3 o6 



THE FLOWER GROWERS GUIDE. 



old soil and be re-potted. If a shift has to be given later on, do this very carefully, as 

 the balls of soil and roots break up easily. Mealy bug is very liable to overrun and 

 disfigure the foliage. Strong insecticides, notably petroleum in any form, must not be 

 used in the summer or the leaves will be spoilt. Give the plants, when at rest, a thorough 

 cleaning, and keep a close look out for any insects that escape, promptly destroying 

 them, and a serious infestation may be prevented. 



CLERODENDRON. 



There are few more popular stove-plants than Clerodendrons. The climbing species 

 and hybrids are wonderfully effective as pillar and roof plants, and the same kinds trained 

 and flowered on large balloon trellisses are valuable for exhibition purposes. The 

 shrubby section are less met with than formerly, but they are well worthy of good 

 culture. C. Thompsons, also known as C. Balfourianum, introduced from Old Calabar, 

 is the most popular climbing species. It is of moderately strong growth, and produces 

 large dense panicles of bright crimson flowers, well set off by pure white calyces of a 

 most durable character. C. speciosum, a hybrid, differs from the preceding in having 

 scarlet flowers and reddish calyces. Another desirable climbing species is C. splendens, 

 Sierra Leone ; flowers scarlet in terminal panicles, and of this C. s. speciosissimum is a 

 bright scarlet form. C. fallax, Java, is the best-known shrubby species. It is of erect 

 growth, has large broad leaves, on long foot-stalks, and produces large, terminal, many- 

 flowered panicles of bright scarlet flowers in August and September. C. infortunatum 

 is taller growing, and produces large panicles of vivid scarlet flowers. 



The climbing species are not easy to propagate. Cuttings are usually made of short 

 lengths of ripened wood, saved when the plants are pruned, and inserted in sandy loam, 

 covering with a bell-glass in a temperature of 70° uO 75°. If they are rooted 

 early enough in the summer to form young growth, place them singly in small pots, 

 and arrange in a light position. More often no growth will be made before the time 

 for resting the plants has arrived. "Winter them on a shelf in a warm greenhouse. In 

 March, or early in April, top growth will commence, and the young plants may be 

 carefully separated and placed singly in small pots. They will make the best progress 

 in brisk, moist heat, and should be shifted into larger pots before the roots become 

 matted together. Pot, or if the Clerodendrons are to be trained up pillars and over 

 archways, plant in a mixture of two parts each of brown fibrous loam and fibrous peat, 

 one part leaf soil, a little fine decayed manure, with some charcoal and sharp sand. For 



