258 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
The Indiarubber Plant. 
(Ficus elastica). 
Although this well known ornamental 
plant with smooth shin mg green leaves 
umaliy classed as a stove subject, it 
can be successfully grown in any warm 
greenhouse and answers admirably for 
ciecosatue purposes in Swelling looms 
where a fairly even temperatuie can be 
maintained : tut at the same time it is 
useless to expect the plant to thrive in 
places where the temperature varies con¬ 
siderably Or is alternately hot and cold. 
A compost suited to the requirements of 
the Indiarubber Plant is composed of four 
parts loam, one part peat and one part 
sand, whilst a temperature of from 55 to 
00 degrees • is - desirable in the summer, 
with not less than forty five degrees dur¬ 
ing the winter months. Other important 
cultural points to be observed are that 
shade from the sun is necessary' wait 
moderate supplies of water, especially dur¬ 
ing spring and summer, whilst the foliage 
should be frequently syringed and 
sponged and the plants, repotted before 
and draughts, exposure to varying tem¬ 
perature .and want of repotting. I'o 
bring- such plants into better shape and 
reduce their height stem-rooting must be 
resorted to. This operation, as will be 
gathered from the term, is to induce roots 
to be emitted from the stem at-any desired 
point, April and May be.ng the best 
months to commence. 
The accompanying sketch, Fig 1, illus¬ 
trates a leggy Indiarubber Plant, the 
point A indicat.ng where it is proposed to 
root the stem. First obtain -a three or 
four inch flower pot and saw it into two 
pieces as shown in Fig. 2, enlarging the 
drainage hole at the same time. At the 
point A in. the stem of the plant cut a slit 
or tongue in an upward direction, about 
half the thickness of the stem, and to keep 
it open place a small stone in the slit, as 
indicated in sketch 3. Secure the split 
pot round the stem at the point where it 
has been cut. tie firmly together and fill 
with good sandy soil; also support the 
Propagating the Indiarubber Plant. 
1. Tall, hare-stemmed, -plant; 2, pot sawn in two halves; 3, stem with tongue cut in it. 
with one half of the pot put in position ; 4, the two halves of the pot tied, supported with 
stakes and filled with compost. 
they become potbound, March and April 
being a good time to perform this opera¬ 
tion. 
In course of time Indiarubber Plants 
lose or shed their lower leaves, becoming 
leggy, unsightly and useless for decorative 
purposes, this being caused more often 
than not by growth receiving a check of 
some kind, as for instance through want 
of water, over-watering, exposure to frost 
plant and pot with three stakes, as shown 
in Fig. 4. 
Place the plant in a warm and moist 
house, shade from the sun, keeping both 
pots well supplied with moisture ' and in 
five or six weeks roots will have'been 
emitted from the split stem and th-6 
dwarfed plant may be removed, but th‘i£ 
must be done gradually' by fifist cutting 
partly through the stem close under the 
I 3 > 1907 - 
split pot and waiting for a few day's to see 
what effect it has upon the plant. Should 
the leaves flag at all it may be taken 
for granted that the roots are not strong 
enough _to support the plant, and the cut 
in the stem must not on any account he 
deepened or interfered with until all signs 
of flagging have disappeared. nut 
should no signs of flagging be apparent 
the cut in tire stem may be deepened a 
little every two days until the plant is 
severed from the main stem, when it must 
be placed in a shady position and l;e- 
quently syringed for a fortnight, after 
which repot into a larger pot, as Fig. 5, 
and treat as an established plant. 
If desired a ball of moss may be bound 
round the split stem in place of the pot, as 
shown in f ig. 6, a tongue being iormed 
as before, or if desired, two tongues may 
be cut, one each side of the stem as shown 
in Fig. 7. The plant should he plated 
in a warm temperature and the moss kept 
well moistened, and when roots show- 
through, the shortened plant may be re¬ 
moved as- before. Indiarubber Plants 
may' be increased or propagated by stem 
rooting side branches or by inserting 
shoots in pots of compost as before 
described; or again, portions of the stem 
about two inches long, to which a leaf 
must be attached, as shown in Fig. S. will 
grow, and should be potted as shown in 
Fig. 9, the leaf being supported l:y a 
stake. Spring is the best"time' to insert 
the cuttings, and a propagating frame 
should be employed. ORTUS. 
* -- 
Linaria CpMaria Globosa. 
The old favourite “Kenilworth Ivy” is ; 
pretty plant indeed, especially when 
tumbling down the face of an old wall, or 
creeping among the rough stones of the. 
rockery. The long trailing growths with 
scolloped leaves and rosy purple flowers 
wear a distinct “old-world” appearance, 
and are reminiscent of a restful repose and 
unfettered freedom. For all that it is 
good to have a more compact and neat 
habited form for certain purposes, such, 
for instance, as furnishing a small cir¬ 
cular bed, or a narrow border at the foot 
of a window casement. 
We have, therefore, a keen appreciation 
of the merits of the compact form of this 
plant which goes under the distinctive 
name L. C. globosa, for it is the same fine 
old plant within a restricted area, and 
really it has the appearance of possessing 
as many leaves and flowers within a few 
inches of space as does the original type 
in as many feet. 
Each is beautiful and useful in its way, 
and the only point on which care need? 
be exercised' is in the choice of the form 
most suitable for the purpose for which 
it is intended. Heather Bell. 
-- 
The Cilician Winter Aconite. 
The recently introduced Winter 
Aconite (Eranthis cilicica) appears to be 
as hardy as the common one, seeing that 
it has stood out two winters unprotected 
in a London suburban garden. This 
year, being later,' it flowered in March. 
The slender/character of the green leaves 
surrounding the flowers, gives the plant 
a more refined appearance than the com¬ 
mon one. 
