THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



worms from entering by the bottoms of the 

 pots, which if allowed to do, are very de- 

 structive to the action of those fleshy 

 fibres upon which the suckers, or young 

 grass, depend for their support. Water 

 must now be carefully and rather sparingly 

 given ; the application of it by the syringe 

 overhead is greatly to be preferred to the 

 water-pot ; and not only should the pots 

 be moistened, but the ground around also, 

 to promote evaporation, which, with 

 abundance of air, is the greatest delight of 

 the Cineraria. Indeed, it cannot be kept 

 too cool, and scarcely too much shaded 

 during the hot summer months ; for no 

 plant is so easily crippled in its vigorous 

 growth by exposure to the full suu and a 

 dry atmosphere. I am perfectly aware 

 that it requires the assistance of the sun's 

 rays at the time of blooming, to bring up 

 the colour ; but too much, even then, will 

 shorten the duration of their bloom, espe- 

 cially if in full bloom at the end of April 

 or May. 



But to return to the propagation, 

 which, if proper attention has been given, 

 will be about the months of July and 

 August, for the main stock. Cuttings 

 from one to one and a-half inches will be 

 long enough, taking them off from below 

 the surface-soil, by one joint, with a sharp 

 knife ; then insert them round the edges 

 of a pot, filled to the rim with prepared 

 compost, consisting of loam one-half, 

 leaf-mould one-quarter, of decomposed 

 manure one-quarter, and a fair addition of 

 silver-sand. After the cuttings are in- 

 serted, give the pot a gentle rap on the 

 pottiug-table, to settle the whole, and 

 then syringe overhead, to make all clean 

 and complete. Place them in a cold 

 frame, or under a hand-light, in a cool 

 and shady place, with but little air until 

 struck, which will be in about three 

 weeks. Then harden them off gradually, 

 and as soon as they will bear full exposure 

 to the air, pot them off at once, for the 

 plant requires plenty of space at the roots 

 when in vigorous growth ; and the grower 

 should always be particular to shift into 

 larger pots whenever the roots have fairly 

 reached the sides of the pots, and before 

 they in any way become matted round it, 

 until the sized pot intended to bloom in 

 is reached. After potting, carefully water 

 the plants overhead, which not only 

 settles them, but cleanses the foliage, and 

 return them to the cold frame, keeping 

 them close for a day or two, while they 

 gain a fresh start in the new compost. 

 When grown in small pots, such as in sizes 

 48 or 32, no stopping, pegging out, sticks, 



or ties are necessary ; but if for specimens, 

 the plants require stopping, if properly 

 grown, when they have got two pair of 

 leaves upon a single stem, not allowing 

 any suckers to come below the collar of 

 the stem. From such a plant four breaks 

 are obtained, which, with the majority of 

 kinds in cultivation, is sufficient to make a 

 handsome plant. After this stop, it is 

 necessary to peg or tie down the leaves, 

 to admit light and air, and so strengthen 

 the breaks. This course must be con- 

 tinued until the plant has made its growth, 

 and may best be done when the plants 

 have attained the length of four or five 

 joints. As breaks occur again at every 

 joint, and at the same time the crown-buds 

 are being formed, by continued stopping 

 a much larger plant, though with much 

 smaller blooms, is obtained. I therefore 

 may observe, that by once stopping you 

 will grow a medium size head of well-de- 

 veloped bloom, unless one of the breaks 

 should by chance take a lead of the others, 

 and then I should recommend to train it 

 in any way rather than stop again, which 

 produces a bloom in two stages. Though 

 the Cineraria may be had in bloom from 

 the beginning of March to the end of 

 May, their prime is at the latter end of 

 April and the beginning of May, allowing 

 some diffei-ence for the early and late 

 sorts ; but to insure a season of bloom, 

 start early and late plants ; for instance, 

 by the time the first batch of cuttings are 

 struck and potted otf, another batch of 

 cuttings will be ready to take off, to suc- 

 ceed the earlier plants. With regard to 

 the properties of the perfect specimen, 

 little can be added to what is laid down 

 in the " Properties of Florist Flowers," 

 by Mr. Grlenny. It states that, first, the 

 flowers should be round without indenta- 

 tions between the petals, and without 

 notch on the petals, the edge being smooth. 

 Secondly, the petals should be broad 

 and obtuse at the ends, thick, of fine 

 texture, and sufficiently numerous to form 

 a close circle ; to this thirteen petals is 

 the average number, more causing confti- 

 sionin theflower ; less, unless they be of ex- 

 tra breadth, would appear scanty. Thirdly, 

 the truss should be large, the flowers edge 

 to edge, forming a round surface. Fourth- 

 ly, the ground of edge flowers should be 

 pure white, the colour on the edges all 

 alike, dense, and well defined, so as to 

 form a complete equal ring all round the 

 outer edge of the flower. Fifthly, the 

 colour of all, whether selfs or edged, should 

 be brilliant. Sixthly, the disk should be 

 from a fourth of the diameter to, at the 



