88 
PRACTICAL HINTS ON A FEW SELECT CLIMBING STOVE PLANTS. 
Unlike Stephanotis this plant flowers freely in the first season of its growl 
and in very small pots ; hut like that plant, it is impatient of too much trainir| 
In the management of the old plants the best method is to cut them in ve 
liberally after they have done blooming, and keep them in a comparatively dorma 
state until January, at which time the greater part of the old soil should be remov 
from the roots, and the plants be re-potted into smaller pots, using the same si 
and pursuing the same treatment as with young plants. This plant, when plant 
out. makes a magnificent warm conservatory climber. 
Allamanda cathartica . — From Guiana this plant was introduced in 1785, and h 
long and deservedly been a favourite stove climber in this country, flowering me 
profusely when planted out, but rarely producing many flowers when grown as a p 
plant. This, we have fully satisfied ourselves, arises from the cause pointed o 
in the preliminary remarks to these suggestions ; a fact which any person wi 
a couple of plants may convince himself of in a very short time, by training o: 
plant and leaving the other to Nature. The Allamanda may be propagated read! 
by cuttings of the young shoots taken off when they are about three inches long, ai 
struck in sand under a bell-glass in a brisk moist heat. After the cuttings a 
rooted pot them off singly, using any light open soil, and endeavour to get tl 
young plant well established in six-inch pots by the autumn. If the plants a 
rooted early in the spring, they may by good management be made to bloom 
small pots in the autumn, and these make fine plants to grow into specimens 
following season. 
Presuming you have strong established plants, take them about Christmas, at 
having pruned the side shoots to the best ripened buds, reduce the ball a little, so ; 
to loosen the roots, and re-pot, using a compost consisting of two parts strong tur 
loam, one part peat, and one part decayed cow-dung, to which add plenty of coari 
sand and lumps of charcoal. 
After potting place the plants in a forcing house, and, as they break rath 
tardily, plunge them in a lively bottom-heat ; of course taking due care that it 
not too hot. As the plants progress in growth remove them into larger pots, treatirlj 
them liberally, by giving plenty of heat and moisture, and also supplying them du 
with manure water. In this manner they will grow with great rapidity, after tk( 
have once started, and by the time they have made shoots three feet long will, 
they have not been trained, be showing bloom. Do not, however, be in a hurry 
train them, or the flowers will go blind, but let them grow wildly until the firp 
flowers begin to expand. You may then twist and train them to whatever form ycj 
think proper ; but the second set of shoots must be left to pursue their own corns 
or they in their turn will refuse to flower. 
It must therefore be taken as a rule in training the Allamanda , to allow tl 
flower-buds to be considerably advanced in size before you venture to repress tlj 
branches ; and if this simple rule is observed, and the plants are liberally treated fj 
to pot-room and attention, pot specimens may be had in full bloom from June unt 
