Marcli  3,  19C4. 
JGURJSAL  CF  HOB.TIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
181 
much  head  room  as  the  former.  Witli  the  Stephauotis  we  would 
insist  that  it  should  hold  a  roof  position  immediately  over  one  of 
the  paths  to  facilitate  frequent  examination  as  a  preventive  to 
mealy  bug  gaining  a  hold.  As,  by  the  way,  mealy  bug  is  the 
greatest  pest  the  tropical  plantsman  has  to  contend  with,  special 
attention  will  be  paid  to  it  in  due  course.  The  true  Elvaston 
variety  of  Stephauotis  is  so  infinitely  superior  to  the  older  form, 
that  the  wisdom  of  obtaining  it  is  obvious. 
Passiflora  kermesina  we  regard  as  the  gem  par  excellence  of 
the  great  Passionflower  family.  This  beautiful  species  loves 
bottom  heat  and  high  tropical  treatment,  and  we  find  it  best  to 
renew  the  plants  by  propagation  at  least  every  second  year. 
Given  the  conditions  it  loves,  a  spring-struck  plant  is  able  to 
stretch  along  a  wire  20ft  or  30ft  in  a  season,  and  when  clothed 
with  laterals  depending  from  the  main  stems,  and  furnished  with 
its  unique  crimson  blossoms  not  much  larger  than  a  shilling,  it  is 
a  beautiful  object,  and  one  deserving  the  highest  meed  of  praise. 
Treathent. — The  above  overhead  subjects  may  now  receive 
their  annual  pruning,  which  consists  of  thinning  out  weakly 
to  a  warm,  damp  wall,  is  a  singularly  handsome  foliage  plant 
which  might  be  oftener  seen.  Cissus  discolor,  too,  if  introduced 
to  the  foot  of  the  wall  with  the  creeping  Fig,  will  eventually 
amalgamate  with  it  by  finding  a  foothold  for  its  rooted  joints  iii 
ever\'  crevice. 
An  end  wall  often  gives  more  scope  for  stronger  grower's. 
Possibly  some  rough  rockwork  can  be  made  to  give  pocket  space 
for  Rex  Begonias,  whilst  from  the  top,  given  a  suitable  cavity  to 
accommodate  it.  Asparagus  Sprengeri  loves  to  hang  in  graceful 
sprays,  depending,  may  be,  Gft  or  7ft  in  length.  Last,  not 
least,  is  a  plant  which,  in  the  high  tropical  tone  investing  it,  has 
peculiar  claims  upon  us.  This  is  that  singular  and  handsome 
Aroid.  Monstera  deliciosa.  Some  who  know  it — there  are  many 
of  the  rising  generation  who  do  not^ — may,  of  course,  summarily 
dispose  of  its  claims  in  saying  “No  room.”  To  this  there  is  only 
one  answer,  viz.,  “That’s  a  pity.” 
Floor  Space. — We  strongly  advocate  the  Introduction  into 
the  plant  stove  of  plenty  of  boulders  or  rough  rocks;  these  may 
be  made  to  outline  the  walks,  as  well  as  being  disposed  under  the 
Teachers’  Saturday  Class  for  Horticulture.  (See  text  page  180). 
growths  and  pruning  back  the  stronger  laterals  to  within  a  few 
eyes  of  the  main  stems.  A  washing  given  with  a  soft  painter’s 
brush  and  half-a-irint  of  Fir  tree  oil  to  a  gallon  of  warm  water 
puts  things  in  order  for  a  clean  start.  Whether  the  above  are 
planted  out  or  have  of  necessity  to  be  confined  to  tubs,  boxes,  or 
pots,  a  top-dressing  of  fresh  soil  in  which  a  few  handfuls  of  Clay’s 
fertiliser  have  been  incorporated  will  be  of  di.stinct  benefit,  and 
do  much  to  promote  that  healthy  growth  which  goes  hand  in  hand 
with  cleanliness. 
Dead  Walls. — With  a  back  wall,  as  provided  by  a  lean-to 
structure,  or  a  hip  span  formation,  or  with  a  dead  end  wall,  we 
have  grand  opportunities  for  displaying  a  bit  of  natural  tropical 
work  that  no  other  style  of  house  gives.  It  may  be,  however, 
that  limited  room,  so  far  as  the  back  wall  is  concerned,  will 
allow'  for  little  more  than  draping  it  with  suitable  plant.s.  Ficus 
repens,  of  course,  is  a  draper  that  gardeners  naturally  fly  to,  as 
it  holds  the  same  position  in  our  houses  that  the  Ivy  does  outside 
in  charitably  clothing  the  naked;  but,  although  it.s  usefulness 
for  furnishing  decorative  sprays  gives  it  another  claim  to  the 
position,  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  monopolise  the  chosen 
spot.  u®schynanthus  Lobbi  and  rE.  fulgens  are  beautiful  flower¬ 
ing  trailers  which  )nay  be  planted  in  conjunction  with  it,  and 
Pothos  argyrea,  which  clingeth  even  c'cser  than  its  brother  Ficus 
stages.  With  the  addition  of  some  old  potting  soil  woriced  in 
between  the  stones,  an  admirable  groundwork  is  provided  for  the 
planting  out  of  Rex  Begonias,  Panicum,  Fittonias,  Selaginellas, 
and  ferns.  The  arching,  bright  green  plaited  leaves  of  Patiicum 
plicatum  here,  too,  commends  itself  for  notice,  as  well  as  being 
useful  for  cutting. 
St.\ging. — The  hideous  step-ladder  arrangements,  which 
seemed  especially  designed  for  showing  off  the  pots,  are  now 
happily  all  but  obsolete  ;  flat  tabling  on  which  the  plants  can  be. 
if  necessary,  elevated  on  inverted  pots  having  taken  their  place. 
This  gives  us  an  opportunity  of  draping  the  edges  of  the  staging 
with  Panicum  variegatum,  Ficus  minimus,  Pilea  mu.scosa,  and 
other  modest  plants,  which  (luickly  furnish  the  position  if  afforded 
a  foothold  by  some  clean  gravel  and  fresh  moss  interlining  the 
edging  of  virgin  cork.  As  a  rule  these  edgings  will  repay  the 
trouble  of  an  annual  replanting,  and  now  is  the  time  to  do  it 
The  modus  operand!  merely  consists  of  little  bunches  of  cuttings 
tightly  rolled  in  fresh  moss  being  w'edged  firmly  in  the  interstices 
of  the  cork  bark,  or  disposed  along  its  inner  edge  where  the 
gravel  can  be  made  to  hold  them  in  position  until  rooted,  which, 
if  kept  moistened  with  a  can  and  rose,  is  but  a  matter  of  two  or 
three  weeks. ---A.  N.  Oldhead. 
(To  be  continued.) 
