68 



THE FLOWER GROWERS GUIDE. 



CLTANTHUS. 



Although not often met with, owing to some persons finding the plants difficult to 

 cultivate satisfactorily, there are two species of clianthus that are very beautiful and 

 well worthy of a trial. C. Dampieri, the Glory Pea of Australia, grows to a height of 

 2 feet, and in the spring produces drooping racemes of large pea-shaped flowers, red, 

 with a black or dark purple blotch at the base of the standard, freely. CD. marginata 

 is considered an improved form of this species. C. puniceus, Parrot's Bill, New Zealand, 

 is hardier and more robust, especially in the case of C. p. magnificus, which produces 

 racemes of large boat-shaped scarlet flowers in April and May. 



C. Dampieri is the most unreliable, successes with this species being few and far 

 between, but when seen always admired. It is raised from seed, and, owing to the 

 plant's impatience of disturbance at the roots, the seed should be sown singly in well- 

 drained 5-inch pots, filled with a compost of two parts loam to one of leaf soil, adding 

 sharp sand. If this is done in March, a brisk, moist heat will be needed for starting 

 the seeds ; but cooler treatment should be given the young plants. Some of the most 

 successful growers sow their seed in August, and leave the plants undisturbed in 5-inch 

 pots through the winter. Treated in this way they are stronger than those spring- 

 raised, and are less likely to fail when shifted into 8-inch pots — the size to flower 

 them in. In re-potting disturb the roots as little as possible, and use the loam in a 

 roughly broken-up state. Subsequently keep the plants close in a frame till they have 

 well recovered from the check of removal, syringing daily. They will flower the same 

 season in a greenhouse or conservatory. 



C. puniceus is propagated from cuttings, inserting these in sandy soil and brisk moist 

 heat in March or April. From small pots the plants may be shifted into the 7 -inch or 

 8-inch size, and in other respects treated similarly to C. Dampieri. This species succeeds 

 well planted out in greenhouses or conservatories, and trained up either pillars or walls. 

 In any case abundance of water and liquid manure must be given when the plants are 

 growing strongly, and the syringe freely used to keep down the most troublesome 

 pest — red spider. In April all side shoots on large plants should be pruned to within 

 2 inches of the old wood. 



convolvulus. — The Mauritanian Bindweed (C. mauritanicus) is admirably adapted 

 for growing in hanging baskets, and fairly popular for this particular purpose. Plowers 

 blue, with a white throat, and produced abundantly in the summer. It is a perennial, 



