122 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ August, 
the temperature to 82°, which continue for 
two nights in succession. If the intervening 
day is dull and no sunshine, continue the same 
temperature during the day. It is generally 
advisable to repeat this in about a fortnight, 
in case another generation may be putting in 
an appearance. While the fumigating process 
is going on, the atmosphere of the house should 
be as dry as possible. Admit air on the second 
morning in the usual way, and give a good 
syringing to refresh and clean the foliage, and 
generally red-spider will not give much trouble 
during the remainder of the season. The 
fumes of the sulphur, if the temperature is not 
raised above 82°, will at this season be strong 
enough to destroy the insect, but will not in¬ 
jure the foliage ; early in the season, when the 
nights are colder outside, 75° is high enough. 
If the red-spider is entirely destroyed, with¬ 
in a fortnight or three weeks, according to the 
vigour of the vines, young shoots will push out 
from the points of the laterals, and grow 
rapidly, and the young foliage will be in per¬ 
fect health ; but if the growths are slow, and 
the leaves small and crumpled, with brown 
spots, the pipes should once more be called 
upon to give forth their sulphuric fumes. 
Occasionally red-spider does not appear till 
the fruit is colouring. In that case the same 
treatment should be applied, with this differ¬ 
ence, that an inch or two of air should bo left 
on top and front, to prevent the moisture of 
the atmosphere condensing on the berries and 
ruining the bloom. 
Peaches are liable to be attacked in the 
same way and at about the same stage of 
growth as the vines, and should be treated in 
every respect the same. 
When vine and peach borders are well 
drained, which now-a-days they almost always 
are, it is seldom that they get enough water 
during the growing season. The want of water 
at the root is the principal cause of the spread 
of red-spider.— Archibald Fowler, Castle 
Kennedy , Stranraer. 
THE SCHIZANTHUS AS A 
POT-PLANT. 
OEMEELY, the different kinds of 
Schizanthus , both the annual and' 
biennial species, were much grown as 
pot-plants for the summer decoration of the 
greenhouse and conservatory, and very hand¬ 
some they were when well arranged, present¬ 
ing, moreover, considerable variety of character. 
Of late years they have been ousted from 
this position by more novel, if not more 
beautiful and useful subjects, but the recent 
mention in the Gardeners’ Chronicle of some 
of the annual sorts of the type of S. pinnatus 
and S. porrigens , as being still used in the 
Manchester Botanic Gardens, has led several 
cultivators to bespeak more consideration for 
them. Thus Mr. Ellis, of Pendleton, notes that 
few things are more gay and useful for the 
conservatory during the early summer months 
than Schizanthus pinnatus and its several pretty 
varieties, which are easy to cultivate and in¬ 
expensive. He has had a number of plants 
flowering in 6-in. and 8-in. pots, with upwards 
of 800 flowers on each plant, almost, if not 
quite, equal in beauty to many of the small- 
flowered Orchids. For flowering in April and 
May he sows in August in rich, light soil, con¬ 
sisting of light loam, leaf-mould, and silver- 
sand. When the seedlings are 2 in. high they 
are potted singly into 3-in. pots, and placed on 
a shelf in the greenhouse close to the glass, 
where they are kept through the winter, during 
which time they require but little water. As 
soon as active growth commences in the 
spring, they require frequent pinching back to 
induce a bushy habit, which also greatly 
increases the number of flowers. Our friend, 
Mr. D. T. Fish, of Hardwicke, adds to 
the foregoing that it is also a very useful 
plant for blooming in the autumn ; for this 
purpose it may be sown in May or June, grown 
on in cool pits, or even in the open air, till the 
middle of September or beginning of October. 
Placed on a light shelf in the conservatory it 
will continue flowering till Christmas in a tem¬ 
perature of 45° to 50°. It is extremely useful 
at that transitional season of the year, and the 
curiously marked flowers form a striking con¬ 
trast to most of the flowers of autumn.’ The 
Schizanthus is also a useful plant for cutting 
for the decoration of small vases, and the 
flowers mounted singly, and skilfully used in 
bouquets, produce an effect different and dis¬ 
tinct from almost any other. 
Another writer takes up his pen in behalf 
of the biennial race represented by S. retusus , 
and which, with its white variety, is exceedingly 
handsome. S. Grahami alia , when used in 
glasses as cut flowers, he observes, will last 
