THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 223 



squash by another. As a rule, tlie pumpkins are very large and oblonp; ; the 

 gourds smallish and round, and high coloured ; tlie citronelle very lani-e and 

 flattish globular, the colour yellow ; the squashes not so large, but Uattish, and 

 often of two colours, the marrows are in shape and texture miniature pumpkins, 

 and usually yellow or cream-coloured when ripe. 



Fehtilizatiox. — M. iV.— The fertilization of a flower, no matter of what kind 

 or by what pollen, whether its own or that of an allied species or variety, must 

 really be studied in the garden ; very little respecting it can be taught in books. 

 You must discover for yourself when the pollen is fit for use, and when the stigma 

 is fit to receive it. "When seeds are lipe no one can tell the seed of one variety fiom 

 another of closely related subjects. 



W. S. W.—lt is our rule never to recommend particular nurserymen for the 

 supply of plants, seeds, etc., that are regular articles of trade. As an "Old Sub- 

 scriber," you must have observed many times that we have given our reasons for 

 this rule. Horticultural periodicals that name traders for the supply of this and 

 that are never trusted by such as have had some experience of the world. The 

 nurserymen who advertise in The Floral Would can supply all the plants, etc., 

 etc., that the readers of the work may require. Eut the Editor never has, and 

 never -will, puff anybody. 



Keeping Hipe Melons. — Amateur. — A dry, cool, airy place is decidedly the 

 best for keeping melons after they are ripe. We have kept them tolerably good for 

 three weeks or a month after cutting. The exact time depends entirely upon what 

 degree of maturity they had reached when cut. Fruit cut a day or so before it 

 has become dead ripe will keep longer in a good condition than it will left on the 

 vine a day or so after it is thoroughly mature. A week or ten days is quite long 

 enough to keep them, no matter l;ow they are gathered, for after that time the 

 flavour becomes flat and insipid. 



Cyclamens. — F. W. W. - The cyclamens should be repotted about the middle 

 of August, and in the meanwhile keep them dry at the roots, and in a cool position. 

 They succeed admirably in a compost consisting of good turfy loara, three parts, 

 and well decayed hotbed, or cow manure and leaf-mould, a part each. Corms of 

 the size mentioned will require six-inch pots, and sliould be buried to nearly two- 

 thirds of their depth. Let the compost be moderately moist when used, and after- 

 wards apply water very sparingly imtil the plants begin to grow freely. In fact, 

 just sufficient only should be applied to keep the soil in a nice moist state. 



Ventilating Plant Stove. — Amateur. — A greater mistake could not 

 exist than in supposing that stove-plants require very little or no air; for they 

 receive equally as much benefit from that element as any other class of plants. Of 

 course, those coming from tropical jungles do not require so much as others from 

 the Cape. We cannot lay down any rule as to what hour of the day you are to 

 give air, or what hour you are to take it; off, but the plants should have air when- 

 ever the state of the weather will permit. Give more when the air is soft and warm 

 than when it is cold and keen. All plant-stoves should have ventilators against 

 the hot-water pipes, so that tho air may pass over them and become warm before 

 coming in contact with the plants. 



Oncidium papiho. — A. H. — This is not the proper time to remove orchids from 

 blocks, the spring being the most suitable, just before they commence the season's 

 growth. As it has been removed from the block, afHx it to another at once. As 

 this is such a peculiarly neat-growing orcliid, we prefer growing it on a block of 

 virgin cork ; fasten a little sphagnum moss over the block with a piece of matting, 

 spread the roots out over this, and, after covering them with a little more moss, 

 secure tlie plant to the block v;ith fine copper wire:, and suspend in the orchid- 

 house ; dip the block frequently into water, tlie same temperature as the house in 

 which it is grown through the summer, and just often enough through the winter to 

 prevent the bulbs and foliage from shrivelling. From 70° to 80" through the 

 summer, and from 50'^ to GO'' in the winter months, will be a good range of 

 temperature. 



Heating GREENnousE. — H. B. — To keep up a steady heat with the lowest 

 possible quantity of fuel, you will require four rows of 4-inch pipes the length 

 of the house, two on each side, and two rows along one end, and a 24-inch 

 saddle-boiler. For simplicity and economy you will find no form of boiler to answer 

 your purpose so well as the old-fashioned saddle-back. You will require fittings 



July. 



