2C2 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the latter take up too much space. For ordinary decorative purpose?, 

 such as the embellishment of the conservatories usually erected in 

 small gardens, nicely grown specimens of a medium size are the most 

 useful. There is nothing in the whole round of garden management 

 so simple as the production of these, and in a very few words I shall 

 be able to point out how amateurs, like myself, may secure speci- 

 mens with but very little trouble, and really no difficulty. In 

 making a beginning with small plants in pots you lay yourself open 

 to a lot of hard work and a considerable amount of vexation, but in 

 aetiiig upon my advice very little labour is incurred and all vexation 

 will be avoided. I commence with plants growing in the open 

 borders, and the results are most satisfactory. We have several 

 borders filled with roses, the more showy herbaceous plants and 

 bedders. The latter consist principally of zonal pelargoniums, and 

 as they are not crowded up in the same manner as those in the beds, 

 they branch out freely and make a good growth. Early in August I 

 go round, knife in hand, and select about thirty of the most pro- 

 mising, and prune them moderately. It is not needful to prune them 

 severely, because when you do this the centre of the plants will be 

 too crowded. At this stage they break freely, each shoot producing 

 from two to four laterals, according to its strength. They receive 

 no further attention until the end of September, when they are 

 lifted and potted. They are lifted carefully so as to avoid injury to 

 the roots ; the latter are then shortened slightly, and the plants put 

 in five or six-inch pots ; but if practicable they are put in the 

 smaller sizes, as they can then be shifted more conveniently, in the 

 spring following, into the pots in which they are to flower. The pots 

 are carefully drained, and good turfy loam, with a fair sprinkling of 

 silver sand, is used. Alter the potting is completed, they are placed 

 m a cold frame with the lights removed, excepting when danger 

 from frost is apprehended. The lights are then drawn on, and mats 

 are also brought into requisition if considered needful. But until there 

 is a likelihood of a frost the plants must be freely exposed, even at 

 the risk of their losing all their leaves. When newly potted alight 

 sprinkle occasionally with the watering can will be beneficial, but 

 too much moisture and shutting them up in a close atmosphere are . 

 alike hurtful. Towards the end of October they are removed to a 

 light and airy position in a span-roof house, devoted during the 

 winter to bedding plants. 



During the winter months they are supplied with sufficient water 

 to keep the soil just moist, and no more. When they begin to grow 

 freely in March they will require more liberal supplies of moisture 

 and a shift into larger pots. Eight-inch pots are the most suitaDle 

 for them to flower in, as they are convenient to move about and 

 afl\)rd an abundant root space. At this shift I mix a little decayed 

 manure with the loam, and after they are repotted place them in a 

 frame and ventilate freely in favourable weather. They are stopped 

 once, and once only, but all the flower buds are nipped off until 

 three weeks or so before they are wanted for the conservatory. Yery 

 little training will be required, but a few neat stakes judiciously 

 placed will be useful in regulating the shoots. No attempt should 



