July 29, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
601 
A CHAR/AING 
FRAGRANT Stephanot is 
STOVE floribunda. 
CLI/ABER. 
This charming subject, I think, inay rightly 
be classed amongst the foremost stove 
climbers of the present day. Its fragrant 
flowers of a waxy-white colour and their 
superior lasting qualities are points that 
greatly recommend it to be grown wherever 
possible. The flowers are invaluable for cut¬ 
ting purposes and for making up in bouquets, 
and judging by the quantity used during its 
season of flowering it would seem qulite in¬ 
dispensable. Anyone has only to enter the 
stove where it is growing or the room in 
which it is used for its embellishment to be 
charmed by its appearance and fragrance. 
This Stephanotis is of particularly easy cul¬ 
ture. The point to be aimed at to obtain 
good specimens is to give them every en¬ 
couragement. during their growing'season. To 
start with, their cuttings should be inserted in 
spring in a compost composed of rich fibrous 
loam, peat, and leaf soil in equal parts, with 
a good addition of silver sand. The cuttings 
should be taken from the points of -shoots, 
using the side ones in preference to the others, 
as they are much more sturdy. They can 
either be placed in a propagating frame or 
under a bell glass. These root readily. As 
soon as they are ready for a shift put them in 
a similar compost as stated, but a larger ad¬ 
dition of loam may be used to advantage, and 
also a few nodules of charcoal. Be careful 
never to give them too large a shift, and also 
see they are potted firmly, as an error in 
either of these instances, together with in¬ 
sufficient light, in my opinion, is liable to 
make the flower buds drop. 
Some prefer to plant them in a border, but 
good specimens can be grown in pots of 12in.. 
diameter and upwards. When they are 
placed in the pots in which they are intended 
to stop it would be as well to only partially 
fill them, as that will allow for an annual top 
dressing. After they are quite filled in this 
manner a little of the old soil may be removed 
every year and replaced with new, in which a 
good proportion of cow manure may be added. 
This should be done as soon as they are show¬ 
ing signs of growth in spring. Throughout 
the spring and summer months occasional 
waterings with diluted drainings from the 
farmyard will be very beneficial to them, and 
also a little approved fertiliser at intervals. 
Growing them in pots has a good feature to 
recommend it, as in some instances room 
can be made by taking them down from the 
roof of the house or wherever.they are trained, 
and neatly tied to stakes, forming a ring 
around the pot. Each piece should be tied 
separately, so that it will be easy to handle 
in spring. If room cannot be found for them 
to stand at the cooler end of the stove during 
winter, they will take no harm if they are 
shifted out in a temperature between 45° and 
50°, and avoid over-watering during the rest¬ 
ing period. They can again be introduced to 
the stove in spring, and any weak growths 
that are not required removed. Give it a 
thorough cleaning, and tie in position. 
Its worst enemies are mealy bug and scale, 
and these should be eradicated as soon as 
they appear. Petroleum is a good' insecticide 
in this respect. A small wineglassful to three 
gallons of water is sufficient to use. As this 
does not mix well, it should be kept well 
stirred during application, preferably by 
agitating it well with the syringe. 
This charming fragrant climber ought to be 
grown wherever a suitable place can be found 
for it. Once a good plant is obtained it takes 
but very easy treatment to keep it in a 
healthy and floriferous state. If grown to the 
same conditions as aforesaid there is no 
reason why the amateur should not reap of its 
benefits as well as the more experienced. 
W. 
A PRETTY TRAINER 
FOR 
CLI/ABING PLANTS. 
In this note I want to show that pretty and 
novel designs in plant ornaments may be 
made by a few simple contrivances. The 
central feature of the design is shown in the 
first picture. A is a wire frame from an old 
lampshade; B a thin Bamboo cane for sup¬ 
porting the framework ; C a fine zinc wire 
from either point of the framework to the top 
of the supporting cane; D a small flower-pot. 
A frame of this description is handy for 
training such plants as Canary Creeper, 
Maurandya barclayana, Smilax, Clematis, or 
even common Nasturtiums. One of these 
devices looks very nice in the centre of a 
Begonia bed with double white Clematis 
Duchess of Edinburgh trained round the top, 
and Fuchsia Lord Beaconsfield trained up the 
stick and stem of Clematis. These are planted 
in an 8-in. flower-pot and then plunged in a 
bed. These descriptions refer to the second 
illustration, where the plants intended to be 
grown are shown in position. Tuberous 
uegonias are then planted all round the pot on 
a terraced bed. The plan worked out on the 
second sketch will save further description. 
D. V. E. 
FLOWERS in WINTER 
AT 
FORT ELIZABETH. 
In this i>art of Cape Colony we are in mid¬ 
winter, with so far (own register) a minimum 
temperature of 37° F., pronounced by old 
residents to be the coldest winter for sixteen 
years. With the mercury at 40° one feels as 
cold here after the heat of the day as one 
would at home in 10° frost. 
With all the cold weather we have flowering, 
partially exposed on a rustic arch, a line 
plant of the Nepaul Trumpet Flower (Beau- 
montia grandiflora), whose beautiful white 
blossoms at this flowerless season are gems 
indeed. 
I say flowerless, but why ? Have not we 
myriads of Aloes, chiefly Aloe arborescens, 
but others, of course, such as A. natalensis, 
A. ferox, Haworthia margaritifera, etc. One 
looking at the immense quantity of the first 
named would be forgiven for overlooking the 
rest. 
Then the lovely Bignonia venusta is just one 
mass of bloom for some 20ft., a sight to re¬ 
member. Away in the distance are some 
large plants of Poinsettia, with their fiery 
bracts challenging the sun, and reminding 
me more of December 25th than anything else 
seen in South Africa. Beneath these spread¬ 
ing masses of scarlet grows the bluish-white 
Arctotis (Arctotis grandis), looking all that 
can be desired, but, being a native, too often 
despised. In warm summers this plant ought 
to give an excellent account of itself in 
England. 
Then I must not omit the Wallflower, which 
is hardly the same as generally grown for 
spring flowering in the Old Country, for it 
matures in half the time, and does not flower 
so profusely, but is the best for our hot, dry 
climate. 
Inside we have Roman Hyacinths, Cycla¬ 
men, Primulas, Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, 
B. Turnford Hall, B. Pres. Carnot. Azaleas, 
Fuchsias, with various Cypripediums, Laelias, 
Sophronitis grandiflora, Saccolabium gigan- 
teum, Oncidiums, etc., all without a degree 
of heat, except that supplied by nature. So, 
after all, we are not so flowerless. H. R. 
A NOBLE LILY-WORT- 
(Veratrum califoniicum.) 
Those who know the black and white Helle¬ 
bores, which are not Christmas Roses but true 
Lily-worts under the above generic name, will 
think of two very handsome border plants 
more notable for the bold and handsome 
character of their foliage than for the pretti¬ 
ness and distinctness of their flowers, although 
the blossom of the black' species is certainly 
dark and distinct enough. The species under 
notice is a much taller and more handsome 
plant in every way. Indeed, it is the best of 
its kind we bave seen in gardens. The stems 
stand about 6ft. to 8ft. high, and on their top 
produce a pyramidal panicle of blossoms 2ft. 
to 3ft. long. The individual blooms are larger 
than those of the above-named species, and 
decidedly white with a dark-green centre. 
The leaves are also of large size, especially 
the radical ones, and handsomely plaited or 
ribbed. It comes from North-Western 
America and may be seen in the herbaceous 
border at Kew. 
