WINTER BLOOMING PLANTS 73 



eight inch pots, and these by sowing tlie seed early, and growing them 

 in a warm place, in the young stage, you get plants that will make 

 specimens for the following winter. Many make a mistake by sowing 

 the cyclamen too late, and then setting them in any old corner to take 

 care of themselves. 



There is not any plant that will stand neglect such as the cyclamen. 

 I generally sow the seed in places covered with glass, for three or four 

 weeks, and after the third week, a few of the seedlings begin to show 

 and the glass may be removed, raid sLill kept shaded on the bright sunny 

 day, and then about six weeis later, the plants will bo large enough to 

 transplant, to pots or flats, and they will stay there until March or 

 April, and then they should be repotted. I generally use a three-inch 

 pot. and keep them growing. Most of the cyclamens will ruin through 

 the summer, by letting them become hard, and pot bound, and not let- 

 ting the sun have sway lor a few hours. And they will become hard 

 and then it is almost impossible to make a plant out of it. The trying 

 months are through the hot months of the summer, say July and August. 

 and the first part of September. While they require lots of heat in the 

 small stage, they will become well established in a three-inch pot, and 

 they like a cool, shady place, and shade and moisture over the foliage. 

 While it is impossible to grow a cyclamen in some places, like Nebraska, 

 on account of our hot summers, and dry summers, yet we can, by keeping 

 them in a house that is well shaded, or outside by warm shade, grow 

 good plants. I have seen them in Denver, a good many times, and the 

 seeds sown at the same time I have sown mine, and two or three times 

 as large, but out there they have nights that are cool, and thus revive 

 the piants so that they will stand through the day. 



Next, we take the primulas. I think the one that is the most Im- 

 portant for us is the Obconica. I will say that the seed should be sown 

 about this time of year (Jan. 24ih), to get good flowers for the following 

 winter. With the cyclamen, I do not moan to say that in fifteen months 

 you could have a good sized plant, but I mean the second winter after- 

 wards if you sow the 15th of September. But the Obconicas will be sown 

 this year, and you will have good plants the following winter. The seed 

 of these can be grown very easily in a small house with a temperature 

 of 55 or 60, but later on they need a cool place, and the following winter 

 they require a temperature of 55 degrees, or even 50 to get plants that 

 have good foliage, or even large flovvers. You get better shaped plants 

 and two or three or four times as many blossoms. 



The Chinese primulas are grown by a great many and are shown to be 

 generally profitable. These can be sown in April and May, and even 

 sown in June, and you will get good formed plants for the following win- 

 ter. The seed will not all germinate at the same time. There may be 

 a month's difference and by picking out the small plants you will find a 

 number of plants for several months afterwards, that will still keep com- 

 ing up, and these require about the same temperature as the Obconica 

 but they will absolutely refuse to have water on the foliage. And they 



