ANNUALS FOR POT CULTURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2349, 13 October 1881, Page 4

ANNUALS FOR POT CULTURE.

[From the “ Gardeners’ Oronicle.] Evanescent as most of the annuals are, especially many of those generally cultivated in the open borders, there are some that are almost indispensable for pot culture, chief among which are the Oolosias, the inflorescence of the best strains being of a peculiar plumelike character, and producing a most pleasing and striking effect. Not only are they moat valuable for generol decorative purposes, but they are equally serviceable for supplying out flowers, the rich feathery appearance of which renders sprays of it exceedingly tolling in any vase, whore, if judiciously used so as to droop over the sides, it imparts a fine finish. To have plants of Oelosias in good condition by about the end of July, seed should be sown at once in fine light soil, and placed in moist heat, where it will soon germinate, and the seedlings become large enough for pricking off or potting singly in small pots, to bo nurced on again in a warm, genial atmosphere, till they are fully established. There is no place better suited to grow them in than an ordinary dung frame, tho vapour continually rising in which keeps down red-spider, an insect they are very subject to during the summer months, but by having the plants in a place to themselves these pests may be easily prevented from doing any harm to tho foliage. Celoaias, being naturally pyramidal and branching in their habit, require no stopping or training, and all that is necessary to get well furnished symmetrical specimens is to afford them plenty of room in order to admit full light and sun between, which, with the proper amount of air, induces sturdy stems, and enables them to stand and maintain themselves erect without any support. A 1 though the plants delight in rather strong heat during their early stages, they stand well afterwards in the ordinary temperature of a greenhouse or conservatory,

whore, if placed out of reaob. of draughts, they form handsome ornaments, and maintain their full beauty for months. To keep up a succession and have others to come on in the winter another sowing should be made in August, plants from which, if stood in a warm dry stove late in the autumn, will yield {lowers continuously till long after the turn of the year. The soil best adapted for the culture of Colosias is a mixture of loam and leaf mould in about equal proportions, in which the roots ramify freely ; and as the pots fill with these liquid manure will be found of great assistance to the plants in producing good beads of bloom. The most desirable kinds to oultivate are plumosa ooccine and plumosa aurea, the two sorts yielding many shades of oolor ; but to keep up a pure stock of the most feathery of these and preserve a strain worth having it is necessary to seleot such as show the greatest merit to save seed from, otherwise they soon degenerate, and the plants revert more or less, and often in a considerable degree, to tho old stiff-looking Cockscomb

Next in point of merit and usefulness to colosias come balsams, whioh have been so much improved of late years, that it is no uncommon thing now to see them with flowers almost as large as a camellia and as beautifully striped as a oarnation; but the worst of it is, these very double blooms set but few seeds, and this makes them somewhat scarce and dear at starting. Such superior strains, however, are always worth all they cost, as compared with them others look mere weeds, and are scarcely worthy the trouble of potting or house room. Balsams, like most other soft, sappy stemmed, quiok growing plants, have a great tendency rush up and became attenuated when grown under glass, to check whioh it is neoassary to have them well up to the light from the moment they appear above the soil till they get into bloom. During their early stages, a shelf near the glass suits them best, and as they gain siza a pit or house where they can be plunged in a little bottom heat and kept fully exposed to the sun. This, with plenty of air, will induce a close, short-jointed habit, and oause them to send forth such robust side shoots as to render the plants well furnished throughout.

Being very gross feeders, the soil in which Balsams are grown can hardly be too rich, and if the manure used be of an: ild nature, such as that from an old hotbed, and thoroughly decomposed, a third of it with the loam will not be too muoh. These two ingredients before using should be thoroughly incorporated, and in potting, to get the plants as stocky at possible, they should be dropped a little lower at each shift, till at last the bases of the two bottom branches are brought on a level with the soil. To force these in a horizontal direotion it is often to give them a peg or tie them down; by doing this the foundation is at once laid for well furnished specimens. The size of the pot will depend on the dimensions it is desired to secure; but fine plants fit for most purposes may be grown in those of 9in or a foot aoross, as when they become filled with roots liquid manure may be given in any quantity provided it is not too strong. The drainage from cowyards or duDghills suits best; but any of the artificial stimulants answer the purpose if given weak and often, the danger of these being an overdose, as from their concentrated form most of them have to be used with great caution. In saving balsams for seed it will be found that they set and ripen better by being placed out in a south border, but before doing this they must be properly hardened off, and always kept well watered afterwards. As the pods burst as soon as ripe and disperse the seed, they require watching and p eking when fully grown, and if laid in pans in some dry plaoe they soon become sufiiciently hardened for storing. Another very beautifal annual for pot oulture is the Schizanthus papilionaceus, the flowers of which, as its trivial name implies, resemble butterflies, and this not ODly in shape and form, with outspread wings, but in some of the most peouliar and lovely markings of these much admired insects. Some idea may therefore be formed of the fine display they make in a house when in full bloom, and what an acquisition they are for general deoorative purposes during the summer. Seed obtained at once and sown in gentle heat will afford plants that will be in perfection by the end of June or July, and another sowing made in either of these months will give another batoh to succeed them in the autumn. The latter lot will be found to do best plunged in some open sunny spot out of doors, but those started now must have tho protection of a oold frame for a time, when they, too, will be benefitted by a little exposure, as they always grow more dense and bushy treated in this way, and are more floriferous than whon kept under glass. The way these Schizanthus look best is by growing three in a seven or eightinch pot. as singly they have rather a spare look, their habit being somewhat thin and fragile, but three together form a fine mass if placed triangularly near the sides of the pots. Sohizanthus retusus G-rahami is equally desirable as the above-named, the flowers of this variety being exceedingly handsome, resembling some of the ohoice orchids in their formation and markings. Like most annuals, they are both fond of light rich soils, and require a free supply of water when growing and carrying their bloom. Rhodanthes, again, are perfeot gems for the embellishment of greenhouses and the adornment of window recesses in rooms, for the latter of which purposes they are held in high estimation in our oitios and towns, where the sale of them is something enormous. Being rather tender and delicate when young, they require a little heat at starting, such as may be afforded in a dung frame, from whence they may be transferred to any light shelf at the back of a pit till they come into bloom. Befuse peat, or soil containing a good proportion of leaf-mould, suits them beat, in whioh they should be potted three in a Sin or 6in pot,and the points of the shoots of the plants nipped out onco so as to cause them to branch out and furnish better than they otherwise would.

Gomphrenas, being of muoh tho same nature and general oharaoter as tho Rhodanthes, associate well with them, and are plants worth growing, as they, too, form bright oheerful looking objects, and are very distinot among others. The flowers of both being dry, ore very durable and exceedingly ornamental in a out state mixed with everlastings and grasses—an arrangement that is both pleasing and beautiful, and groups so formed look fresh and attrootivo the whole winter through. Salpiglossia is another annual well deserving of pot oulture, as although it may be grown in beds or borders outdoors, it is only seen in perfection in warm summers. A packet of seed affords endless variety, as soarcely two plants in the lot yield flowers exactly alike, the rioh ground and markings of some being most striking. In size and form the blossoms boar a olose resemblance to those of the lily, aad it will therefore be seen how ornamontal they are. The old Martynia fragrans should not be forgotten, as it is as useful for greenhouse decoration as anything that can be had, and the great merit of all these annuals is that they can be got up quickly without much expense or taking up glass room that is valuable for othor purposes, as they oan be stood in the open the prinoipal part of the time they are growing.