Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 12.djvu/274

262 262 HORTICULTURE [FLOWERS. The Dasylirions have stout woody stems and large heads of narrow leaves. Epacris &quot;is a winter-flowering genus, easily grown and free-blooming, the principal sorts being E. hyacinthiflora caudidissima, hyacinthiflora car- minata, niiniata, and the pure white onosmseflora tlore-pleno uivalis. Grevilleas are shrubs of slender habit, some having handsome flowers, while G robusta and others almost rival the ferns in the elegance of their leaves. Hydrangea Hortensia produces immense heads of bloom of a delicate pink, which continue long in flower, and may be changed to blue by the admixture of iron filings with the soil. Imautophyllum miniatum is a grand plant, the umbels of pale flame-red flowers being produced at various seasons. Kalosanthes consists of splendid flowering plants, which, however, rarely bloom well two years in succession. Lachenalia pendula, luteola, and tricolor are exceedingly pretty dwarf bulbs, useful about April and May. Lapageria rosea is one of the very finest greenhouse climbers in existence, and bears waxy bell-shaped red flowers, mottled with white ; L. rosea alba is still more beautiful, a clear waxy white. Lilium auratum, speciosum, and Kramer! are fine, I. auratum being one of the noblest flowering plants in existence. Mandevilla suaveplens, a strong-growing climber, bears beautiful, fragrant, trumpet-shaped white blossoms in August and September. The Neriums are tall strong-growing subjects, with flowers of great beauty, produced in cymes from the points of the mature shoots. The Passifloras produce their showy singularly-formed flowers most pro fusely, and are very suitable for decorating the roof of a conservatory. Pimeleas are free-growing, compact-habited plants, producing flower-heads from the points of the shoots ; 1. spectabilis rosea has flower-heads, white Hushed with rose, almost as large as those of a guelder-rose ; P. Henderson! has deep pink, P. hispida white, and P. elegans straw-coloured flowers. Pleroma elegans is a free-flowering melastomaceous shrub, producing in succession its lovely saucer-shaped flowers of the most intense purple hue, from June to September. Plumbago capensis is another abundant bloomer, and one of the very best of greenhouse climbers, with large bunches of delicate grey-blue flowers. The Rhododendron furnishes a large contingent, of which the most suitable are Countess of Haddington, Dalhousitu, Edgworthii, Gibsoni, Thompson!, javanicum, with jasminiflorum and its beautiful varieties, Princess Royal, Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales, and Duchess of Edinburgh. Statices include some very highly ornamental plants, especially S. bras- sicaefolia, profusa, and imbricata. Tacsonias are magnificent climbers ; indeed, T. Van Volxemii is one of the very finest of the climbing plants which flower in autumn. Trachelospermum jasminoides, better known as Rhynchospermum, very fragrant, and moderately vigorous, is suitable for a pillar, and produces white flowers in May and June. Tropajolums are charming pot climbers, of which may be mentioned T. azureum, brachyceras, speciosum, tricolorum, and Jarrattii. Vallota is a very choice evergreen bulb, V. purpurea producing highly- coloured scarlet flowers, in umbels, in August and September. Agave. 81. Agave. Bold-habited succulent plants, some of the larger of which are well adapted for conservatory decoration and prominent situations on terraces, &c. The American Aloe, Agave americana, with its varieties variegata and mediopicta, all require to be kept moderately dry and safe from frost during the winter, and grow well in strong loam, sand, and rotten manure. Among others of the larger varieties are A. potatorum and miradorensis, and of the smaller ones, A. filifera, applanata, Verschaffeltii, and schidigcra. Still smaller dense-growing sorts are A. Richardii, horrida, Victoria} Regime, and Bessereriana. Aloe. 82. Aloe. Succulent plants, extremely variable in character. They all thrive best in a sandy loam, well drained, and not over watered. The old Partridge-breast Aloe, A. variegata, is well adapted for a window ; A. ferox, supralsevis, and arborescens are tall plants ; A. saponaria, mitraeformis, albocincta, and lineata are smaller ; A. serra, variegata, humilis, and serrulata are dwarf. The Fan Aloe, A. plicatilis, produces its flowers in winter. A group of dwarf showy- ilowered aloes, often separated under the name of Gasteria, flower in early spring. The following are of a spiral habit of growth G. spiralis, obliqua, undata, and carinata; while, of those of dis tichous growth, G. nigricans, lingua, verrucosa, and intermedia may be recommended. Besides these there are the Apicras and the Haworthias, all formerly known as aloes, which are very dwarf. A.zalea. 83. Azalea. The beautiful varieties now in cultivation have been bred from a few originals, natives of the hilly regions of India and China. They are perhaps unequalledasindoor decorative plants. The Chinese species, A. vittata, will commence to open its blooms in September, and other sorts keep up a succession for several months, for some of the varieties may be forced into bloom during the winter, and others flower through the spring up to May and June. They are usually increased by grafting the half-ripened shoots on the stronger-growing kinds, the shoots of the stock and the grafts being in a similarly half-ripened condition, and the plants being placed in a moist heat of 65. Large plants of inferior kinds, if healthy, may be grafted all over with the choicer sorts, so as to obtain a large specimen in a short time. They require a rich and fibrous peat soil, with a mixture of sand to prevent it getting water logged. The best time to pot azaleas is three or lour weeks after the blooming is over. The soil should be made quite solid to prevent its retaining too much water. To produce handsome plants, they must while young be stopped as required. Specimens that have got leggy may be cut back just before growth commences. The lowest temperature for them during the winter is about 35, and during their season of growth from 55 to 65 at night, and 75 by day, the atmosphere being at the same time well charged with mois ture. They are liable to the attacks of thrips and red spider, which do great mischief if not promptly destroyed. 81. Calceolaria. Originally introduced under various speciiic forms from Chili and Peru, the calceolaria of the present day has Calce&amp;lt; been developed into a highly decorative plant, in which the her- laria. baceous habit has preponderated. The plants are now very gene rally raised annually from seed, which is sown about the end of July in a mixture of loam, leaf-mould, and sand, and, being very small, must only be slightly covered. When the plants are large enough to handle they are pricked out an inch or two apart into 3-inch or 5-inch pots; when a little more advanced they are potted singly. They should be wintered in a greenhouse with a night temperature of about 40, occupying a shelf near the light. By the end of February they should be moved into 8-inch or 10-inch pots, using a compost of three parts good turfy loam, one part leaf- mould, and one part thoroughly rotten manure, with a fair addition of sand. They need plenty of light and air, but must not be sub jected to draughts. When the pots get well filled with roots, they must be liberally supplied with manure water. In the early stages of growth the plants are subject to the attacks of the green fly, for which they must be fumigated. Named varieties are not now grown, as a good strain of seed will yield satisfactory flowers. The shrubby calceolarias used for bedding are increased from cut tings, planted in autumn in cold frames, where they can be wintered, by the use of mats and a good layer of litter placed over the glass and round the sides as a protection from frost. 85. Camellia. This favourite plant, a native of Japan, is deserv- Came edly popular, on account of its glossy foliage and magnificent flowers. It is usually propagated by cuttings, to furnish stocks on which the choicer kinds are grafted. It will succeed either in peat or loam or a mixture of both, but in any case an addition of turfy fibre and of sand is also necessary. The plants should have abundance of water, especially in the growing season, and should be potted as they complete their growth and are about to set their flowers ; they do not, however, require repotting so often as most plants. Fire heat need only be employed when the object is to obtain flowers in the autumn and winter months. To produce them at this season it becomes necessary to start the plants into growth cor respondingly early. When grown in cold houses, they do not generally flower until about February or March, at which stage the plants enjoy a temperature of 45 or 50. When fire heat is applied to assist the opening of the flowers, it should not much exceed 55, and whilst the plants are subjected to this heat the atmosphere must on no account be allowed to become dry, or the buds will probably drop. When making their growth they need an abundant supply of water at the roots, as well as copious syiingings twice a day, but as terminal buds become visible they should be kept drier. Liquid manure is of great assistance to plants that have flowered very heavily, while they are making their growth, and the addition of a little soot imparts a dark-green colour to the leaves. If grown in an open-roofed light house, shade will be required during very bright weather whilst the young shoots arc being developed, but ii grown in a lean-to house facing the north, shade will not be required. It is sometimes necessary to move the plants out of the house alter they have set their flowers, to keep them from coming on too rapidly. In this case they should have placed over them a light framework and movable screen. The scale is the most troublesome insect which attacks the camellia. To remove the white scale, the plants should be washed with a sponge and solution of soft soap as soon as their growth is completed, and again before the buds begin to swell. The 1m, wn scale may be got rid of by repeated washings with one of the many insecticides, such as Fowler s, but it should be applied at a tempera ture of 90. See CAMELLIA, vol. iv. p. 737. Some of the best varieties are Alba plena (old double white), Bealii, Bonomiana, candidissima, Chandler s Elegaus, Contessa Lavinia_ Maggi, Countess of Ellesmere, Donckelaari, eximia, fimbriata, Henri J avre, imbricata, imbricata alba, Jubilee, Madame Ambroise Verschallelt, Mathotiana, Mathotiana alba, Princess Mary, reticulata flore-pleno, Saccoi nova, and Valtavaredo. 86. Cinerarias can be raised freely from seeds, and though there Ciner are named varieties in existence, a good strain of seed will yield aria, flowers almost as fine. They must be kept, especially while young, free from aphides, to which they arc more than ordinarily subject. For spring flowering the seeds may be sown in April or May in well- drained pots or pans, in soil of three parts loam to two parts Icaf- mould, with one-sixth sand ; cover the seed thinly with line soil, and press the surface firm. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out in pans or pots of similar soil, and when more advanced pot them singly in 4 -inch pots, using soil a trifle less sandy. They should be grown in shallow frames facing the north, and, if so situated that the sun shines upon the plants in the middle of the day, they must be slightly shaded ; give plenty of air, and never allow them to get dry. When well established with roots, shift them into 6-inch pots, which should be liberally supplied with manure water as they get filled with roots. In winter they should be removed to a pit or house, where a little heat can be supplied whenever there is a risk of their getting frozen. They should stand on a moist bottom, but must not be subjected to cold draughts. When the flowering stems appear, give manure water at every alter nate watering. Seeds sown in March, and grown on in this way,