132 



THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



or any of the dark fuchsias. My favourite 

 fuchsia for single pots suspended in wire is 

 Sir AVilliam Middleton, but Banks's Glory 

 trains down well, and so docs Nil Des- 

 perandum. For centres to large baskets, 

 try Fair Oriana, with a circle of Bopeep, 

 and Coeur de Leon for an edge. The Tom 

 Thumb Tropscolum will bo tried here in 

 an extemporised basket made from a piece 

 sawn off a cask, which we have lately 

 sunk for a muck pit. The cask is fitted 

 with a cover, and a door to keep the muck 

 out of sight, and we had to saw off a depth 

 of nine inches before it was pitched. This 

 measures three feet across, and with a bit 

 of planking for a bottom, and a stump to 

 stand on, will be furnished with the Tro- 

 paeolum edged with Senecio niickanias, and 

 not an inch of the wood will be visible. 

 Heliotropes, Zauchneria Californica, Ne- 

 mophila insignia, geraniums of all kinds, 

 verbenas, if trained down round the edge, 

 Maurandyas, and Lophospermums, blue 

 Lobelias, and hardy variegated leaved 



plants are the best for ordinary use in bas- 

 kets, but nothing comes amiss in them, if 

 bold in character or of trailing habit ; but 

 take care if you put a strong growing trailer 

 on one side, that you put one of the same, 

 or of similar strength to balance it, on the 

 other, or, when in full feather, the basket 

 will look like a pig with one ear. Of 

 course in properly made timber baskets the 

 plants are best turned out into good potting 

 compost, with a layer of moss over the 

 drainage, but an empty pot may be sunk 

 in the centre, into which to introduce a 

 good specimen plant, which may be re- 

 moved, and its place supplied by another, 

 when past its prime. Those who wish to 

 try their hands at rustic work, and the use 

 of pine cones, should consult the excellent 

 book by our very practical contributor, 

 Mr. H. Howlett. It is entitled " Practical 

 Rustic Work," and is published by Messrs. 

 Jarrold and Sons, of St. Paul's Churchyard, 

 London, and London Street, Norwich. It 

 is illustrated with excellent examples. 



CULTIVATION OP THE CINEEAEIA. 



BY JAMES HOLLAND, GARDENER TO E. W. PEAKE, ESQ., HOUNSLOW. 



This gay and interesting spring flower is 

 fast becoming a favourite at the principal 

 spring shows, and is to be found in every 

 well-kept greenhouse and conservatory, 

 and well it deserves a place in any collec- 

 tion. The attention of late given to its 

 cultivation has been productive of re- 

 markable results ; the well-furnished, 

 regularly grown, and gay plant of 1859 is 

 a totally different thing to the meagre, 

 staring plant of the year 1850, and to this 

 great advance we owe much to Mr. Turner, 

 of Slough, who grows them to a consider- 

 able extent. I may refer also to Mr. 

 Smith, of Dulwich, who, during the last 

 two years, has made a great stride in rich- 

 ness and purity of colour, although the 

 plants may be delicate in habit. As the 

 leading kinds have been several times suc- 

 cessfully exhibited, the work of selection to 

 improve the stock should have immediate 

 attention. A few of the 1859 seedlings 

 that have been exhibited will not be at- 

 tainable until autumn ; but enough of 

 those of 1858 may be had, such as Mrs. 

 Livingstone, Mrs. Dix, Wonderful, Per- 

 fection, Purpui'ea, Editor, Mars, and 

 Sultan. Although the three first-named 

 are all in one way of colour, yet each has 

 its own particular qualities. If they can 

 be got in large GO-size pots, or 48's, so 

 much the better, as they generally throw 



up stronger for stock than those grown in 

 larger pots. Let me give a few hints on 

 culture, for the information of the inex- 

 perienced. Suppose a purchase to have 

 been made in 60's, or 48 size pots, the 

 flower and stem ready to decay, pot on 

 into one size larger, and place them behind 

 a south wall, upon a bed of coal ashes, or 

 upon slabs or slates, as a preventive to 

 worms and slugs ; they will soon begin to 

 start into growth if the extremes of damp 

 and dryness be avoided, for an excess in 

 either will speak for itself in the cultiva- 

 tion of the plant. When the grass (as it is 

 called) becomes two or three joints long, it 

 is fit for striking. They should be taken 

 off a little below ground, to secure the 

 fibrous joint which is found below the 

 surface, and place round the edges of a 

 pot, in a compost of half loam, quarter 

 leaf-mould, quarter decomposed manure, 

 and sufficient sand to take tlie water 

 through. Pot them into a cold and shady 

 handlight until struck, which, if in a 

 healthy condition, will be in about three 

 weeks. Then harden them off gradually, 

 and pot off into 60-size pots, still keeping 

 in the shade. I propose, hereafter, to 

 give the treatment of the young stock, 

 beginning with the cutting, remarking 

 that a first-class flower is as easy to grow 

 as a worthless variety. 



