79 

 GESNEEA ZEBRINA. 



BT HENRY HO W LETT. 



jEVEEAL years ago, I was gardener at a Norfolk shooting 

 seat, where the family and visitors resorted in con- 

 siderable numbers during the shooting season, but at no 

 other time ; consequently my whole force and appliances 

 were directed to the supply of autumn and winter 

 flowers, fruits, and vegetables ; but as I need not speak now of the 

 latter, I shall confine myself to the one subject of this brief paper. 

 "Well, then, the Gesnera zebrina was one of my grandest subjects, 

 for whether as a mass two feet across, to furnish vases in the corridor 

 or conservatory, or as siugle specimens for dressing flower-stands or 

 the dining-table, nothing could surpass it for richness, and withal I 

 am not aware that there was any particularly difficult point in its 

 culture. Perhaps I had hit upon it without being aware of it, yet, 

 if I may judge from what I have seen elsewhere, and what one of 

 your correspondents says, all who essay its culture are not so suc- 

 cessful. I have seen this plant, to be sure, in many places present- 

 ing a meagre, sickly aspect, and have observed, that when perched 

 upon shelves or stages amongst other plants, that it does not pre- 

 sent that glorious appearance of having been made of — what shall I 

 say ? Shot velvet ? "Well, at any rate, if you have the right sort 

 (for there was one variety much more beautiful than any other), 

 and keep its foliage perfect, I do not know that any velvet can 

 equal it. I believe that success depends mainly upon four things — 

 namely, the potting its tubers in shallow pots or seed-pans, with 

 abundance of crocks and a rich porous soil, such as coarse lumps of 

 peat and decayed vegetable refuse ; secondly, keeping the pots 

 plunged in some kindly medium, such as leaves, tan, or, what is 

 better, perhaps, cocoanut fibre ; thirdly, never allow water to be 

 splashed or syringed over them, nor dust allowed where they are 

 — that is to say, whilst they are in course of preparation for making 

 the final display, after that they must rough it ; fourthly, they must 

 be kept near the glass, in a moderately -heated structure— that is to 

 saj r , if they have a nice bottom-heat in the summer months, with 

 the benefit of solar warmth, no great amount of firing will be 

 necessary, except in dull and cold weather, when there must be a 

 little fire day and night. The foregoing directions indicate that a 

 pit is the place to grow them. My stock, when pretty well up to 

 their full growth, used to fill six or seven lights ; when they had 

 done their duty in the house or conservatory, I used to set them in 

 any dry house to ripen, where, of course, the temperature was never 

 so low as freezing ; then, during the spring months, take a few pots 

 at a time, selecting those that first went to rest, for the first potting, 

 and shaking the bulbs out of the old soil, select the strongest, and 

 pot at once in the full-sized pots or pans in which they are to grow 

 to perfection, placing from one to seven bulbs in each, according to 

 the size of the pan, and treat them as directed above. 



