January 23, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
73 
modern insecticides in the grower’s hands, it h 
easy to keep the plants clean. 
A great deal of nourishment is absolutely necessary in order 
, to sustain the plants throughout the long flowering season I 
have already spoken of, and must be. supplied in Me shape 
of liquid manure, and by means of slight but frequent top- 
dies.,sings of any good artificial fertiliser, which may be most 
successfully used either dry as a, top-dressing or made into 
liquid. As for what I may term, however—for the sake of 
complete distinction—a natural liquid manure, there is nothing 
to beat, the drainings from a heap of cow dung. This stuff, 
which is always very rich in manurial elements, must always 
be well dibit,ed with tepid water. 
Kichardia africana. 
Wherever the highest success is aimed at in the cultivation of 
t'alias, great stress must be laid on the careful and continuous 
application of liquid stimulants. 
With the advent of summer weather, the same methods as 
were adopted the previous year must be again followed. At 
the potting time, however, it will not be wise on this occasion 
to break up the crowns, but. simply to shift them on into larger 
pot®. In 12-in. pots, when well potted in rich and lasting 
materials, I have been able* to flower the plants for three year's 
in succession without a shift by simply applying during the 
flowering season liquid manure in abundance. It is a good 
plan, and really necessary if a break in the flower supply -would 
This stately plant, with its broad, arrow-shaped leaves and 
beautiful large, white flower spatbes, ought to be more 
generally cultivated by private gardeners than it is at the pre¬ 
sent moment, and it should, in my opinion, 'be so managed that 
the blooming period will begin a,si the last of the Chrysanthe^ 
mums are discarded. 
I do not, of course, mean that the value o.f the plant in ques¬ 
tion is not properly appreciated in private gardens, but in 
order to still further enhance its value it ought, to, be in flower 
during the month of January, instead of April or May as is too 
frequently the case. 
In this short article I will proceed to outline a, cultural system 
which has enabled me to. produce a succession of 
bloom up till the. end of March, and even later, 
beounnin" in the month already mentioned. 
I have never been able, to fully appreciate, the 
planting-out style of culture so strongly advo¬ 
cated by some writers on the subject, my prac¬ 
tice being to grow the plants in pots throughout. 
Supposing, therefore, a, few plants to be, in the 
greenhouse about the end of the month of May. 
They ought to be placed outside in some position 
where all possible sunshine will reach them. Do 
not lay the pots on their sides ; let them stand 
upright, and with a layer of coal ashes under¬ 
neath. Should dry weather prevail at the time, 
give a, sprinkling overhead, but a very small 
quantity of water at the roofs', the object being 
to induce a natural drying-up of the. plants, as 
happens in their native country during the dry 
season. This treatment will induce a, gradual 
decay of the foliage until it ultimately withers 
up entirely, when it can with ease be removed 
from the crowns. Signs, of renewed growth will 
now be seen, proving that the plant or plants 
have been sufficiently rested, and are again in 
want of the cultivator’s active attention. 
The plants must now, without delay, be taken 
to the potting bench and each crown carefully 
disintegrated. The. strongest, crowns are then 
selected and potted up—five into, an 8-in. pot 
and seven into. a. 10-in. pot, using a, rich and sus¬ 
taining compost of fibrous loam, leaf-mould, and 
sharp sand, with a small quantity of fine bone- 
meal and some, finely-broken charcoal added. 
The young crowns may be potted up into 
smaller pots., and will some day make, good 
flowering plants, when an increase of stock is 
desired. 
A nicely-sheltered but open spot, such as at 
■the foot, of a, wall facing south, is now an ideal 
place for the newly-potted plants, which must 
have, very careful attention in the matter of 
watering whenever it. is found necessary, unless 
the weather prove wet. On the approach of 
frost, remove them indoors to a nice light house 
where, a buoyant atmosphere prevails-, as the 
result of a gentle artificial warmth with free 
ventilation. By this time the pots will, or ought 
to be, well furnished witli roots, and daily atten¬ 
tion to watering must be the rule. 
Continuing the foregoing treatment until the new year, 
strong plants, between 3 ft. and 4 ft. high, proportionately 
busby and with the flowers beginning to appear, will then be 
available to fill up the. gap left by the disappearing ’Mums. 
The structure in which they are now growing should have the 
temperature maintained at an intermediate degree, and the 
plants will naturally require more -abundant supplies both of 
root and atmospheric moisture, the latter being maintained by 
syringing the foliage, which helps greatly to meet the strain 
now on the plants, and also prevents thrip and green-fly from 
securing a. firm foothold. In former days it was almost im¬ 
possible to keep these insect pests at bay, but nowadays, with 
Richardia africana. 
