348 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  21,  1898. 
ALLAMANDAS  AND  THEIR  CULTURE. 
{Concluded  from  page  320.) 
Watering. 
In  the  winter  months  Allamandas  require  little  water — indeed, 
the  less  the  better  provided  the  wood  is  kept  sound  and  plump  and  the 
leaves  present  do  not  flag.  Understand  that  the  soil  must  accord — 
that  is,  appear  and  be  apparently  dry,  for  a  plant  may  not  want  water 
because  the  soil  has  become  sodden  through  defective  drainage.  That 
must  never  happen,  for  thorough  drainage  is  essential.  In  the 
early  stages  of  growth  water  must  be  given  sparingly ;  suffice  that 
the  soil  be  evenly  moist,  inclining  to  the  dry  rather  than  wet  side, 
for  roots  are  wanted,  and  also  a  sturdy,  thoroughly  solidified  growth. 
As  the  plants  make  growth  increase  the  water,  never  giving  any  until 
the  soil  is  getting  dry ;  then  a  full  supply  to  moisten  the  ball  right 
through,  and  always  afford  it  before  the  foliage  is  distressed  for  lack 
of  due  moisture. 
Feeding  may  begin  as  soon  as  the  flower  buds  form,  or  even  before. 
I  have  found  nothing  better  than  stable  and  cow  house  drainings,  or 
the  liquid  from  a  manure  heap.  The  latter  is  the  better  of  the  two,  and 
the  former  improved  by  a  peck  of  fowl  manure  to  each  30  gallons ;  or 
better  still,  half  a  peck  each  of  fowl  excreta  and  soot,  adding  a  pound 
of  superphosphate  (37  per  cent,  soluble  phosphate  of  lime).  This 
beats  all  the  liquid  manures  of  which  I  have  cognisance,  diluted  with 
five  times  the  bulk  of  water.  It  must  be  of  the  same  temperature 
as  that  of  the  structure  in  which  the  plants  are  growing.  Once  or 
twice  a  week  is  often  enough  to  supply  it,  unless  the  plants  are  in 
small  pots  for  the  size  of  their  spread  of  heads.  These  highly  fed 
plants,  however,  as  before  stated,  sometimes  collapse  suddenly. 
For  top-dressing  nothing  supersedes  dried  blood  mixed  with 
5  per  cent,  of  freshly  slaked  best  chalk  lime,  and  as  much  dried  wood 
ashes  as  can  be  worked  in  (a  very  difficult  process,  but  easier  with  the 
lime,  and  easier  still  if  the  warm  blood  be  stirred  until  cold)  to  the 
consistency  of  stiff  crumbling  mortar.  This  covered  with  gypsum 
or  best  air-slaked  chalk  lime,  and  left  till  dry,  suits  almost  anything, 
a  handful  being  used  per  square  yard.  Vines  like  it  immensely,  so  do 
Allamandas  grown  in  borders,  also  those  in  pots  for  a  change  with  the 
liquid  manure.  The  ceasing  from  growth  and  flowering  will  indicate 
the  time  to  lessen  the  supplies  of  water,  reducing  gradually,  not 
suddenly,  as  the  maturity  of  the  wood  must  be  complete  to  jirovide 
for  the  following  year’s  flowering. 
Pruning. 
The  plants  must  be  pruned  annually  in  January  or  February. 
Extending  plants  on  the  long-rod  system — that  is,  leaving  the  strong 
well  matured  shoots  several  joints  in  length,  mainly  to  get  the  coming 
shoots  well  placed  for  covering  a  roof  trellis,  otherwise  this  long 
pruning  cannot  be  advised.  The  best  results  follow  close  pruning, 
cutting  the  previous  year’s  shoots  back  to  a  joint  or  two  of  the  old 
wood.  This  answers  admirably,  and  points  to  the  wood  never  being 
too  hard  or  well  ripened  for  the  production  of  floriferous  growths. 
Temperature. 
Though  this  fine  genus  of  plants  may  be  said  to  rest  (and  they  do, 
in  spite  of  the  hair-splitters)  from  late  summer  to  over  New  Year’s 
Day,  concentrating,  it  ma\'  be,  their  forces  for  future  developments, 
they  should  never  be  subjected  to  a  lower  temperature  than  55°.  This 
occurs  very  seldom  in  the  stove,  the  night  heat  and  on  dull  days 
during  the  winter  being  kept  at  60°  to  65°,  so  that  the  plants  get 
exactly  what  they  require — a  resting  and  concentrating  of  power 
season.  In  summer,  or  from  mid-February  onward,  stove  heat  by  day 
rules  70°  to  75°,  in  spite  of  wind  or  anything  else  in  the  shape  of 
weather,  and  when  the  sun  shines  the  heat  rises  to  80°,  85°,  90°,  or 
more,  this  just  suiting  the  plants,  only  give  air,  so  that  the  glass 
is  not  clouded  with  moisture  to  obstruct  the  light  and  absorb  the 
heat.  Then  the  sun’s  rays  strike  right  into  the  Allamanda  foliage, 
the  chlorophyll  granules  increase,  the  leaves  become  the  deepest 
green,  followed  under  good  management  by  the  richest  of  yellow 
flowers. 
Atmospheric  Moisture. 
The  Allamandas  are  remarkably  clean  plants,  neither  fungoid 
(unless  sudden  collapse  have  that  agency)  nor  insect  pests  troubling 
them,  and  they  do  not  in  consequence  require  the  washing  some  stove 
kinds  must  have  to  keep  them  clean  and  healthy.  The  usual 
sprinkling  of  the  paths  and  other  surfaces  two  or  three  times  a  day 
meets  all  their  requirements  in  respect  of  air  moisture.  Though  an 
occasional  light  syringing  may  be  indulged  in,  an  everyday  washing 
does  Allamandas  more  harm  than  good,  and  is  much  better  left  undone. 
Indeed,  A.  grandiflora  marks  its  dislike  of  water  hanging  on  the 
l^ves  by  these  turning  brown  at  the  lips  and  edges,  which  are  a  great 
disfigurement,  often  spoiling  the  appearance  of  an  otherwise  good 
specimen.  Other  species  also  become  more  or  less  browned  by  the 
needless  drenching  procedure;  therefore  avoid  it,  for  good  foliage,  as 
well  as  flowers,  are  important  considerations  in  either  ]^x)ttcd  or 
planted-out  specimens. 
Selection  of  Varieties. 
A.  Auhleti. — Flowers  yellow  ;  large.  June.  Leaves  four  to  five  in 
a  whorl,  broad-oblong,  acuminated,  rather  hairy  beneath.  Guiana, 
18'48.  A  rather  uncommon  species,  but  fine  for  trellis  training. 
A.  cathartica. — Flowers  yellow.  June.  Leaves  four  in  a  whorl, 
glabrous.  Guiana,  1785.  Excellent  for  planting  in  a  border  and  train¬ 
ing  up  the  roof  of  a  house,  but  flowers  neither  so  freely  produced  nor 
so  large  as  some  other  species  or  varieties,  yet  distinct  and  desirable, 
being  relatively  hardier  than  most  others. 
A.  Chelsoni. — Flowers  yellow  ;  large.  Summer.  A  garden  hybrid, 
very  free,  producing  its  yellow  blooms  all  through  the  summer.  Stiff 
and  hard  in  the  wood,  this  splendid  plant  does  not  readily  admit  of 
trellis  training ;  but  for  the  roof  of  a  house  has  few  equals,  the  flowers 
having  (for  an  Allamanda)  considerable  persistence,  hence  one  of  the 
best  kinds  for  cutting. 
A.  grandiflora. — Flowers  pale  yellow,  distinct.  June,  Brazil, 
1844.  A  slender-growing  plant;  very  free  bloomer,  and  excellent  for 
formal  trellis  training.  It  does  not  succeed  well  on  its  own  roots, 
and  hence  is  commonly  worked  on  a  freer  and  hardier  stock. 
A.  Hendersoni. — Flowers  deep  yellow  ;  large.  Summer.  Garden 
hybrid.  A  very  free  grower  and  bloomer ;  excellent  for  the  roof  of 
a  house  either  planted  in  a  border  or  grown  in  pots.  One  of  the 
best  for  cutting,  but  the  plants  (with  me)  liable  J;o  collapse  suddenly, 
especially  after  great  floriferousness  and  high  feeding  when  grown 
in  pots,  this  taking  place  about  August.  Can  any  correspondent 
account  for  such  collapse  ? 
A.  neriifolia. — Flowers  deep  golden  yellow,  streaked  with  orange, 
rather  small  for  an  Allamanda,  between  funnel  and  bell-shaped  ;  tube 
wide,  panicle  many-flowered.  June — indeed,  almost  the  year  round 
when  growths  are  regulated  by  cutting  some  back.  Leaves  oblong, 
on  short  petioles.  South  America,  1847.  Shrub  erect,  glabrous  ; 
3  to  4  feet.  The  hardiest  species,  succeeding  in  a  cool  stove. 
A.  nohilis. — Flowers  bright  pale  yellow,  deeper  tinted  in  the 
throat,  fine  circular  (orm ;  large.  July.  Leaves  in  whorls  of  three 
or  four,  sessile,  oblong,  hairy,  especially  beneath  and  on  the  midrib. 
A  strong-growing  species,  and  certainly  one  of  the  best  of  the  genus, 
giving  a  long  succession  of  bloom.  Brazil,  1867. 
A.  Schotti. — Flowers  yellow,  throat  beautifully  striped  with  rich 
brown ;  large.  August  and  September.  Leaves  four  in  a  whorl, 
oblong,  glabrous.  Brazil,  1847.  A  very  free  blooming  species,  strong 
grower,  yet  suitable  for  trellis  training,  but  for  floral  production  best 
grown  on  the  roof  system. 
A,  verticillata. — Flowers  yellow ;  large.  June.  Leaves  six  in  a 
whorl,  glabrous.  South  America,  1812. 
A.  Wardleana. — Flowers  yellow ;  large.  Summer.  A  desirable 
climbing  variety,  suitable  for  trellis  or  roof  training.  For  all  practical 
purposes  the  same  as  Wardleyana.  '* 
A.  Williamsi. — Flowers  very  bright  yellow,  and  of  medium  size. 
Habit  compact  and  bushy.  A  good  variety  for  culture  in  pots. 
Probably  a  garden  hybrid.  (See  illustration,  fig.  67.) — G.  Abbey. 
TYING  DOWN  VINE  SHOOTS. 
Vine  shoots  in  midseason  houses  are  now  growing  apace,  and  those 
in  late  ones  are  advancing  rapidly,  and  in  either  case  unless  the  work 
of  tying  down  the  young  shoots  is  carefully  performed,  the  loss  of 
many  a  promising  bunch  is  inevitable.  Fortunately  there  is  a 
tendency  now  to  fix  the  trellises  farther  from  the  glass  than  formerly, 
and  those  who  have  departed  from  the  “beaten  track”  in  this  respect 
soon  perceive  how  great  are  the  advantages  of  such  a  practice.  In 
summertime  it  is  much  easier  to  keep  the  Vines  free  from  red  spider, 
and  during  the  early  .stages  of  growth  the  shoots  need  not  be  inter¬ 
fered  with  until  the  dangerous  stage  is  passed.  After  the  fruit  is  set 
the  shoots  possess  a  certain  amount  of  toughness,  and  are  less  likely  to 
break  off  at  the  heel. 
Taking  these  things  into  consideration,  common  sense  suggests 
that  in  all  instances  where  there  is  a  space  of  18  inches  between  the 
trellis  and  the  glass,  the  shoots  should  be  stopped,  but  no  attempt 
made  to  tie  them  down  till  after  the  fruit  is  set.  There  are  many 
cultivators,  however,  who  have  to  deal  with  Vine  rods  trained  only  a 
foot  from  the  glass.  Where  the  houses  have  sufficient  height  matters 
may  be  improved  by  lowering  the  rods  a  few  inches  below  the  trellis, 
but  in  many  cases  this  way  out  of  the  difficulty  cannot  bo  pursued 
because  the  houses  are  too  low.  The  difficulty  can  then  only  be  met 
by  stopping  at  one  or  two  joints  beyond  the  bunch,  and  using  every 
possible  care  in  tying  down,  as  well  as  by  delaying  the  latter  operation 
as  long  as  possible.  I  have  lately  had  to  deal  with  a  house  of  this 
description,  and  as  on  many  former  occasions  I  have  met  with 
