THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 145 



then substitute weak liquid manure for it. The plants should be 

 .-syringed lightly overhead in the afternoon, previous to closing the 

 frames for the night, both for the purpose of maintaining a genial 

 growing atmosphere, and for keeping the foliage free from dust and 

 insect pests. The syringing must be discontinued after the end of 

 September, as the water which runs from the pots will be sufficient 

 to maintain a proper degree of moisture in the atmosphere. 



Stop the portion of the stock intended for specimens as soon as 

 the flower-stems rise ; pinch back the flower-stems to about four or 

 five joints, and peg out regularly the side-shoots and large leaves as 

 the growth progresses. The former will also require tying out before 

 the flowers begin to expand, but it is a good plan to commence the 

 training early, as there is then little difficulty in putting each shoot 

 in its proper place, and practically no danger of their being broken 

 when tying them out. A well-grown specimen, when the flowers 

 are fully expanded, should be spherical in shape, with the outside 

 flowers nearly level with the rim of the pot. Use pegs made 

 from galvanized wire, if practicable, but wooden ones are equally 

 serviceable. Seedlings and others intended for blooming early must 

 not be stopped at all. 



Where seedlings are grown, those from which it is intended to 

 save seed should, as soon as the first flowers are expanded, be re- 

 moved. from the general stock, and placed in a frame by themselves 

 to prevent their being fertilized with pollen from the worthless sorts. 

 This is a very easy matter, because a very few plants will furnish an 

 ample supply of seed for the generality of gardens. The seed should 

 be saved from plants compact in habit, and with well-formed 

 distinctly-coloured flowers. Where seed is saved from a collection 

 of first-rate named varieties, it will not be necessary to separate the 

 seed-bearing plants from the general stock. As the flowers begin 

 to fade, place the plants in a light airy position to insure the seed 

 being thoroughly matured, and gather before it is blown away 

 and lost. 



Sow the seed in the first or second week in July in five-inch 

 pots. Make the surface perfectly level, and cover with a very thin 

 layer of sandy soil. The pots should then be placed in a cold 

 frame, and constantly shaded from the sun until the young plants 

 begin to show above the surface, when the supply of light and air 

 must be increased. Directly the seedlings have two rough leaves, 

 prick off into seed-pans or round the sides of the same-sized pots, 

 and in the same manner as advised for the offsets ; and, like the 

 latter, they must be potted off as soon as established. 



The following are the best varieties at pre.-ent in commerce, and 

 will form a good collection to begin with. If purchased at once a 

 stock of each sort may be obtained for next year; and it will be the 

 cheapest in the end, even if they cost more than they would in the 

 autumn, because the plants at the latter period would, in all proba- 

 bility, be too small to make much of a display the following season. 

 The names and colours are as follows : — Jgrippa, white, with rosy 

 crimson margin ; Auricula, white, blue margin ; Blue Beard deep 

 blue ; Celestial, white, narrow margin and blue disk ; Chancellor rich 



VOL. VI. — NO. Y. 10 



