File:The century book of gardening; a comprehensive work for every lover of the garden (1900) (20589270195).jpg

Title: The century book of gardening; a comprehensive work for every lover of the garden
Identifier: centurybookofgar00cook (find matches)
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Cook, E. T. (Ernest Thomas), 1867-1915, ed
Subjects: Gardening
Publisher: London, The Offices of "Country life" (etc. )
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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316 THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. leaves about 6in. long and d r o o p i n g clusters of deep lilac - coloured blossoms. S. Wendlandi is altogether a more vigorous plant than the other, the in- dividual blooms being about 2in. in diameter and the flattened clusters i f t. across. The colour of the flowers is adeep lilac-blue. They are borne in the summer. Steph an otis floribunda. —This, which was introduced from Madagas- car in 1S29, is one of the most popular of all stove climbing plants, t s clusters of ivory white highly fragrant blos- soms being ad- mired by every- one. It is a free - growing /limber that according to the treatment given may be had in bloom at dif- ferent times of the year. It is not at all a difficult plant to propagate from cuttings of the short-jointed shoots taken off at a length of about 4in. in the spring and put into small pots of sandy soil, which should be plunged in a gentle bottom heat in the stove and covered with a small frame or bell- glass. When rooted they may be shifted on. If plants have an unin- terrupted run at the roots they will grow vigorously, but seldom flower freely. Hence if planted out the space allotted to the roots should be portioned off. A suitable soil for the Stephanotis is a mixture of turfy loam and peat, with a liberal sprink- ling of sand. The shoots should be trained near the glass, as such a position, being well exposed to the light, con- duces greatly to the formation of flower buds. After the season of blooming is over, the plant may be kept somewhat dryer than usual at its roots for a few weeks before starting again. No pruning is need (1 to assist I lie production of flowers, but w h e n suffi- ciently large the weak and ex- hausted woi id may be cut out. The Stephanotis is particularly liable to the attacks of mealy bug, which may be destroyed by washing the plants with Gishurstine. Thunberg'ia.—The Thunbergias requiring a stove are for the most part vigorous-growing climbers that need a large structure and a fair amount of sunshine to flower them well.
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CARNIVOROUS PLANTS. THESE are strange plants that possess the power of entrapping insects, either by means of a glutinous substance or by the leaf shutting up and enclosing them. In others, again, the leaves develop into somewhat the shape of a horn, with the mouth uppermost, and the stiff hairs with which the throat is furnished all point downwards, so that though easy enough for an insect to enter its exit is rendered impossible. The most noted kinds are : DarlingtOnia ealifornica, sometimes called the Cobra furnished with a small drop of glutinous matter on the tip, so that directly a fly settles on the leaf it is made prisoner. A second species, D. dichotoma, is Australian. Nepenthes (Pitcher Plants).—These are loose-growing shrubs, most of which have long leaves, beyond which the midrib extends, and serves to support a peculiar urn or pitcher, which forms the termination of the leaf. These pitchers are furnished with a lid which shut at first opens after a time. Hairs, bristles, and an excessively slippery portion around the mouth all prevent the escape of any insect that has fallen into the pitcher. Sarraeenia.—The Side Saddle Plants, as these are called, inhabit the swamps of Georgia and Florida, so that they need only the protection of a greenhouse. The pitchers are marked in many ways, but all are beautiful. Plant, from the resemblance which the curiously-hooded leaves or pitchers bear to that venomous snake. They are green, mottled with white and veined red. Dioncea museipula (Venus's Fly 'Jrap) has circular leaves, furnished around the edges with long hairs. On either side of the midrib, towards the centre, are three short bristles, and on either of these being touched the two lobes fly up like a trap, the long hairs at the edges interlocking with each other and thus effectually pre- venting the escape of any fly that may have caused the disturbance. When the insect is dead the leaf graduallv reopens. This is plentiful in the marshes of Florida. Drosera rotundifolia (our native Sundew) has its little round leaves studded with red hairs, each of which is

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