THE GENUS CLEHODENDRUM. 
83 
their length, repotted, and plunged into a brisk bottom heat, they 
will speedily push forth three or four strong shoots, and in a 
little time grow rapidly. All but the lowermost of these shoots 
should be removed when about a couple of inches long, and may 
be struck to form a succession to the parent; the latter, being re¬ 
duced to a single stem, will soon throw out some noble foliage, 
and must be shifted into a larger pot as fast as its roots are found 
to fill the preceding one; such as are started in four-inch pots, 
will, if progressing favorably, require to be repotted at least three 
times, and with these plants it is almost a rule that the more 
room is allowed their roots, the larger and finer will be the leaves 
and flowers. The surface temperature in which they are grown 
should average 65 °, and the bottom heat must be kept as near 
80 ° as possible: so situated, their progress will be rapid, and in 
about two months the flower stem will begin to rise, when the 
final repotting should take place, and in another month their 
splendour will begin to be apparent. 
The soil in which they are found to grow best is a mixture of 
turfy loam and peat in equal quantities, rotten manure from an 
early hotbed of last year, or something like it, and silver sand, 
the two forming about a third of the whole compost; this 
thoroughly mixed and well drained will not fail to grow them 
fine. In shifting from one pot to another, the utmost care should 
be taken to preserve the points of the roots uninjured, and to 
render this as certain as possible, it is always best to repot before 
the fibres become at all matted round the outside of the ball; 
the object being to keep the plants in a constantly growing state, 
without check or hinderance of any kind, the consequences 
arising from an opposite course being a stinted condition of the 
plant, and a smaller panicle of flowers. Up till the time the 
plants are put into the blooming pots, clear water must be given 
them rather liberally, but not in excess, and occasional syringings 
will assist the foliage greatly; but once fairly settled and begin¬ 
ning to grow after the last shift, the ordinary waterings may be 
alternated with applications of liquid manure; this has a sur¬ 
prising effect on the flower-spike, which shoots up and branches 
with amazing vigour. Insects must, of course be suppressed; 
the most troublesome is the mealy bug, but they are easily re¬ 
moved with a sponge and water. 
