Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 12.djvu/276

264 264 HORTICULTURE [FLOWERS. vation the market type is preferable for indoor purposes, while the zonals are effective either in the greenhouse or flower garden. Some of the Cape species are still in cultivation, the leaves of many of them being beautifully subdivided, almost fern-like in character, and some of them deliciously scented. A few of these are well adapted for bedding out. Some of the most striking of this set are P. Blandfordiauum, echina- tum, graveolens, melananthum, and Schottii ; while the following have finely-scented leaves : P. capitatum, citriodorum, crispum, and odora- tissimum. To these may be added, from amongst the earlier hybrids, those named Lady Plymouth, Fair Helen, ignescens, Moore s Victory, Pretty Polly, quercifolium and its varieties, Shrubland Pet, and the various sports from Unique. The best soil for pelargoniums is a mellow fibrous loam with good stable manure in about the proportion of one-fifth ; when used it should not be sifted, but pulled to pieces by the hand, and as much sand should be added as will allow the water to pass freely through it. The large-flowered and fancy kinds cannot bear so much water as most soft-wooded plants, and the latter should have a rather lighter soil. All the pelargoniums are readily increased by cuttings made from the shoots when the plants are headed down after flowering, or in the spring, when they will root freely in a temperature of 50. They must not be kept too close, and must be very moderately watered. &quot;When rooted they may be moved into well-drained 3-inch pots, and should have the points pinched out in order to induce them to push out several shoots near the base. These shoots are, when long enough, to be trained in a horizontal direction ; and when they have made three joints they should have the points again pinched out. These early-struck plants will be ready for shifting into 6-inch pots by the autumn, and should still be trained outwards. The show varieties after flowering should be set out of doors in a sunny spot to ripen their wood, and should only get water enough to keep them from flagging. In the course of two or three weeks they will be ready to cut back within two joints of where these were last stopped, when they should be placed in a frame or pit, and kept close and dry until they have broken. When they have pushed an inch or so, turn them out of their pots, shake off the old soil, trim the straggling roots, and repot them firmly in smaller pots if practicable ; keep them near the light, and as the shoots grow continue to train them outwardly. They require to be kept in a light house, and to be set well up to the glass ; the night temperature should range about 45 ; and air should be given on all mild days, but no cold currents allowed, nor more water than is necessary to keep the soil from getting parched. The young shoots should be topped about the end of October, and when they have grown an inch or two be yond this, they may be shifted into 7-inch pots for flowering. The shoots must be kept tied out so as to be fully exposed to the light. If required to flower early they should not be stopped again ; if not until June they may be stopped in February. The zonal varieties, which are almost continuous bloomers, are of much value as decorative subjects ; they seldom require much pruning after the first stopping. For winter flowering, young plants should be grown on during the summer, and not allowed to flower. When blossoms are required, they should be placed close up to the glass in a light house with a temperature of 60, only just as much water being given as will keep them growing. For bedding pur poses the zonal varieties are best struck towards the middle of August in the open air, taken up and potted or planted in boxes as soon as struck, and preserved in frames or in the greenhouse during winter. The fancy varieties root best early in spring from the half- ripened shoots ; but they are slow growers, rather delicate in constitution, and very impatient of excess of water at the root. Petunia. 94. Petunia. The varieties of petunia, especially the double forms, make admirable specimens for pot culture. These and the other named varieties are propagated by cuttings taken from stock plants kept through the winter on a dry warm shelf, and moved into a brisk moist heat in early spring ; the young shoots are planted in pans or pots filled with sandy soil, and, aided by a brisk bottom heat, strike root in a few days. They are then potted singly into thumb- pots, and when once established are gradually hardened off, and after wards repotted as required. The shoots should be topped to make bushy plants, and their tops may be utilized as cuttings. The single varieties are raised from seeds sown in light sandy soil in heat, in the early spring, and very slightly covered. The plants need to be pricked out or potted off as soon as large enough to handle. Good strains of seeds supply plants suitable for bedding ; but, as they do not reproduce themselves exactly, any sorts parti cularly required must be propagated, like the double ones, from cut- tings. Primula. 95. Primula. Oneof the most popular of winter and earlyspring decorative plants is the Chinese Primrose, Primula sinensis, of which some superb strains have during the last few years been obtained. For ordinary purposes young plants are raised annually from seeds, sown about the beginning of iVIarch, and again for succes sion in April, and if needed in May. The seed should be sown in well-drained pans, in a compost of three parts light loam, one part well-rotted leaf-mould, and one part clean gritty sand, as it does not germinate freely if the soil contains stagnant moisture. The surface should be pressed smooth and gently watered before sowing, and the seeds should be only just covered with some very fine com post, half soil half sand, and over that a thin layer of chopped sphagnum to keep it damp, and obviate the necessity of watering. When the seeds germinate, remove the moss, and place them in a well-lighted position near the glass, shading them from the sun with thin white paper, and giving water moderately as required. When they are large enough to handle, prick them out in pans or shallow boxes, and, as soon as they have made leaves an inch long, pot them singly in 3-inch pots, using in the soil a little rotten dung. They should then be placed in a light frame near the glass in an open situation, facing the north. When their pots are filled with roots they should be moved into 6-inch or 7-inch pots. The soil should now consist of three parts good loam broken with the hand, one part rotten dung and leaf-mould, and as much sand as will keep the whole open. They should be potted firmly, and kept in frames close up to the glass till September, excess in watering being care fully avoided. In the autumn they should be transferred to a light house and placed near the glass, the atmosphere being kept dry by the occasional use of fire heat. The night temperature should be kept about 45. When the flowering stems are growing up, manure water once or twice a week will be beneficial. The semi-double varieties are increased from seeds, but the fully double ones and any particular sort can only be increased by cuttings made by dividing the crowns with a portion of stem attached, the plants being first well dried, almost to shrivelling ; the cuttings should be placed in small pots in sandy soil, put in a moderate dryish heat, and only just watered enough to prevent flagging. When they are well rooted, they may be potted like the others. In winter they require an intermediate temperature of 45 or 50 at night, and a little higher in the day, with air when the weather is suitable. 96. Richardia. This plant, R. jethiopica, called also Calla cethio- Puch- pica and the Nile Lily, is a fine subject for greenhouse decoration ardia. during the spring months. It is a stately tuberous-rooted perennial, with broad arrow-shaped leaves, and large white flower-spathes, that last long in beauty. The plants should be carefully divided about March, and planted out during May in well-enriched shallow trenches. Being semi-aquatics, they cannot be kept too moist all through the summer months. Plants kept in pots are generally neglected in this way, and hence are rarely seen in really first-class condition. The richardias are hardy if their crowns are kept under water ; but a very little frost disfigures the foliage, and therefore they should be placed in the pits or the greenhouse towards the end of October. They may be had in flower during the winter, but in that case they must have a little warmth to give them a start. 97. Salvia. Some of the Salvias or Sages are among the best and Salvfa, most showy among soft-wooded winter-flowering plants, the blossoms being of a bright-glowing scarlet. The three most useful species are S. splendens, S. Heeri, and S. gesnerpeflora, the first commencing to flower early in the autumn and lasting till Christmas, while the others follow immediately in succession, and continue in full beauty till April. Young plants should be propagated annually about Febru ary, and after nursing through the spring should be grown outdoors in a fully exposed situation, where they can be plunged in some non-conducting material, such as half-decomposed leaves. The young shoots should be stopped to secure bushy plants, but not later than the middle of August. The most suitable compost for them is a mixture of mellow fibry loam enriched with a little mild thoroughly decomposed manure, made sufficiently porous by the addition of sand or grit. In spring, and during the blooming period, the temperature should be intermediate between that of a stove and green house. There are other very ornamental species of easy growth, increased by cuttings in spring, and succeeding well in ordinary rich loamy soil. Of these S. angustifolia bears spikes of fine bright-blue flowers in May or June ; S. chamaedryoides, a dwarfish subject, has deep-blue flowers in August ; S. fulgens pro duces scarlet flowers in August ; and S. involucrata produces fine red flowers during the autumn. S. patens is a lovely blue free- blooming sort, flowering in August, the colour being unique. 98. STOVE PLANTS. For the successful culture of stove plants two Stove houses at least, wherein different temperatures can be maintained, plants, should be devoted to their growth. The temperature during winter should range at night from about 55 in the cooler to 65 in the warmer house, and from 65 to 75 by day, allowing a few degrees further rise by sun heat. In summer the temperature may range 10 higher by artificial heat, night and day, and will often by sun heat run up to 90 or even 95, beyond which it should be kept down by ventilation. During the growing period the atmosphere must be kept moist by damping the walls and pathways, and by syringing the plants, according to their needs ; when growth is com pleted less moisture will be necessary. Watering, which, except during the resting period, should generally be copious, is best done in the forenoon ; while syringing should be done early in the after noon to admit of the foliage drying moderately before night. When the pots become filled with roots, waterings of weak liquid manure