THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



63 



dry ; and if a sufficient stock is prepared to 

 havu six months' airiiis;' before any of it is 

 nsod, it will be so macli the better. Where 

 hunters or otlier hoises are Itept in loose 

 boxes, it is a capital plan to bed tuein 

 with leaves instead of siruw, and a q umtity 

 of that t;iken when it has accuinulnted to 

 the depth ortifteeu or eighteen inches, and 

 got qnite hot and usel, instead of dung 

 from litter, makes tlie tiuest compost in the 

 world. Compost like this, or similarly 

 prepared, is the secret of a large proportion 

 of the splenilid plants seen at the metro- 

 politan exhibitions, and it also to some 

 extent supplies the reason wli^', of two 

 plants growing in the same sized pot, one 

 in point of vigour may be cheap at 3s. QJ , 

 while the other would be dear at a third of 

 the price. 



Having prepare! the soil, we will next 

 proceed with the cultivation of the Celosia. 

 I generally make three sowings, one in 

 February, another in March, and tlie third 

 in Apiil, and these give a good succession 

 of blooai to Christmas or even into the new 

 year. To start the seeds strongly and well 

 a bottom-heat of SO' to 90' is necessary; 

 sow the seed thinly, but directly the plants 

 are up place them close to the glass, and give 

 air freely to keep them dwaify and stocky. 

 As soon as the plants are sufE,;iently strong, 

 pot them off into "tijumhs,'' u»ing equal 

 parts of the preceding compost and mellow 

 loam intermixed with sand and charcoal. 

 Give the young plants the advantage of a 



bottom-heat of 80' at the least, a moist 

 atmosphere, nnd as much air night and day 

 as the heat of the frame, pit, or house, will 

 admit of, always bearing in mind that the 

 night temperature should not fall much 

 below 60 , while in the day time a brisk 

 m.jist heat rising to 80' or 90', with sun- 

 hoat and moisture, will nut be ti>o much. 

 As the pots Hll with roots, shift into those 

 of a larger size, using t!ie same compost, but 

 decreasing the proportion of sand and char- 

 coal as they approach their final shifts. 

 Fine plants may be grown in ll-lnch pots, 

 but if you wisii to attain the fullest perfec- 

 tion, 13 or 1.5-inch pots will hi necessary. 

 A really well djne specimen of this Celosia 

 should not be less than four to five feet 

 in height, proportionately bushy, branched 

 to tiie foot, and wiJi its plumes of rich 

 orange flowers nod.iing in hundreds After 

 the plants get too large for pits or frames a 

 vinery or plant-stove is a suitable place for 

 them; but when the flowers begin to change 

 colour, more air and a comparatively dry 

 atmosphere is necessary, always bearing in 

 mind that the red spider likes to feed upon 

 the cockscomb, and, therefore, it will be 

 necessary to keep a watch to arrest its 

 ravages. The Celosia answers well lor con- 

 servatory decoration i,i summer and au- 

 tumn, but after the nights get cold the tem- 

 perature of an intermediate house or cool 

 stove is the most suitable for it.— P., in 

 Gard. C'kroii. 



CALCEOLAEIAS POE BEDDIKa. 



Albiea (Cole), yellow, with brown spot ; 

 Attraction, crimson, with orange margin 

 and cap; Camden Hero (Barnes), rich 

 crimson; Canary bird, pale canary yellow ; 

 Gem, orange brown, margin of yellow ; 

 General Canrobert (Henderson), rich rosy 



crimson ; Golden Cap, brown and yellow, 

 with yellow cap; King of Yellows ; Negro 

 (Nelson), darkest crimson of all ; Pilot 

 (Cole), crimson brown ; Sultan, dark crim- 

 son; Wildfire_(Henderson), brownish crim- 

 son. 



TO CORRESPONDEJS'TS. 



CirALOGtTES Rfceived.— " Select List of Kitchen 

 Gartlen and Flower Seeds sold by Q. Cuoliug, 

 Iro_igate, Derby." A neat, well-ai ranged, and 

 mitiijieiitly copious lisMor all ordin.rv puiposps. 

 The flower seeds are admiiably arrn'ngerl. Mr. 

 Cooing gives prom neuee to the "Empress 

 Eugenie potato, wliiuh is certainly the best ot 

 the early ones.—" Catalogue of Flower and 

 Vegetable Seeds, 1S61, Messrs. E. G. He derson 

 and Son, Sr. John's Wood," cont dase ghtv-four 

 pages of seed Usts, descriptions ot novelties. 



hints on cultivation, and suggestions to ama- 

 teurs ill the selection of subjects fur garden 

 decoration. A very novel feature is the list of 

 " iiie'l'ective annuals," i eference to which will 

 enable the purchaser of seeds to stter clear of 

 plants that are either useless for ornament, 

 or beaten by oiher and better things in their 

 resi ective class s. — " Suton's Spring Catalogue 

 and .mati'ur's Guide for 1861." The i i prove- 

 ments effected in tbJg admirable work entitle 

 Messrs, Sutton to the highest praise, and the 



