14 THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
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Schizanthus Grahami niveus. 
Descripsion 
of Flowers: 
Schizanthus. 
The Schizanthus, or Butterfly Flower, 
isa hardy annual of great beauty and 
gracefulness, very showy, and easily 
cultivated. It is of branching elegant 
habit, and practically covers itself with 
peculiarly- shaped flowers. 
The Schizanthus may be procured in 
various colors. Grahami carmineus is a 
pure red, Grahami niveus snowy white, 
and papilionaceus is spotted and laced 
purple and yellow, shading to crimson. 
Wistonensis is one of the best varieties, 
the foliage being very graceful, and the 
colors of the flowers varying from 
delicate pink and white to rose and 
crimson. The Schizanthus illustrated 
(Grahami niveus) is most useful for 
bouquets, the foliage being bright green 
and finely cut, and the flowers very fine. 
Cyclamen, 
This is another beautiful member of the 
tribe of tuberous greenhouse plants pro- 
duced from seed. They may ke sown 
from November to March, are perennials, 
and present a most charming appearance 
during Winter and Spring. They remain 
avery long time in bloom. In raising 
from seed they require a certain amount 
of detail care known only to those who 
atudy the cultivation. The beiter plan 
‘for amateur gardeners is to get the 
seedling plants from the nurseries, 
If the reader should, however, desire to 
try his hand on growing a few from seed, 
and there is nothing more interesting 
than experimenting with flower seeds if 
one has the time to devote to them, we 
would advise sowing in a soil composed 
of loam, peat, and a small quantity of 
fine cowdung and sand. Sow thinly, and 
cover lightly. Water with a fine rose, 
and do not let the soil become dry. 
When the small bulbs are formed, pot off 
into small pots, taking all the fibrous 
roots with the plants. In potting, bury 
the bulb just below the surface of the 
soil, up to the crown. 
shade. 
When the leaves show signs of dying, 
give less water for a time, but do not let 
them get quite dry. As soon as they 
begin to show new growth, re-pot into 
fresh soul. 
Once the Cyclamen is well established 
very little further trouble is needed. In 
fact it is said that the tubers will last for 
twenty years, Being comparatively rare 
in ordinary gardens their presence when 
in full bloom is always hailed with delight 
by lovers of flowers. 
They require 
The peculiar 
structures of the blooms is at once 
attractive in their rich setting of good 
foliage, while their perfume is delicate. 
and sweet. 
They will grow. in carefully sheltered — 
and well-drained beds, but do.not give 
November 1, 1909 
fine results that can be obtained from 
them as pot plants. 
_ If potted in Autumn the Spring 
blooms will make a lovely show after the 
corms have been growing about two- 
years. If this is too long to wait and 
watch, the best plan is to buy the tubers, 
although they run into extra expense. 
The name of Sowbread given to them 
seems peculiar to such a graceful and 
modest specimen of one of Nature’s. 
beauties, but it originated from the 
round, bread-like shape of the tuber, 
greedily eaten by the boars of Sicily, the: 
native habitat of the flower. 
Coleus. 
As a foliage plant, the Coleus is very 
ornamental, the exquisite and varied 
markings and variegations of the leaves. 
making them highly interesting, They 
may be grown from seed or propagated 
by cuttings, and grow very rapidly. In 
our climate, cuttings strike freely in the: 
open, and the cuttings may be put in 
where the plants are intended to 
remain. In districts where no frosts. 
occur, the plants will, with care, continue. 
to grow all the year round. They must 
be grown freely, in good soil, with plenty 
of moisture, light, and air, It may be 
treated as a pot plant, and grown in a. 
conservatory or bush-house. ‘The best 
plan is to put cuttings in in autumn, keep: 
them ina moderate temperature during 
the winter, and pot them or plant them 
out in the early spring. 
