THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[JULY 3 
I 314 
, continue it on, and, as in the other case, exclude the j 
atmosphere by your bell-glass, and you will iind that 
the cutting does not flag at all; anon, it seems to 
increase in length, and you are already dreaming of 
your success; when lo, and behold! some fine morning 
you find it has gone at the surface of the soil, and not 
one single root, or an attempt to form one has been 
made; it having resolutely refused to do the very thing 
you wished it to do. The little food within its reach 
you have taken care it shall neither digest or assimilate, 
as that can only be done in light. The general rule 
then is, give shading to prevent a cutting, or a newly 
potted plant from drooping. That effected, accustom it 
by degrees first to subdued, and then to direct light and 
air, as soon as it can bear it without flagging, that fresh 
i matter may thus be assimilated, and be expended in 
1 roots and leaves. Again, I have spoken of reducing 
air in extremely hot weather, in the case of plants 
growing. It is better to shade, and give beneath that 
shade as much air as possible, unless the weather is 
breezy, when we wish to retain them in bloom as long 
as possible. Another season when a shade for a few 
hours is of great advantage, is when, after a period of 
dull weather, we have at length a day of brilliant sun¬ 
shine ; many plants and forced fruits have been in¬ 
jured for the season, by not attending to this; when used 
to it by degrees, they will then stand any sun with im¬ 
punity. Of course, unless in very extreme cases, such 
as these, we should never shade, when our object is to 
consolidate and ripen the wood or stems of a plant. 
The neatest and best mode of shading houses and 
pits, is to fasten bunting or canvass to the top of the 
house, and then to a wooden roller in front, the roller 
being furnished at the end with a wheel, containing a 
groove for holding a rope rather more than the length 
of twice the width of the house. The cloth being let 
down, and the rope wound round the wheel, the pulling 
of the rope causes it to revolve upwards, and you can 
fix your blind in any position, by twisting the rope 
round a pin in front. For growing and flowering plants 
a nice temporary shading may be given, by dissolving a 
very little whitening in a pail of water, and spirting it 
over the glass with a syringe. A man used to it will do 
100 square feet as soon as I can write a couple of these 
lines. The first shower removes it. To make it last 
the summer, it must have a portion of size, and be laid 
on with a brush. Do not use lime; it is no friend to 
glass or paint. The best and neatest continuous shade 
for the summer months, is made from double size, ob¬ 
tained in the shape of a jelly. This dissolved over afire 
in an iron jrnt, with a very little, or no water added, 
and put on when hot by dipping the point of a brush in 
it, and then quickly daubing it on the glass. At a few 
feet distance it will not be noticed, and yet for most 
things it will be sufficient shade. Hot water must be 
used to remove it in autumn. R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC STOYE PLANTS. 
plants with vakiegated-leaves — (ContinuedJram¬ 
page 180). 
Maranta albo lineata (White-lined M.) ; New 
Grenada.—Leaves six inches long, ground colour pur¬ 
plish green, with pure white lines running upwards in 
a slanting direction, lew variegated plants arc more 
elegant than this. It is a new plant, the flowers of 
which we have not seen as yet. There is a variety, the 
leaves of which are striped with rose-colour ; but it often 
varies (o white, and, therefore, we are inclined to think 
they are both one species, the different colouring being 
only accidental. Requires the warmest part of the 
stove. Increased by division. Soil. —Sandy loam and 
peat, with a small admixture of leaf-mould and sand. 
M. bicolor (Two-coloured M.); Brazil. This is a 
very pretty, low-growing plant, well worth cultivating 
for its beautifully-shaded leaves. Culture the same as 
the last. 
Muss.enda frondosa (Leafy M.); Ceylon.—The chief 
beauty of this plant consists in its striking white bracts, 
or floral leaves. These appear, generally, in threes, 
just underneath the small heads of bright yellow flowers. 
The contrast exhibited by these pure white leaves, the 
dark green foliage, and the bright yellow flowers, renders 
it a vei-y attractive plant even among more splendid, 
things. The coolest part of the stove suits it best 
Increased by cuttings placed under a bell-glass in heat. 
Soil. —loam and peat in equal parts, with a free ad¬ 
mixture of silver sand. 
Nepenthes (Pitcher plants).—Though the leaves of 
these interesting singular plants are not variegated, yet 
as the pitchers form parts of the leaves, we might with 
propriety have introduced them here; but as they form 
an important class of stove plants, we shall devote a 
chapter or two to them alone. 
Pandanus utile vahikgata (Useful variegated P.). 
The species P. utile itself has fine foliage, with a shade 
of crimson on the edges and under surface; but the 
variegated variety is a truly beautiful object; the leaves 
are long and elegantly drooping, they are striped 
alternately with white and green. It is a quite new 
and rare plant in our stoves. If a bark-bed is in the 
plant stove, this fine plant will thrive best plunged in it. 
Increased by cuttings made from side-shoots, which are 
sparingly produced. Place them in a pot under a tall 
bell-glass plunged in heat. Soil. —Sandy loam, peat, and 
leaf-mould, in equal parts. 
Pavetta Borbonjca (Bourbon P.); Isle of Bourbon. 
—Very similar to Eleodendron indicum. The leaves are 
large, of an oval shape, are spotted with larger white 
spots than E. indicum; the green is much brighter, i 
Culture the same as the Eleodendron. 
Poinsettia pulcherrima (Handsomest P.); Brazil.— j 
The bracts, or floral leaves, are of the most brilliant 
scarlet, and form a whorl on the summit of the shoots 
just under the real flowers, which are small and yellow 
tipt with scarlet. A beautiful object, especially by 
candlelight. The whorl of bracts sometimes measures 
nine inches diameter. It requires a season of rest and a j 
season of growth. The resting season commences as j 
the flowers decay; then gradually reduce the water, and 
when the leaves turn yellow cut the stems down to ' 
within six inches of the pot; give no water, or at least 
no more than is absolutely necessary to keep the plants i 
alive. Place them in a house where the heat is not ; 
more than 50°, nor less than 40°. This season of rest 
should take place in winter. In March repot them, 
rubbing off the greater portion of the old soil. Place 
them in a gentle heat, giving but small quantities of 
moisture till the shoots are an inch or two long, then : 
increase the quantity as the plants require it, and when j 
two feet high give liberal supplies. In August they will 
produce their splendid scarlet-coloured bracts, and are 
then very ornamental. Soil. —A rich compost of loam, 
peat, and rotten dung, in equal parts. It is propagated 
by cuttings of the young shoots, or by eyes from the old 
shoots, placed under bell-glasses in heat, in sand with 
some of the compost under it. There is a variety with 
white bracts which is equally ornamental, and requires 
the same treatment. 
Ruellta maculata (Spotted 11.); Brazil. — A plant 
with loaves of a light green, beautifully blotched in the 
centre with silvery white. Culture. — Requires the 
cool part of the stove. Soil. —Loam, peat, and sand. 
Increased readily by cuttings placed under a hand-glass 
in heat. 
