Prince's Feather

Amaran-thus hypochondriacus.

PR1N0S. Eleven species. Hardy deciduous shrubs, except the stove evergreen P. montanus and P. lucidus, which is evergreen and hardy. Cuttings and layers. Light loam and peat.

Prismatocarpus

Four species. P. diffusus is a green-house evergreen shrub; P. fruticosus is a hardy evergreen shrub; the others green-house herbaceous. Young cuttings and seed. Sandy loam and peat.

Privet

Ligustrum.

Prockia

Three species. Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. Sandy loam and peat.

Proliferous

See Double-Flower.

Props

Props are the supports required by plants to sustain them in a desired position. They must vary in height and strength accordantly with the plant to which they are applied, and should always be as slight as is consistent with efficiency. Nothing looks worse than a disproportioned prop; indeed it should be concealed as much as possible. The props for peas should be of the branches of the hazel; for runner kidney beans, rods of ash. For flowers, stout iron wire painted dark green are to be preferred. Some flowers require props of a peculiar form; but these will be described when giving directions for their culture. Whenever wooden props are used, the end thrust into the ground should be previously charred; if this precaution be taken, and when no longer required, they are stored in a dry shed, they will last for several seasons. Props should be placed on the south sides of the plants, as they incline in that direction, as being most light.

Proserpinaca

Two species. Half-hardy annual aquatics. Seed. Rich loam in water.

Prosopis

Five species. Stove evergreen trees. Cuttings. Peat and loam.

Prostanthera

Seven species. Green-house evergreen shrubs. Young cuttings. Sandy peat.

Protea

Forty-seven species. Green-house evergreen shrubs. Ripe cuttings taken off at a joint; sandy turfy loam, well drained. Water moderately, but regularly.

Prunella

Self-Heal. Fourteen species. P. Browniana and P. ovata are hardy annuals, the others hardy herbaceous. Seed or division. Light rich loam.

Pruning Apparatus

In all mechanical operations success is more certainly attained by the use of proper implements; though pruning or the lopping of branches may be very simple, yet there is great advantage in executing it with the instruments best adapted to the purpose, most of which are described in these pages, under their proper heads.

Prunus

Plum. Eight species and many varieties. P. domestica, see Plum. All hardy deciduous trees. Seed, suckers, and grafting or budding. Common soil, well drained.

Psidium

Guava. Thirteen species. Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. Loam and peat.

Psophocarpus

Psophocarpus tetragono-bulus. Annual stove twiner. Seed. Light rich loam.

Psoralea

Forty-two species. The green-house and stove evergreens are increased by cuttings; the half-hardy herbaceous, by seed and cuttings; the biennials, by seed. All require light loam and peat.

Psychotria

Sixteen species. P. daphnoides is a green-house evergreen shrub; P. parasitica is a parasite, and the others stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. Sandy loam and peat.