THE FLORAL WOULD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 279 



not feel it so much when moved at this stage, or when just callused, 

 as they do when left to become thoroughly rooted aud grow wild 

 before being taken up. Thousands of geraniums are wintered in 

 boxes and pans, but, to tell the truth, I must say that I never liked 

 it so well as keeping them in pots, for the reason that those round 

 the side grow away strong, and half smother those in the centre, 

 many of which towards the spring are of very little use, whilst the 

 others have every opportunity of growing too rank, through having 

 too large a feeding ground. A plan found to answer well, is to pnt 

 three plants in three-inch pots, keep them there until February, and 

 then pot off singly. There is not much fear of one smothering the 

 other; and quite as many plants can be stowed away in a given space 

 when potted this way as when they are put in boxes or pans. 



When they are potted off, stand the pots out of doors on a hard 

 bottom until the appearance of frost renders it dangerous for the 

 plants to remain without protection. Where the plants are to re- 

 main in pits and frames through the winter, whether heated or not, 

 if the structures are ready for their reception, it is as well to place 

 them in their proper places at once, and take the lights entirely away 

 until the coldness of the weather renders it necessary to put them 

 on again. This saves the trouble of a second shift. All the gera- 

 niums should have no more water through the winter than is neces- 

 sary to keep them alive, unless it is thought desirable to place them 

 in heat for propagating. In that case, they will require the applica- 

 tion of that element in proportion to the heat of the house in which 

 they are. 



The above remarks apply with equal force to the section with 

 variegated leaves, and it is more important to strike these out of 

 doors than the green leaves, for they are more difficult to strike in 

 pots than the last-mentioned. The variegates should be kept on the 

 greenhouse shelves through the winter, for damp so soon catches 

 them ; the green-leaved kinds will do very well in a dry pit, if it has 

 the advantage of sufficient piping to dry up the damp and keep out 

 frost. It is, however, much the best to keep them all as quiet as 

 possible through the winter, and then, when the young plants are 

 potted off in the spring, they start away vigorously, and make grand 

 plants for turning out when the proper time comes for their being 

 transferred to their summer quarters. 



Calceolarias. — Though these valuable bedders suffer very 

 severely in dry seasons, we must not discard them. They will no 

 doubt regain a considerable share of their popularity this season, as 

 the past summer has been so favourable to them. It is too early to 

 begin propagating these yet ; and they ought to be left; until the end 

 of the present month. Prom the end of the month until the middle 

 of the next, a better time could not possibly be had. The wood is 

 in a much better condition for emitting roots about that period than 

 earlier in the season. Take the cutting with three joints, cut it 

 close under the bottom one, from which the pair of leaves are 

 removed, and cut the top leaves, if large, about half off. This 

 enables the foliage to stand up stiff, instead of falling about, as is 

 the case when the foliage is left its whole length. Calceolarias are 



