128 TUE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



rotten dung. "Wlieu the leaves begin to fade withhold the water, and as soon as 

 they are completely withered take the bulbs up and lay them on their sides with a 

 couple of inches of soil over them to ripen. 



How TO RAISE AcHiMENES AND GLOXINIAS FROM Seed. — A Youug Gardener. 

 — Seed should only be saved from those kinds which are of first-class merit and 

 present some distinctive features, either in a wood habit of growth or the colour and 

 shape of the flower ; such should be crossed with other good varieties. Any time 

 in March is a capital time for sowing the seeds, and as they are small they require 

 little extra care. It is not of much consequence whether pans or pots are used, but 

 the former are the handiest ; therefore we will suppose pans are employed. They 

 should have a good drainage, and the soil should consist of two parts peat, one part 

 loam, and one part leaf-mould ; chopped up and sifted, and the i-ough part put over 

 the crocks, and the finer portion on the top. This should be made firm and level 

 with the bottom of a flower-pot, a piece of board, or other contrivance, and then 

 have a good watering ; the seed may then be sown, and covered as lightly as 

 possible. It is advisable to cover the pans with a piece of glass to keep the soil 

 moist without frequent waterings, and to place the pan on a warm tank or other 

 source of heat to start the seed. As they begin to come up, they admit air at first 

 by just tilting the glass slightly with a piece of crock or wood, gradually increasing 

 the amount of air admitted, until the young plants are strong enough to bear the 

 removal of the glass altogether. Directly the seedlings are stout enough to handle, 

 they should be pricked off into other pans, and as they become large enough, 

 finally potted off" into small pots. 



Salvias and Justicias. — IF. Wilson. — As the Salvias will soon produce their 

 bloom-spikes, they must not be shifted, but give plenty of liquid manure, or put a 

 spoonful of genuine Peruvian guano on the surface of the mould every three days 

 and wash it in with water. Shorten the shoots of Justicia carnea major to five or 

 six inches in length, shake it out and repot iu rich compost, plunge in bottom-heat, 

 shift again as the plant advances, syringe frequently, and by the middle of July it 

 should be a handsome specimen, with from fifteen to twenty fine beads of bloom. 

 The tops now cut off if placed iu bottom-heat — say, a cucumber frame at work — 

 would soon make tine young plants. 



Seedling Geraniums. — W. K. — To have them in bloom this year, sow in a 

 brisk heat as early as possible. Prick them into small pots as soon as large enough 

 to handle, and keep them in a warm place near the glass till the bedding-plants are 

 removed from the house. Then shift to six-inch pots, and put them in the house 

 near the glass. Give plenty of air all summer, and they will iill bloom in August 

 and September. This is a better way than sowing one season to flower the next, 

 because it saves the trouble of keeping the seedlings all winter, which is a nuisance, 

 seeing that a majority of them are sure to be worthless. 15y the quick method they 

 are all proved before winter. 



Seedling Ferns. — Miss Williamson. — Propagating ferns by spores is a very 

 simple affair. Take some seedpans and fill them about half-full with rough i^ieces 

 of crock, and then take some fibry peat and break it up roughly, and thoroughly 

 incorporate it with an equal proportion of sphagnum moss ; it is not imperatively 

 necessary to use sphagnum, for the peat alone will suffice, but it is advisable to use 

 it. After the peat and moss are properly prepared, fill the pans about two inches 

 above the level of the rim and make it finn, but leave a rough surface, and then, 

 after the soil is properly moistened, take the fronds of the kinds you wish to pro- 

 pagate and shake them over the pans, and gently draw your hand up the under- 

 neath side of the fronds to dislodge the spores. After this is done, cover with bell- 

 glasses, and stand the pans in water in a shady part of the stove. The spores are 

 so small that watering overhead washes them out of their places. More especially 

 is this injurious to -them after they begin to vegetate. You should bring home 

 whole fronds from your friend's carefully wrapped in paper. It is much better, 

 whenever practicable, to sow the spores direct from the fronds than to make an 

 attempt at cleaning them, like you would the seeds of ordinary flowering plants. 

 As soon as you can see the young plants, give a little air, by tilting the glasses, to 

 prevent their damping off. When the young plants are large enough to handle, 

 prick them off either singly into small pots or several in large ones, where they can 

 remain to strengthen and then be potted singly. Use peat and plenty of sand whilst 

 the plants are young, and afterwards use a proportion of loam according to the 

 kinds. 



