms a very ornamental shrub, every part of which 

 is delightfully aromatic. It may be kept to almost 



