CHAPTER III 



Hard-Wooded Plants for the Greenhouse— 



continued 



Turning now from generalities that may be applied to 

 most plants in this section, I propose to give as fully as 

 may be the details of treatment suited to each genus 

 among those selected as being the most popular and 

 most useful, and will begin with the 



Acacias. — Though most of these develop into trees or 

 big bushes in their native habitat, a few are amenable 

 to pot culture, and can be maintained in a small state as 

 free-flowering bushes. They are easily cultivated, and 

 flower mostly in spring, when their innumerable tiny 

 yellow balls are greatly appreciated. Those of which 

 I give the names below may be well grown in small 

 pots, and are therefore the most serviceable. The 

 simple details of culture consist in giving cool green- 

 house treatment in winter, allowing during that period a 

 rather limited supply of water, pruning the plant into 

 shape after flowering, potting if necessary soon after 

 new growth begins, and putting them out of doors in a 

 sunny spot during summer, throughout which period 

 the supply of water must be ample. The soil for 

 Acacias should be two-thirds loam, one-third leaf mould, 

 and plenty of sand. A. armata, of which bushy little 

 plants profusely flowered and sweetly scented may be 

 grown in 6-in. pots. A. lineata, A. Drummondii and A. 

 ovata are all good. 



Azaleas. — In these we have a genus of plants which, 



18 



