10 



THE CTJLTUEE 



OF ACHIMENES, 

 GESNERIAS. 



GLOXINIAS, ANL> 



As these three species are so nearly related 

 with regard to treatment, it is unnecessary 

 to treat each separately ; what is required 

 for one, does for the others. At the pre- 

 sent time they should all be comfortably 

 stowed away, for their season of rest, in a 

 dry place. A shelf fixed in a fire-house is 

 very suitable, or they may be put, with 

 their sides turned up, under a stage. If 

 in the former, they will require watering a 

 few times to prevent their getting shri- 

 velled. Let them remain till the begin- 

 ning of March, when put them in a warm 

 house near the glass, to prevent them 

 drawing. It is a plan with some to part 

 them alter they have started ; others, di- 

 rectly they are removed from their winter- 

 quarters : the latter I prefer. For the com- 

 post, use loam, peat, and decomposed 

 dung, in equal parts, with a sprinkling of 

 silver-sand. Use pans or pots with wide 

 tops, and leave nearly an inch lor mould to 

 cover them. There is nothing to come up 

 to a pit to grow them advantageously, 

 made either with tan, dung, or leaves ; the 

 latter is preferable, being a nice, sweet 

 temperature. Use the syringe well for 

 two purposes ; firstly, it tends to promote 

 vigour, also it keeps the thrips in check, 

 which do great havoc to achimenes in 

 eating the coloured surface of the blooms. 

 When they are in bloom it must be left 

 off. Gradually raise the heat up to May, 



to 70° by day, and 60' by night. When 

 they are well np in bloom, remove them to 

 a more conspicuous place. A few sorts of 

 achimenes I will quote, which are very 

 good, and a nice distinction : — Ambroise 

 Verschaffelt, Longiflora major, Margaretta, 

 Picta, Patens, Meteor, Sir TreherrieThomas, 

 Leipmanni, andEeckhautei. In the shape 

 of new sorts there are eight kinds of 

 hybrids raised by Mr. Breeze, which are 

 in the possession of the firm of the Vaux- 

 hall Nursery, who highly recommend them 

 for autumn and winter blooming, the 

 names of which are as follows : — Adonis, 

 Cornet, Aurora, Denton Beauty, Delicate, 

 Mars, Erecta multiuora, Mazeppa. Glox- 

 inias, of which there is a charming variety 

 now in cultivation, are we'd deserving a 

 place in every house where there is warmth. 

 The erect- blooming kinds are very in- 

 teresting and useful for bouquets. For 

 gesuerias you cannot have better for sorts 

 than Merkii, Cinnabarina, Zebrina splen- 

 dens, Donckelaari, and that neglected 

 tubidora, which is well deserving oi notice, 

 the fragrance of which is delightful. All 

 that is required is care, with a trifling 

 outlay in getting a collection, then your 

 plants will repay for the trouble bestowed 

 upon them by adorning your house during 

 the autumn with their exceedingly inte- 

 resting bloom and foliage. 



South Lambeth. William Glovee. 



AUTUMN FLOWERING- RULES. 



Fashion never made a more healthy march 

 in a new direction than she has done of 

 late years in giving prestige to autumn 

 flowering bulbs. Tritoma uvaria is making 

 as much sensation, perhaps more, than 

 did the Pampas grass, and whoever has 

 seen it at Kew has long ago determined to 

 have it in the home garden. The increased 

 demand for it has set nurserymen to work, 

 and the result is, that instead of demand 

 enhancing the price, in this case it has 

 brought it down to a figure so trifling, 

 that price need no longer be a considera- 

 tion with anybody, whether they want a 

 couple or a hundred dozen. At the same 

 time in the florist's walk the gladiolus has 

 made a rapid march, not, perhaps, entirely 

 owing to the encouragement of the Empe- 



ror, but certainly somewhat in consequence 

 of the success which has attended its cul- 

 ture and breeding at the Imperial Gardens. 

 The French are devoting themselves to the 

 improvement of the gladiolus with the 

 same ardour which they have long shown 

 in the hybridizing of the rose, and with 

 equally pleasing results. The representa- 

 tive of the French interests here is Mr. 

 Standish, of Bagshot, himself a successful 

 breeder, and agoodjudge of their respective 

 merits. But the best of aU the good 

 points in the culture of autumn flowering 

 bulbs is that they are admirably adapted 

 to mix in groups, and the beds furnish 

 places for ornamental foliage plants to 

 make amends for then 1 lack of loliage, or 

 the comparative thinness of it when the 



