THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 1G, 1858. 
99 
Passiflora alata. —This, if pruned late in the spring, 
will bloom all the winter. To these I would like to add :— 
Stephanotis jioribunda .—Though it will not often bloom 
in winter, it will supply fine wreaths of its snowy, sweet 
blossoms in spring and summer. If the roots are kept in 
the warm end, the tops will do very well in what I have 
called the transition department. All these will ulti¬ 
mately require large pots,—say, 8-pots,—or a small brick 
pit made for each, in the bed which is heated below. If 
you buy small plants, you must wait until the second 
or third year before expecting much bloom. However 
planted, ultimately the free blooming will much depend 
on not giving the roots too much feeding ground. 
The following we would treat as pot phxnts, in the 
usual way:— 
Ardisia crenulata. —Grow in loam and peat. Chiefly orna¬ 
mental by its free profusion of red, holly-like berries. 
Begonia fuchsioides. —This does best when young plants are 
struck early in the spring, and grown on freely during the 
summer. Water should be curtailed in autumn, with full ex¬ 
posure to the sun, which will cause a profusion of buds during 
the winter. 
Begonia allo-coccinea. —A low-growing, beautiful thing ; but 
it must be carefully grown on, without any lopping or curtailing. 
Soil should be extra well drained, and consist of small nodules of 
fibry loam, but chiefly of fibry peat, lightened with silver sand 
and pieces of charcoal. 
Begonia manicata. — Free growing, with small, pink flowers, 
produced in great abundance. Loam and peat. It does not like 
much pruning. When a plant gets too large, it is better to cut it 
to pieces, and to strike two or three young ones. 
Begonia rex, and many other new ones, are chiefly distin¬ 
guished for their fine variegated foliage. 
Bletia Shepherdu, and hyacinthinum. —Pretty ground Orchids. 
The first rosy-purple, blooming in the beginning of winter ; the 
other purple, blooming early in spring. They require but little 
care, growing freely in open peat and loam. A fair amount of 
water is necessary when growing and blooming, and but very 
little after the leaves fade, until the flower-shoots begin to show 
again. 
Centradenia rosea. —A neat little bush. When done flowering, 
prune it slightly, and grow in loam and peat. 
Dichorisandra thyrsijlora.— A beautiful winter, blue-flowering 
plant. When in bloom, remove to the coolest end ; when done 
flowering, prune back pretty freely ; when breaking afresh, shift 
into a larger pot, if it requires it. Encourage as many shoois of 
equal size as there are room for, as from the points of these the 
flowers are produced. Lessen water in autumn, until the flowers 
show. Sandy loam and peat suit it. 
Euphorbia jacqninijlora. —This grows best in about equal por¬ 
tions of peat, loam, nodules of dried cowdung, and rough lime- 
rubbish. When done flowering, stop the shoots, and bend them, 
to make them break freely. After the young shoots have grown 
a foot or two in length, give more air, full sunshine, and no more 
water than will keep them from flagging; more water may be 
given when the bloom comes freely. 
Epiphyllum truncalum, and violaceum. —Grow in loam, peat, 
cowdung, and lime rubbish. Give water pretty freely, when in 
bloom and growing; afterwards, from the middle of July to the 
middle of September, the plants may stand in a sheltered, sunny 
spot, out of doors. In September and October, give little water, 
but all the sun possible. When the buds show and swell, in¬ 
crease the water. 
Eranthemum pulchellum, and verrucosum. —Each is a dwarf, 
herbaceous, shrubby plant, with blue flowers. Grows freely in loam 
and peat. When done flowering, cut it back pretty freely. If 
too many young shoots appear, thin them out, as upon the 
somewhat equal shoots the blue flowers are freely produced all the 
winter. 
Franciscea Hopeana, and latifolia, Src.—Beautiful compact, 
sweet-scented shrubs, with blueish flowers, changing to lilac. 
Grow in loam and peat. Prune back pretty freely when done 
flowering, and regulate the young shoots, as on the well-ripened, 
equal, young wood the best flowers will be produced. 
Gesnera zebrina. —For winter blooming, start the tubers from 
a cool place in June or July. Grow in loam, peat, and old and 
well-drained cowdung. When growing, and when in bloom, give 
plenty of water, but keep the sun from touching the foliage in 
summer. When at rest, keep dry. 
Gardenia florida, radicans, &c. —Plants, with well-ripened 
wood, will throw up their bloom-buds soon after being placed in 
a moist heat. When done flowering, grow the plants in the same. 
When the young shoots are formed, give more air and direct 
sunshine, to ripen them. Then the plants will rejoice in a tem¬ 
perature of from 45° to 50°, which should bo rather dry before 
you wish to start them into bloom. 
Goldfussia isophylla. —Easily cultured. A neat bush. When 
done blooming, cut back freely. Regulate the young shoots, so 
as to have them equal all the way round, as upon them the lilac 
flowers are freely produced in autumn and winter. 
Hippeastrums. —A fine race of Amaryllids. Keep in your 
transition place until the flower-buds show, and dry rather than 
otherwise. Then place them in heat; top-dress with rich com¬ 
post ; water; and when the flower-stem is opening its blooms, 
remove to the cooler end. So long as the leaves keep green, give 
water, and every encouragement. When they begin to decay, 
give no more water; but just allow the roots to imbibe what 
moisture they can from an earthen or stone floor, until the flower- 
buds appear again. 
Manettia bicolor. —A beautiful little twiner, with scarlet and 
yellow flowers. Does best round a trellis, or on a twiggy branch 
of a tree. Peat and loam, well drained. 
Oldenlandia Deppiana. —A low-growing plant, furnished at all 
times, but especially in winter, with its small white flowers. 
Well-drained peat and loam suit it. 
Poinsettia pulcherrina. —Peat and loam, with a little old cow¬ 
dung and lime rubbish. When done flowering, cut it back 
freely; and encourage a number of shoots of equal size to grow', 
as it is not so much the flowers at the points, as the large crimson 
bracts below the flowers, that are the great attraction. W heu 
you prune back, let the plants be dryish, and the cuts will not 
bleed so much. When the young shoots are eighteen inches long 
or so, begin to expose more fully to the sun and air. By the end 
of September, give no more water than will just keep the plants 
from flagging; but increase it when the flower-buds begin to 
appear. 
Buettiaformosa.—A low-growing, herbaceous-like plant, with 
scarlet Salvia-like flowers. Gut back freely when done flowering, 
as middle-sized young shoots bloom most freely. Loam and peat. 
Bhyncospermum jasminoides. —Blooms early in spring, flowers 
small, sweet, and cloudy white. Will do well on a trellis, or even 
on a rafter, at the coolest end. Loam and peat. 
Siphocampylos macrostemma. — Flowers crimson scarlet, pro¬ 
duced freely on the young shoots. Loam and peat. Treat much 
as Ruellia. 
Tradescantia discolor. — More distinguished for its crimson 
foliage than its singular blossoms; of easy culture. When the 
stem gets long, it is best to cut it over, above the surface of the 
pot, or a little below it, and pot it afresh, so as to keep the leaves 
close to the surface of the pot. In so doing, use a small pot, until 
it is filled with fresh roots, and then repot. 
Zygopetalum crinitwn,Mackayi,&.c. —Beaut iful ground Orchids, 
with large blueish-lilac spotted flowers. Grow in peat, loam, 
pieces of charcoal, and rotten wood. Give water rather liberally 
when in bloom, and as long as the leaves remain green ; when 
they begin to get discoloured, give little water ; and when faded, 
just keep the soil from being thoroughly' dry. M hen the flower- 
stalks and leaves appear, top-dress, and give more water. 
Note. —When peat is mentioned above, it is not such boggy 
stuff as is used for fuel, but the top spit of sandy and decomposed 
vegetable matter on high grounds, where the Ileath grows 
naturally. This will be quite sweet and fibry, from free exposure 
to air and freedom from stagnant water. The other will be quite 
the reverse,—sour and unfit for almost every plant under cultiva¬ 
tion. Again, in speaking of compost, such as loam, peat, Ac., it 
is understood that there will be a preponderance of the first 
named. For instance, say a plant likes loam and peat, there will 
be more loam than peat used. Peat and loam, on the other hand, 
means a preponderance of peat. Most plants, as they get esta¬ 
blished, may have the loam increased gi-aduallv. Again, in water¬ 
ing, let the water be always a little warmer than the soil. All 
plants when growing require a moist atmosphere : this you can 
easily supply by syringing, damping the bed, and damping the 
I pathway. The* colder the weather, and the stronger the fires, the 
more need for attention to this. Plants in bloom will keep longer 
if the atmosphere is not so much saturated with moisture. Here, 
again, will be an opportunity of arranging your plants into groups 
I according to their requirements. Plants growing freely do not 
require such large quantities ot air; but, unless in very severe 
