CINERARIA

Greenhouse annual



The comparative ease with which the Cineraria can be well grown,

together with the exceeding beauty and variety of its flowers, will

always insure for it a high position in public favour. It is now so

generally raised from seed that no other mode of culture need be alluded

to. The plant is rapid in growth, very succulent, thirsty, requires

generous feeding, and will not endure extremes of heat or cold. A

compost of mellow turfy loam, either yellow or brown, with a fair

addition of leaf-mould, will grow it to perfection. If leaf-mould cannot

be obtained, turfy peat will make a fairly good substitute. Soil from an

old Melon bed will also answer, with the addition of sharp grit such as

the sifted sweepings from gravel walks; the disadvantage of a very rich

soil is that it tends to the production of too much foliage.



The usual period for sowing is during the months of May and June, and,

as a rule, the plants raised in May will be found the most valuable. A

June sowing must not be expected to produce flowers until the following

March or April. It is quite possible to have Cinerarias in bloom in

November and December, and those who care for a display at that early

period should sow in April.



Cinerarias grow so freely that it is not necessary to prick the

seedlings off round the edges of pots or pans; but immediately the

plants begin to make their second leaves, transfer direct to thumb pots,

using rather coarse soil, and in doing this take care not to cover the

hearts of the plants. Place the pots in a close frame; attend to

shading, and sprinkle with soft water both morning and evening until

well established. In the second week after potting, gradually diminish

the heat and give more air. Too high a temperature, and even too much

shade, will produce thin and weak leaf-stalks. If the plants are so

crowded that they touch one another it will almost certainly be

injurious, and render them an easy prey to some of their numerous

enemies. It is far better to grow a few really fine specimens that will

produce a handsome display of superb flowers, than to attempt a large

number of feeble plants that will prove a constant source of trouble,

and in the end yield but a poor return in bloom. Endeavour to grow them

as nearly hardy as the season will allow, even admitting the night air

freely on suitable occasions. Immediately the thumb pots are filled with

roots, shift to a larger size, and it is important that this operation

should not be delayed a day too long. To the practised eye the

alteration of the colour of the leaves to a pale green is a sufficient

intimation that starvation has commenced, and that prompt action is

necessary to save the plants. It is the custom of some growers to

transfer at once to the size in which they are intended to bloom. There

is, however, some danger to the inexperienced in over-potting, and

therefore one intermediate shift is advisable. As a rule 32-size pots

are large enough, but the 24-or even the 16-size is allowable when very

fine specimens are required. The seedlings should be in their final

pots not later than the end of November.



It will help to harden and establish the plants if they are placed in

the open air during August and September. A north border under the

shelter of a wall or building is the most suitable spot, but avoid a

hedge of any kind. Clear away suckers, and if many buds are presented,

every third one may be removed when very fine blooms are wanted. From

the first appearance of the buds, manure water can be given with

advantage once or twice a week until the flowers show colour, and then

it should be discontinued.



Although Cinerarias are thrifty plants, they are fastidious about

trifles. If possible give them new pots, or see that old ones are made

scrupulously clean. Even hard water will retard free growth, oftentimes

to the perplexity of the cultivator.



A host of enemies attack Cinerarias; indeed, there is scarcely a pest

known to the greenhouse but finds a congenial home upon this plant.

Mildew is more common in some seasons than in others. As a rule, it

appears during July and August, especially after insufficient

ventilation, or when the plants have been left too long in one place or

too near to each other. Obviously weakness invites attack, and the

necessity of robust and vigorous growth is thus effectually taught. On

the first appearance of a curled leaf, dust the foliage and soil with

sulphur, and give no water overhead until a cure has been effected. The

aphis is easily killed by fumigation carried out on a quiet evening.

Some gardeners prefer to give an hour or two once a week to the removal

of the pest by means of a soft brush. From three to four dozen plants

are easily cleansed by hand in the time named.



Star Cinerarias (C. stellata) are grown under precisely the same

conditions as the Florists' or Show Cinerarias, and this type of flower

is highly valued for its singular gracefulness and beautiful decorative

effect. In the conservatory and on the table it is an indispensable

plant. The sprays admit of most charming arrangements in vases with any

kind of ornamental foliage, and maintain their beauty for a long time in

water.



Intermediate Cinerarias.--These new types of Cineraria, which in habit

are intermediate between the Large-flowered and Stellata classes, make

admirable subjects for table decoration, as well as for the adornment of

the conservatory or greenhouse. In this class the Feltham Beauty strain

undoubtedly has a great future before it. Originated at the Feltham

Nurseries, this strain has attracted considerable attention at the

numerous horticultural meetings where it has been exhibited, and since

it passed into our hands a few years ago some very beautiful colours not

to be found among the ordinary Stellata varieties have been added to it.

The distinctive feature of the flowers is the white centre, which

greatly enhances the vividness of the colouring of the petals. For the

Intermediate section the same methods of culture as advised for the

other classes of Cineraria will apply.