THE FLORIST AND FOMOLOGIST. 
[ Jl’NIS, 
SG 
to be at all as large as the stem-mother, re¬ 
semble her in many respects ; they accumulate 
in vast numbers, and some of them, scattering, 
form new colonies. Their issue forms the 
third generation, which are destined to become 
winged ; these winged forms ai’e short-lived, 
but they lay twelve or fourteen pseudova at 
average intervals of about half-an-hour. The 
young plant-lice from these form the fourth 
generation, the members of which are very 
active, running swiftly; they are of a brown 
colour, and are somewhat like in general ap¬ 
pearance to those of the second generation. In 
this stage they swarm over every portion of the 
tree, and their necessities cause them to migrate, 
in which effort masses of them get destroyed. 
The fifth generation is very similar to the 
fourth; it gives rise to forms like the fourth, 
but without wings; these, which form the 
sixth generation, all acquire wings, and 
abound in the latter end of June and early 
part of July, congregating on the bark, and 
seeking out sheltered cracks or crevices, in 
which to deposit their young. These form the 
seventh generation, and are sluggish, of the 
colour of the bark, the females a little larger 
than the males ; they have no mouth, but live 
for several days without motion. The female 
seems to increase in size by the enlargement of 
her one single egg, but both sexes soon perish, 
leaving among their shrivelled bodies a shining, 
browmish, winter egg, like that with which the 
cycle started. Therefore, it seems that after a 
long series of vegetative reproductions, the time 
comes for the renewing of the race by this 
zygospore-like bodjn It is suggested that in 
this fact lies a hint to oar plant-growers, since 
it must be a much easier matter to destroy a 
single egg than to stop a stream of agamic-pro- 
duced forms extending to six generations.—M. 
HOW TO GROW CINERARIAS. 
EW of our popular flowers are more 
useful than these for greenhouse and 
conservatory decoration, during the 
winter and early spring months; and amongst 
the strains known to English cultivators, few 
equal, and none excel, that grown and exhibited 
by Mr. James, of the Redlees Gardens, Isle- 
worth, who may be considered as our champion 
Cineraria-grower. We take the opportunity 
afforded by the publication in the Gardeners' 
Chronicle (N.S., xi., 532) of Mr. James’s 
system of cultivation, to enrich our pages with 
some of the notes gleaned from his practice. 
A fine coloured group of some of Mr. James’s 
varieties is given by our contemporary. The 
annexed woodcut represents Mr. Cannell’s strain. 
First, as to Soil. Mr. James grows his 
plants in a compost of six parts of good turfy 
loam to one part of rotten cow-mannre, adding 
a little sand if necessary, but omitting leaf- 
mould, w'hich many persons deem essential. 
The plants are grown and flow’ered in low 
span-roofed pits. The named varieties are 
propagated by taking off shoots from the roots 
in July and August. These are potted singly, 
in small pots in light sandy soil; and, after 
potting, are set into a frame, facing north, or 
placed behind a north wall. The old plants 
should be retained until a sufficient number of 
young ones are rooted. Some will form roots, 
and grow aw'ay very rapidly ; these must be 
removed, and placed in another frame where 
more air can be admitted ; and as the others 
start into growdh, they can be removed to the 
same frame. When the plants have well filled 
the little pots with roots, they should be re¬ 
potted into 4-in. pots, or a size smaller, accord¬ 
ing to the strength of the plants. They will 
do well in ordinary frames with the back to 
the south ; or the frame may be raised from 
the ground by placing a brick or two under 
each corner, 'which allows a free circulation of 
air night and day. The lights should also be 
tilted. A temporary stage of trellis-w'ork 
should be made, so as to bring up the plants 
near to the glass. They should be freely 
watered, for if allowed to flag, both green-fly 
and thrips will speedily appear. A low pit 
in which to grow the plants will answer quite 
as well as the frames. 
After they are established, growth is very 
rapid, and they will soon require to be shifted 
into larger pots—6-in. or 7-in. The potting 
material should consist of turfy loam about 
four parts, one part leaf-mould, and one part 
rotten cow-manure, with sand added if neces¬ 
sary. Those plants intended to flower early 
wdll not be again potted, but if specimens of 
large size are wanted in April, they must be 
repotted into 8-in. or 9-in. pots. The centre 
stem of the late-flowering plants should be 
stopped early; the others should not be stopped 
at all. As soon as there is any danger of 
frost, remove the plants to a heated house, and 
experience suggests a span-roofed greenhouse. 
