CROTON (CODI&UM). 



good cultivation and rapid growth. The start must be made early in the year with well- 

 rooted plants, the stems of which are not unduly hard, nor the points crippled by insects 

 or exposure to cold air. These young plants should be turned out of their pots in 

 February, have all unoccupied soil picked away, and the roots carefully loosened with- 

 out breaking them, prior to shifting into pots one or two sizes larger than the plants 

 were in before. For this and all other pottings a suitable compost will be found in a 

 mixture of three parts fibrous loam to one part each of peat and leaf soil, with a free 

 sprinkling of silver sand. Let the loam 

 and peat be chopped or broken up into 

 coarse lumps for the larger pots, and 

 press the soil in them somewhat firmly. 

 Keep the young plants by themselves 

 on a stage that can be kept constantly 

 moist. Platforms over heated water 

 tanks suit large Crotons in parti- 

 cular better than any other position. 

 Supply water carefully, never letting 

 the plants become anything like dust 

 dry at the roots, and syringe them once, 

 if not twice, daily. Those required to 

 grow tall for grouping and house de- 

 corating should be shifted into 8-inch 

 or slightly larger pots before the roots 

 become matted together, as shown in 

 the illustration on page 263. Crotons, 



When established, OUght not to be ing the tongue ; c, the same after roots are emitted in the 



shaded, except during the hottest part moss ' 



of the day, or the colouring of the leaves will not be good. Towards the time they 

 are required for house and temporary conservatory decoration, they ought to be arranged 

 in positions where they will receive more air than formerly, this preparing them for 

 cooler and more exposed quarters. When they have lost, or are losing, their lower 

 leaves, root the tops as before advised. 



If bush-shaped specimens are desired, top the young plants at the outset, and again 

 after they have formed three or four shoots. In all other respects treat similarly to 



s s 2 



Fig. 143. Method op Propagating Crotons. 

 References: a, top "tongued" and mossed ; b, stem show- 



