CHAPTER VII 



Miscellaneous Greenhouse Plants 



As may be readily understood by the heading under 



which these come, there can be no general rules laid 



down for their culture beyond those first principles of 



plant culture which will be found elsewhere in this little 



work. Some, such as the Chrysanthemums, Cannas, 



Fuchsias, Salvias and Begonias are fairly gross feeders, 



whilst others such as the Francoas, Kalosanthes, Strep- 



tosolens, and one section, at least, of the Pelargoniums 



would be spoiled by high feeding. The Chrysanthemum 



can here only be treated of in its general aspect as a 



decorative plant for the green-house and not on the fuller 



lines of growing for show or large blooms. The group 



of miscellaneous plants that may be used for greenhouse 



embellishment is a large one, of which many members 



cannot be included here, but my selection will be found 



to include the most worthy of them. 



Abutilons. — Abutilons are mostly vigorous growing 



plants that do not much care for the confinement of a 



pot, and many of them are best grown as pillar plants 



or for covering a bare greenhouse wall. Given good 



treatment and a rich soil, pot plants are, however, 



effective during the autumn months, and though they 



run somewhat tall are very useful for breaking up the 



flat surface of a group or bank of plants. To be seen 



at their best, young plants should be propagated for pot 



work each spring, and the method is to take off the tips 



of growing shoots about four inches long, inserting these 



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