THEA — TROPJEOL UM. 



can be arranged in the open air on ashes, boards, or tiles, affording them shade from 

 strong sunshine. They may be wintered in a temperature of 40° to 50°. Eegulate the 

 growth by lightly pruning early in the spring, and repot, if necessary, soon afterwards. 

 That is also the best time to plant them in conservatory borders. 



TROP^IOLUM. 



For greenhouse culture tropoeolums may be roughly divided into two sections — the 

 climbing evergreen perennials, of which T. Lobbianum is a good type, and the tuberous- 

 rooted group, of which probably the best known is T. Jarratti. Varieties of the first- 

 mentioned are particularly recommended for flowering in greenhouses and light conserva- 

 tories during the dull months of the year. Thinly trained up pillars and rafters they 

 flower grandly, their bright colours contrasting admirably with the clean, neat foliage 

 of the different varieties. Ball of Fire, scarlet, is one of the most effective. Clibran's 

 Gem is a good companion. Clapham Park has clear orange-scarlet flowers and fine bold 

 foliage, while Peter Eozenkranzer has dark foliage and brilliant scarlet flowers. Both 

 the Double Yellow and Hermine Grasshoff, double orange-scarlet, are also good for 

 winter flowering, but they are not so vigorous as the single varieties, and should be 

 trained round stakes. 



The single flowering varieties are easily raised from seed, sowing this in gentle 

 heat in the spring, but are more frequently propagated by cuttings, with the double 

 varieties; they produce roots freely in a temperature of 60° to 65°, not covering too 

 closely with glass, or damping occurs. First establish the young plants in 3-inch pots, 

 and then transfer direct to 8-inch or 9-inch sizes, in which they are desired to flower ; 

 or plant in greenhouse boxes or narrow conservatory borders. They should have a 

 moderately rich firm compost, and when well established in their flowering quarters 

 need copious supplies of water and weak liquid manure occasionally. If the flowers 

 are kept closely pinched off during the summer and early autumn months, the plants 

 make better progress at the time and flower more abundantly later on. A winter 

 temperature of 45° to 55° is not too high. Young plants are preferable to old ones 

 and a fresh stock should be raised every spring. 



The tuberous-rooted section are of a neat twining habit of growth, and most effective 

 when thinly trained over sprays of birch, or a light balloon-shaped trellis formed with 

 green hazel stakes, and either fine string or matting. Wire trellises are too heavy for 

 the purpose. The species principally grown are T. azureum grandiflorum (Chili), 



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