THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 297 



from, never having seen anything like such fat and healthy little 

 gentlemen iu any nursery, and seeing some for sale in a window in 

 the Tottenham Court Road, went in to inquire the price, and to 

 find out the grower's address, for I felt certain that there was some- 

 thing to be seen wherever they came from. But though I put the 

 query in the quietest and most careless way, the poor foolish soul 

 would not tell me a word about it. She must have thought me 

 about to set up in opposition ; in any case I could get nothing out 

 of her but " That's a secret, sir." I think it was Mr. Kennedy, of 

 Covent Garden, who directed me to South Row, Kensal New Town, 

 and there indeed I have several times since found a lot of interest. 

 I have no doubt that most of the really good dwarf Cacti may be found 

 there in splendid health, and very cheap, though there are not a few 

 plants of rare kinds not bigger than one's fist that are worth 

 guineas. But many finely flowering Mam miliarias and others of 

 the first quality may be had nearly as cheap as bedding stuff. There 

 is one very pretty plant often seen among them, with blunt thick 

 leaves of a glaucous pink, Pach/pluton bracteosum, that is very 

 common in Covent Garden. It is one of the neatest of all suc- 

 culents, and is propagated by the leaves, as many other kinds are by 

 M. Pflersdorf's plant-grower — a German woman. The leaves are 

 put on or into a box as thick as they can stand, and soon each 

 displays a little bud at its base, which when a little developed is 

 potted into one of those liliputian red pots, given a few months in 

 a brisk heat and full light, and then they are ready for the market. 

 I may add for the benefit of indoor gardeners that some of the dwarf 

 aloes and gasterias will not only grow, but flower in a warm room, 

 or even in a dark kitchen window. 



ANNUAL FLOWERS FOR THE CONSERVATORY IN 

 THE SPRING. 



BY J. r. m'elrot, 



Head Gardener at Moray Lodge, Campden Hill. 



HE sowing of a few choice annuals in pots, which 

 may be safely preserved during the winter months in 

 the conservatory or greenhouse, is an important matter 

 for those who wish for spring flowers. One of the 

 chief evils to guard against in the after management is 

 not to wet the foliage during dull, foggy, or frosty weather. In 

 watering, the fault had better be on the side of too little than too 

 much water, and let it be done in the morning, so that the conser- 

 vatory is thoroughly dry by the evening. In recommending this 

 list, my object is that the house shall be enlivened with a few 

 flowers in the spring before such things as geraniums are in bloom. 

 Besides, most of them, if you have them to spare, could be placed 

 out of doors, and thus give your garden a gay appearance at a 

 season of the year when the ordinary bedding plants are as yet not 

 planted. 



