THE FLORIST. 55 



up for at least a fortnight in the stove. This precaution must 

 be obvious, for the bringing young and succulent roots into 

 immediate contact with soddened cold soil will cause such a 

 check to the now of sap, as to throw back the plant a month, 

 perhaps kill it. Cuttings taken from these plants will strike 

 like weeds in river or silver sand, plunging the pots in gentle 

 heat, covering with a hand-glass. No time should be lost in 

 sowing seed ; plunge the pots in heat to induce early germina- 

 tion, or, in all probability, the plants will not bloom till the fol- 

 lowing year. 



Whitehill. W. H. Story. 



Pansies have had a trying month ; ours have been protected with 

 inverted flower-pots, as described in No. I. of the first Volume, 

 and have stood the weather admirably. Repot those for bloom- 

 ing under glass into 7-inch pots, in soil similar to that for bloom- 

 ing Carnations, but with more sand. If the plant is long, peg it 

 down ; if otherwise, secure it with a small piece of deal stick, 

 or they will often become injured with rocking to and fro, as 

 they must be kept open generally, or they will draw, and become 

 weakly, and there will be no large blooms. There will be a few 

 vacancies to fill up in the beds, and the seedlings will require 

 looking to. Seed saved in the autumn should not be sown 

 before the first week in April, otherwise the plants will bloom 

 at a time when they are seldom seen in character, and a good 

 flower might be discarded. 



Nursery, Slough. C. Turner. 



Pelargoniums. — Plants stopped for June flowering will have broken 

 well by this time, and should be shifted, as well as all young 

 stock-plants that have filled their pots with roots. If the latter 

 are in 4-inch pots, shift into a 6-inch size ; if they were struck 

 from cuttings of last summer, it is as large as they require to 

 bloom in. In shifting, rub off the outside and top of the ball. 

 Plants which were finally shifted in the autumn will require a 

 thorough watering, to moisten the ball of earth throughout, as, 

 after fixing, we find the surface moist, whilst the body and bottom 

 are dry. Seedlings as last month. J. Dobson. 



Pinks. — Continue the protection recommended last month. Look 

 over the beds, and press the soil to those plants that have been 

 loosened by the late frosts. See also that the tallies are in their 

 proper places ; frost often lifts them out of the ground. Hoe 

 the surface, and give a top-dressing of good soil the first open 

 weather. In severe weather give extra protection to delicate- 

 growing varieties, by covering them with a small glass elevated 

 on the south side, but in mild weather remove the covering. 

 Pcckhum, Surrey. J. T. Neville. 



Poly an m uses under pot-culture should be top-dressed in the early 



