September  26, 1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Scented  Flowers  and  Leaves. 
Stove  Plants. — In  most  places  where  choice  flowers  are  used  in 
quantity,  either  as  room  plants  or  in  a  cut  state,  those  g  ving  off  sweet 
odours  are  in  especial  demand  ;  and  when  we  remember  that  perfume 
irom  flowers  is  the  revivifying  ozone  or  health-giving  air,  we  cease  to 
wonder  that  sweet-scented  flowers  and  leaves  are  so  lavishly  used. 
The  great  ladies  of  a  century  ago  distilled  flowers  for  perfumes,  and 
ebullitions  from  Rosemary,  Lavender,  Elder  flower,  and  made  pot¬ 
pourri  from  Roses,  herbs,  and  spices  to  give  a  redolent  atmosphere  to 
their  rooms.  At  the  present  day  this  is  frequently  made,  and  placed 
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autumn,  with  frequent  syringings.  A  little  shade  is  advantageous 
during  the  flowering  period,  and  care  must  be  taken  not  to  wet  the 
flowers,  or  they  will  turn  yellow.  When  flower  buds  are  forming,  side 
shoots  frequently  appear  at  the  base  of  the  flower  buds;  these,  if  not 
removed,  will  take  away  the  strength  from  the  flower  and  cause  it  to 
decay. 
Watering  must  be  well  attended  to,  and  at  no  time  do  they  need 
a  drying  treatment  ;  liquid  manure  and  artificials  are  good,  used 
judiciously,  when  the  pots  are  full  of  roots.  Mealy  bug  is  often 
troublesome  on  Gardenias  ;  the  persistent  use  of  paraffin  or  petroleum 
is  an  effectual  remedy,  and  used  with  caution  will  do  no  injury  to  the 
plants.  They  may  be  syringed  in  the  house,  or  taken  outside  when 
GROUPING  OF  EOCCONIA  CORDATA.  (See  page  298.) 
in  porcelain  or  enamelled  eirthenware  jars  about  the  rooms  and 
galleries. 
I  shall  not  go  into  elaborate  cultural  details,  but  shall  touch  only 
on  the  salient  points  of  their  treatment.  To  commence  with  those 
requiring  a  stove  temperature  or  tropical  heat,  Gardenias  may  be 
selected  a3  general  favourites.  Their  culture  is  not  beset  with  much 
difficulty.  Allow  them  a  temperature  of  60°  in  win  er.  Young  plants 
produce  the  finest  flowers,  and  plants  more  than  three  years  of  age  are 
better  thrown  away.  A  batch  of  cuttings  should  be  struck  annually. 
A  good  time  to  do  this  is  about  the  end  of  July,  when  the  growth 
made  after  flowering  is  sufficiently  consolidated  ;  pieces  with  three  or 
four  shoots  and  6  inches  in  length  inserted  in  small  pots  strike  readily 
in  a  propagating  case,  and  when  rooted  can  be  potted  into  5  or  6-inch 
pot 8,  in  which  they  will  flower  the  following  May  or  June.  A  high 
moist  temperature  is  required  throughout  the  spring,  summer,  and 
the  weather  is  mild,  using  a  wineglassful  of  paraffin  to  2  gallons  of 
water.  This  to  be  kept  in  solution  by  one  person  syringing  into  the 
vessel  whilst  another  syringes  the  plants  with  a  good  syringe,  so  as  to 
effectually  reach  every  part  of  the  plant.  Petroleum  emulsion  made 
as  follows  I  have  found  excellent  for  the  destruction  of  mealy  bug  and 
scale,  either  by  dipping  or  syringing,  and  if  made  as  here  given  will 
not  injure  the  thinnest  leaved  plants.  Take  1  lb.  of  softsoap  to 
2  gallons  of  water  ;  place  in  an  iron  pan  over  the  fire,  allow  it  to  boil, 
remove  it  from  the  fire,  and  add  a  wineglassful  of  paraffin  to  every 
3  gallons  of  water.  A  pound  of  softsoap  is  sufficient  for  20  gallons  ; 
the  paraffin  must  be  mixed  in  the  2  gallons  of  water  before  adding 
the  remainder. 
It  is  equally  as  effectual  and  safe  if  made  as  follows,  for  20  ga'lons : — 
Take  1  lb.  of  softsoap,  add  a  little  warm  water  so  as  to  disso've  the 
soap,  and  no  more ;  then  put  in  the  paraffin,  allowing  a  wineglassful 
