408 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 24, 1894. - 
deep rosy coral colour ; and the whole of these parts 
taken together are very conspicuous and effective. 
The leaves are of large size, obliquely oblong, 
spotted with light grey above, and purplish or 
nearly green beneath. For a stove or warm con¬ 
servatory it is a handsome subject during the winter 
months, especially when it has been grown to some 
size. 
-—-- 
STOVE AND GREENHOUSE PLANTS 
FOR HOUSE AND TABLE 
DECORATIONS. 
In the majority of gardens where plants are grown 
to any extent, one of the chief demands on the 
gardener’s skill is for a supply of plants and cut 
flowers for the decoration of the house and the 
dinner table. In the following remarks it will be 
my aim to bring to the notice of my readers only 
those plants which can be depended upon for their 
general utility. 
In speaking of stove plants, I do not think I can 
do better than to give the Dracaena the premier 
place, because of the ease with which it may be 
propagated, and also its grand staying properties. 
There are many varieties of this genus of sterling 
merit for table decoration and as specimen plants 
for vases. I may mention D. Lindeni, Gladstone!, 
Terminalis, Goldienana, and Cooperi as instances 
for the above use; but there is a long list of these 
plants from which people of different opinions may 
choose to suit their individual taste. Propagation 
is usually effected by cutting the stems into short 
lengths, and covering them in a compost of sandy 
peat or other light soil. The thick fleshy roots 
which Dracaenas often make may also be utilised to 
work up a stock of plants. They require but a 
moderate amount of pot room, and do well in a 
mixture of peat, loam, leaf soil, and sand. 
Crotons, again, are grand decorative subjects, but 
are more susceptible to injury from cold than the 
Dracaena. Many of them are truly beautiful objects 
when the plants are symmetrical and well coloured. 
Mrs. Dorman, Aigburthense angustifolium,Chelsoni, 
Laingii,Elegantissimum, Weismanni, QueenVictoria, 
and Interuptum are useful varieties to grow. Nice 
plants to be used in small vaSes for table decoration 
may be had by striking well-coloured tops in a close 
moist heat. To be grown well they require a hot 
moist atmosphere, plenty of sunlight, and abundance 
of water during the summer. 
Many of the Palms are indispensable for house 
decoration, but I must content myself by mention¬ 
ing a few—Geonoma gracilis. Cocos plumosa, C. 
Weddeliana, various Kentias, Arecas, Latania bor- 
bonica, the genus Phoenix, Seaforthia, and others. 
Perhaps it will be well to mention that it is a 
ruinous practice to injure in any way the strong 
roots by cutting or otherwise. Sometimes, when 
potting Palms which have been neglected, it is often 
a difficult matter to get the plant into a reasonable 
sized pot, and then we are tempted to cut some of 
the older roots; but it is far better to allow a larger 
size than to reduce the roots by the aid of pruning. 
I have seen several instances of this pruning process, 
but have never seen them recover from the effects. 
Caladiums are desirable plants for decorative 
purposes during the summer months, and the small¬ 
leaved C. argyrites should always be grown, as it is 
useful either in small vases for the table or for 
working in the margins of groups. Phryniura 
variegatum should be grown where house decoration 
has to be done, as it is of great value, standing a 
good deal of rough usage. Pandanus Veitchii is 
especially valuable as a centre plant for the table. 
The best plants are obtained by striking the suckers 
from the base of the plant when they are in a small 
state ; and to have them well coloured they must be 
kept well up to the light. Among the other inhabi¬ 
tants of our stoves which are chiefly cultivated for 
their ornamental foliage may be mentioned 
Acalyphas, Asparagus plumosus, and A. tennisisimus, 
Myrsiphyllum, Cyperus alternifolius and C. laxus, 
Dieffenbachia, Phyllotaenium Lindeni, many of the 
Selaginellas, Begonias of the Rex type, Marantas,' 
Ficus, and varieties of Panax, besides many others 
of equal merit. 
There are many valuable stove plants, the flowers 
of which are held in great esteem for dressing vases 
and other purposes, such as Allamanda Hendersoni, 
A. nobilis, A. Chelsoni, and others; DipladeniaBrear- 
leyana, D. bolivensis, and D. amabilis are very use¬ 
ful. Under a good light a dinner table dressed entirely 
with D. bolivensis is especially pretty. Bougian- 
villea glabra and speciosa are two plants which 
should always have a place afforded them. The 
colour of the former is more intense when grown in 
an intermediate temperature, and the flowers being 
terminal it is a mistake to pinch the shoots unless it 
be desired to increase the size of the plant. I am 
speaking of established plants, and not of those in 
a small state. It is a splendid subject for planting 
out, and the best examples I ever saw were two 
specimens planted in a comparatively cool structure 
and allowed to ramble at their own sweet will. 
Clerodendron Balfourii, trained to wires or a wall 
in a plant stove or warm house of any kind, gives 
an abundance of its beautiful flowers for cutting. 
If trained under a roof the wires should not be run 
too close to the glass, or the flowers will be liable to 
injury through condensation of moisture upon them. 
After the flowering period, these climbers require to 
have le=s water, gradually lessened until the plants 
are denuded of foliage, when the roots may be kept 
in a comparatively dry condition until the time for 
starting again comes round. 
A good batch of Poinsettias and Euphorbia 
jacquiniaeflora should always be grown for winter 
decoration. Both these plants require similar treat¬ 
ment, viz., a moist stove temperature with plenty of 
air, but cold draughts should be especially guarded 
against, or the roots will probably be killed and fhe 
foliage subsequently suffer. Cuttings of Poinsettias 
may be struck any time during spring, and should, 
if possible, be taken off when about 3 in. long with a 
heel attached. Each cutting should be inserted in a 
small pot, and placed on a strong bottom heat in a 
close propagating frame. They should be potted on 
as soon as the pots become full of roots, until they 
receive their final shift, the size of the pot depending 
on the time the cuttings were rooted. With 
Euphorbias several cuttings may be placed in a 60- 
sized pot, and grown on without parting, and the 
ball, or the growths of the previous year, may be 
cut into lengths of about six inches and inserted in 
that way. Anthurium Scherzerianum is useful for 
cutting, and lasts a long time. The brilliant scarlet 
flowers have a very telling effect when arranged with 
any white Lily-like flowers. 
Gloxinias should be grown in quantity, as their 
flowers last so well when cut, and small plants look 
extremely well in groups Old plants do well for the 
first batch, but for successive flowering, seed may 
be sown during the spring in a compost of sandy 
peat and cocoa-nut fibre refuse, the pans being placed 
on a shelf in a cucum.ber house ; great watchfulness 
is required when the seeds are germinating, to 
prevent the young plants from damping. Stephanotis 
floribunda Gardenias, Pancratiums, Eucharis grandi- 
flora, and species of more recent introduction should 
where practicable be grown, but their flowers are 
more suitable for bouquets, wreaths, etc., than for 
the decoration of rooms. 
In the category of greenhouse plants vie find the 
majority of them suitable either in pots or a cut state. 
We will take the Chrysanthemum as first on the 
list. For autumn and early winter decoration there 
is nothing to surpass these lovely flowers. Where 
large flowers are in request, a systematic mode of 
culture must be pursued, but for decorative purposes 
cuttings may be taken any time between December 
and March. The young plants should be stopped 
several times; or they may be allowed to grow 
onward till early in June, and then cut back to 
within six eyes of the base, the resulting shoots 
forming the future plant. Nice little plants may be 
obtained by striking these tops in a close frame. 
Bouvardias are of great service for cutting during 
the dark days of winter. Alfred Neuner, Dazzler, 
Hogarth, Hogarthii flore-pleno. President Garfield, 
President Cleveland, Jasminoides, and Vreelandii are 
useful varieties to grow.— IV. Mill, Caversham. Park 
Gardens, Reading. 
{To be continued.) 
- • t - 
IaRDENING ^ISCELLANY. 
EARLY-FLOWERING SHRUBS. 
I EXPECT that you will have notes from many parts 
of the country saying how well early-flowering shrubs 
have bloomed this year. With us there have been 
no frosts severe enough to hurt the flowers. One 
of the most beautiful plants is Pieris (Andromeda) 
japonica ; some flowers usually are uninjured, but 
this season the shrubs are a mass of graceful flowers. 
One plant, about 5 ft. high and the same across, is 
especially fine. Chimonanthus fragrans on a cut 
Furze hedge has bloomed well, both the large and 
small-flowered form ; the first was grown from seed 
gathered long ago in a celebrated garden in Hamp¬ 
shire. Lonicera fragrantissima always blooms well, 
but this season is more than usually covered with 
flowers. Rhododendron praecox superbum is very fine. 
Prunus (Amygdalus) Davidiana, which I had from 
M. Lemoine, was cut hard last year by frost, but is 
this year covered with its pretty white flowers.— 
George F. Wilson, Heatherbank, Weybridge. 
CHOICE FLOWERS AT WEST DEAN PARK. 
Begonia Gloire de Sceaux is one of the very best 
varieties that has yet been introduced for winter 
decorative work. There is a grand lot of it at 
present in bloom at West Dean Park, near Chiches¬ 
ter. Most of the plants are in 32-sized pots, and 
have grown to a height of 3 ft. 6 in., clothed with 
handsome dark foliage to the pots, and carrying 
numerous cymes of splendid bright rose-coloured 
flowers. The habit of the plant as seen here leaves 
nothing to be desired, and it is certainly a useful 
plant at this time of the year. A houseful of winter¬ 
flowering Carnations, splendidly grown and yielding 
a grand crop of flowers, shows how very useful these 
are, too, when well done. All the leading sorts are 
grown, and the plants provide for very liberal 
cuttings daily. The Victoria Violet is also exten¬ 
sively grown in the same garden. The flowers are 
single, deep blue, and of good substance, double the 
size of any other single variety', deliciously-scented, 
and has a good long stem. It should be grown by 
every one who likes Violets, and who does not ?— 
Rusticus. 
BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 
1 LEARN that in most gardens in this part of the 
country the Brussels Sprout crops are almost entirely 
destroyed. During the mild and moist autumn the 
Sprouts continued to increase in bulk, and no doubt 
were rendered very tender, so that when the severe 
frost on the first Saturday night of the new year 
visited us the Sprouts received their death blow. I 
always have at least three successions—a small plant¬ 
ation from autumn sown plants, or, what is better, a 
plantation from a lew hundreds sown in February 
under glass; anotner sowing made during March ; 
and the latest early in April. These generally keep 
up a supply till May, but during the past season the 
successions all appeared to advance towards maturity 
at the same rapid rate. Rich soil in damp 
positions do well enough for an early supply, 
but for late crops rather dry soil with absence 
of rich manure is the most suitable. Firm 
ground is conducive to the growth of firm hardy 
Sprouts, which stand well in all w'eathers. I notice 
where a cottager planted a goodly space in his 
garden wiih the remains of our Sprouts, which were 
cast out as worthless, they formed a nice compact 
crop and all have stood fairly well, but had the past 
season been like 1892 (so damp and sunless) these 
pretty Sprouts would have come to nothing worth 
the space on which they were planted. Rosette 
Coleworts are now fit for use and the whole crop is 
uninj ured.— Stirling. 
TRADESCANTIA REGINAE. 
With the introduction of this plant the status of the 
genus has been raised considerably. The few tender 
species previously in cultivation were grown chiefly 
for covering bare spaces on rockeries, beneath 
stages, and for suspending from the edges of the 
same. T. Reginae is of great value as a pot plant 
in the stove. The sturdy stems take an ascending 
direction, and branch only sparingly, but if they 
behaved otherwise there would be no space for the 
leaves, which attain a length of 6 in. or more, and 
are regularly arranged in two ranks. They are of a 
deep bronzy-purple along the centre, on each side of 
which there is a gray band ; the broad margins are 
green, transversely lined with gray stripes or lines of 
unequal length. The under surface is of a uniform 
dark purple. The plant is quite new as far as this 
country is concerned, and we noted it the other week 
in the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest 
Hill. 
SCENTED-LEAVED PELARGONIUMS. 
There are few who, when they meet with these, 
fail to admire their perfume, yet how seldom is there 
much attention given to them; they seem to get 
