244 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the risk of being dried up, and it also does away with the trouble of 

 shading. Nothing is gained by leaving the seedlings in the pans 

 after they are up ; consequently, directly they have three or four 

 rough leaves we prick them off into other pans prepared in much 

 the same manner as those used in sowing the seed, but filled with a 

 rougher compost. For a week or so after undergoing the trans- 

 planting operations, keep them close just to enable them to recover 

 themselves, and then either remove the lights altogether, or stand 

 the pans or boxes at the foot of a north wall. Here they may 

 remain until September or October, according to the season and 

 the time the seed was sown. 



At this stage a shady border is selected, and if the soil is natu- 

 rally unsuitable for the growth of the Polyanthus, add six inches of 

 good turfy loam and three inches of rotten cow-dung, if it can be 

 procured. Thoroughly decayed hotbed manure will form a capital 

 substitute for the latter. Dig the border as deep as possible without 

 turning up any of the uncongenial subsoil, and well mix the manure 

 and fresh soil throughout the entire depth. It is only in excep- 

 tional cases that the loam need be added, but the dressing of manure 

 and deep digging are always necessary. Plant the stock out about 

 a foot apart each way, and be careful to make the soil firm about 

 them ; also give a good soaking of water to settle the soil, if the 

 weather happens to be dry at the time they are planted. 



As they come into flower in the spring, get a few tallies ready 

 and mark each plant that is thought to be worth growing in pots, 

 and pull up the worst and throw them away at once. The others 

 that are not good enough for pots, but too good to destroy, can be 

 allowed to remain until the autumn, and then be planted in the 

 shrubbery and herbaceous borders. 



Prom this time until the succeeding February, the plants will be 

 able to take care of themselves, unless we happen to get a roasting 

 summer like that of 18G8, and then a layer of rotten manure spread 

 over the surface between the rows will be of immense service in 

 keeping the roots cool, as also will be a few thorough soakings of 

 water. Mere surface waterings are worse than useless, therefore 

 they must be avoided. 



In February lift them without injuring the roots, and pot firmly 

 in either 5 or 6-inch pots, according to the size of each individual, 

 and use good fibrous loam mixed with a small quantity of manure 

 and sand. I always have a thin layer of manure placed between 

 each layer of turves, when stacking up as it comes home from the 

 common or pasture, and then no mixture of manure is necessary 

 when used for potting. After they are potted we place them in a 

 frame facing south, in which a good bed of coal-ashes has been pre- 

 viously made up, and give all the air it is possible to give them. 

 In ordinary weather, we draw the lights off altogether, and never 

 think of shutting them down except when frosty. 



The Polyanthus is perfectly hardy, and, like other hardy plants, 

 soon ruined if treated as a tender exotic. I do not, however, con- 

 sider it advisable to let them get frozen when in pots, and to prevent 

 this, a mat is thrown over the glass during a severe frost. 



